Family Engagement is a key component to achieving success in most, if not all, early childhood projects. The Early Childhood Collective at UIUC has a wealth of valuable resources that can help you understand the importance of family engagement and promote participation of families in your community.
Illinois Family & School Success (FSS)
Resources for Families
There are a variety of ways families can be involved with their children’s schools. This collection of articles and resources can help families find ways to connect.
Resources for School Staff
By involving families in your programs you can not only enrich the lives of the children you serve but your entire community. This collection of articles and resources can help school staff find ways encourage family engagement.
Illinois Early Learning Project (IEL)
Connecting with Parents: “But He Doesn’t Do That at Home!”
This family-friendly tip sheet provides brief, practical ways that childcare providers can connect with parents and acknowledge the differences in behavior children can exhibit between home and childcare. (Also available in Spanish and Polish)
Conference Time! Talking to Your Child’s Teacher or Caregiver
This family-friendly tip sheet describes ways a parent can be involved and prepared parent-teacher conferences. (Also available in Spanish and Polish and Korean)
Illinois Early Intervention Clearinghouse (EIC)
The Family’s Role in Early Intervention: How You Can Help Your Child
This family-friendly tip sheet provides brief, practical ways that parents and care givers can be involved in services and the importance of their role as advocates for their child. (Also available in Spanish)
Early Intervention: Partnership at Its Best
This short newsletter article describes the critical role that families play in early intervention services. (Also available in Spanish)
Illinois Early Intervention Training Program (EITP)
Coaching Families of Young Children with Disabilities: What is it and How it Works – Part 1
This video is from a winter webinar created by EITP to provide professionals with knowledge and practical advice for coaching families.
Early Intervention Foundational Pillars: Family-centered practices
This training module created by Universal Online Part C EI Curriculum and offered through EITP describes the what family-centered means how important it is in engaging families.
Military Families Learning Network (MFLN)
Engaging Families to Focus on Intervention Strategies
This webinar video was designed to help early interventionists, private therapy providers, and other professionals working with young children with disabilities think about their interactions with the child’s family and how those interactions strengthen a family’s ability to support their child’s learning.
Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM)
Child and Family Characteristics
Knowing the demographics for a specific area can help community agencies better serve the needs of families. By meeting the needs of the families you can pave the way for greater family engagement. There is extensive collection of data available that can help you understand the families in your community.
Additional Resources can be found at the following EIC Resource Guides: