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Main Report Page | Main Resource Guide Page
This is a companion guide to the report,
Putting It All Together: Guiding
Principles for Quality After-School Programs Serving Preteens. Principle 4: Family EngagementOverview
Programs strive to include families
through various strategies, such as clear communication and a welcoming
environment.
Description
Years of research have shown that family involvement benefits children's learning. More recent research has indicated that family engagement is an important component of a quality after-school program. To date there has not been a comprehensive and systematic study regarding effective practices that promote family participation in after-school programs. However, the limited research linking family engagement to outcomes for after-school programs suggests that, at a minimum, clear communication and a welcoming environment are important for achieving positive outcomes for youth. The meaning of family engagement can range from providing program information to parents or speaking with parents during drop-off or pickup, to involving parents in program planning, providing support services to families or requiring parents to participate in activities. The strategies for promoting family engagement in after-school programs can be divided into three main categories: 1) informing families about the program and the participant's progress, 2) providing opportunities for (or in some instances requiring) families to volunteer or participate in the program, including opportunities for parent leadership or 3) offering support services for families, such as counseling or parent education classes. In addition to engaging families in the after-school hours, some after-school programs have a goal of getting families more involved in what is happening during the school day. Examples of this Principle in Action
Where to Go for More Information
Family Strengthening in Youth
Development (May 2005)
http://www.nassembly.org/fspc/practice/documents/Brief6.pdf This brief discusses how youth-serving programs can involve parents as decision-makers. It presents strategies for how national organizations and initiatives serving youth have empowered parents as partners in their work. It provides an overview of how six organizations have involved families and then provides recommendations for increasing family involvement for other agencies delivering youth programming. Author/Publisher: Family Strengthening Policy Center. Policy Brief No. 6. An Initiative of the National Human Services Assembly. Multiple Choices After School: Findings From the Extended-Service
Schools Initiative (2002) Engaging with Families in Out-of-School-Time Learning (2004)
Focus on Families! How to Build and Support Family-Centered
Practices in After School (2006) Pathways to Success for Youth: What Counts in After-School
(2005) http://www.uwmb.org/MARS-Report.pdf
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