Why Family Engagement is So Important in Child Care

November is traditionally Family Engagement month in all educational settings. From preschool to elementary schools, this is an extremely important month to truly bring awareness to Family Engagement. Many working parents are pressed for time as they drop their children off to preschools, elementary, and even middle schools daily. 

It is the child care program's responsibility to create activities that will encourage engagement within their program. Studies have shown that the more engaged parents are with the center, the more likely they are to remain enrolled within the program. Early childhood programs have done an amazing job in the past at creating a welcoming environment for their parents to learn and engage alongside their child/children. As programs and families become more aware of the benefits of family engagement, the more early childhood programs will enjoy the benefits of incorporating a two-generational approach to learning and engaging with families. Here is a short list of activities to incorporate families into your program:

• Muffins with Mom
• Coffee with Dad
• Grandparents Day 
• Parent/Teacher Conferences 
• In-center volunteers
• Quarterly Family Festivals