Course Project: Building Your Early Childhood Program—Part 4: Family and Community Involvement Policy

As you know, forming respectful partnerships with families is essential to the success of your early childhood program. Drawing on the thinking, experience, deep caring, and expertise of families and communities can enhance your program’s ability to foster the well-being of the young children with whom you work. For Part 4 of your Course Project, you will interview two families who have children in an early childhood program and consider the people and resources available in the community your program will serve. This information will help inform your family and community involvement policy.

For this Assignment, download the “Building Your Early Childhood Program—Part 4: Family and Community Involvement Policy” document from this week’s Learning Resources and follow the guidelines and instructions.

Submit your 3- to 5-page “Family and Community Involvement Policy” based on the guidelines and instructions in the Part 4 document.

(Assignment length: 3–5 pages)

Course Project: Building Your Early Childhood Program

Part 4: Family and Community Involvement Policy

Family Interviews

Conduct an interview with members from two families that have children in an early childhood program. Your interview may be with family members you have worked with in the past or families you know personally. Ask them to share their thoughts about family involvement in the program their child attends. Ask questions such as the following, or design your own based on your knowledge of the families and their experiences:

1. How did your child’s early childhood program go about learning about you and your family? What improvement, if any, do you suggest for this process?

2. How is dialogue between you and the staff, including the director of the program, encouraged?

3. What opportunities exist for your involvement? How are these opportunities tailored to your family interests, strengths, needs, cultural backgrounds, and/or areas of expertise?

4. In what ways does your child’s program strive to understand your family’s cultural expectations?

5. What strategies are used to communicate with your family on an ongoing basis?

1. Are you comfortable in your child’s early childhood program? Do you feel welcome? Do you volunteer? If so, what do you do? If not, why not? Is there evidence of children’s families visible in the setting?

1. What partnerships are you aware of that exist between your child’s program and your community that support children’s healthy development and learning and you as a family? What suggestions, if any, do you have for your child’s early childhood program in the area of community involvement?

1. Is there anything else you would like to share that would help me better understand the ways in which your child’s program builds and values family partnerships?

1. Are there any other suggestions or comments you would like to make with regard to the family involvement policy of your child’s early childhood program?

Community Involvement

Considering the community in which your program will be offered, determine the following:

What community resources are available?

How will the community influence your program?

Which individuals or organizations would like to advise you and your staff on program decisions?

Which individuals or organizations would you like to involve from the community, and why? How might you involve them?

Your Family and Community Involvement Policy

Based on what you have learned in your coursework, from your interviews, and from your experience, draft a 3- to 5-page family and community involvement policy. Include not only your philosophy of family and community involvement but also specific examples of how your program will involve families and communities and why. Make sure to explain how you will tap into family and community support through your Advisory Board and committees by articulating who will be involved, describing what roles people will play, and offering examples of what the Advisory Board and committees will do. Explain how your family and community involvement policy aligns with your vision for the program and your mission statement. As necessary, amend your vision and mission to reflect new knowledge and insights you have gained.

Submit a 3- to 5-page paper that articulates your family and community involvement policy.

Assignment length: 3–5 pages