Updated Fall 2009!
Resource Guide

Programs strive to include families through various strategies, such as clear communication and a welcoming environment.

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.

• Programs create a welcoming atmosphere for family members by employment who are skilled in working with both youth and families, who speak the language spoken by participants' families and who are experienced in or receive training about the cultures of the participating families.
• Staff communicate with families regularly through multiple methods (email, telephone, flyers, newsletters, in person) in the families' language about the program and the child's needs and progress.
• Support services are offered to families such as assistance with parenting, GED classes and counseling services.
• Parent leadership activities exist, such as a parent advisory council or spots on the board for parents.

Building, Engaging, and Supporting Family and Parental Involvement in Out-of-School Time Programs (June 2007)
http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2007_06_19_RB_ParentEngage.pdf
The authors of this brief reviewed several evaluations of family participation in out-of-school-time programs to identify: how this involvement can help both children and families; challenges programs face in efforts to engage parents; and how programs can encourage and sustain involvement. The brief includes specific examples of how programs can address barriers to participation. It concludes with a summary of how one program, the National Organization of Concerned Black Men, added parent-engagement activities to its programming.
Author/Publisher: Horowitz, Allison and Jacinta Bronte-Tinkew. Child Trends.

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)
http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/116_publication.pdf
The Extended-Service Schools (ESS) Initiative created 60 after-school programs in 20 communities across the country. This report highlights who participated in the program, what the quality of activities were, the benefits of the program for the participants and the cost of the program. Staff from the ESS reported that maintaining contact with parents helped promote student engagement, positive behavior and stronger academic performance.
Author/Publisher: Grossman, Jean Baldwin, Marilyn L. Price, Veronica Fellerath, Linda Z. Jucovy, Lauren J. Kottloff, Rebecca Raley and Karen E. Walker. Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures.

Engaging with Families in Out-of-School-Time Learning (2004)
http://www.hfrp.org/publications-resources/browse-our-publications/engaging-with-families-in-out-of-school-time-learning
This brief provides an overview of how researchers evaluate family engagement in out-of-school-time programs. It defines three strategies for engaging with families: 1) family support for improving children's learning, 2) support to families and 3) general parent involvement. It also highlights strategies used to engage families from two evaluations, the Extended-Service Schools Initiative and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
Author/ Publisher: Harris, Erin and Chris Wimer. Harvard Family Research Project, No. 4.

Focus on Families! How to Build and Support Family-Centered Practices in After School (2006)
http://www.hfrp.org/publications-resources/browse-our-publications/focus-on-families%21-how-to-build-and-support-family-centered-practices-in-after-school
This guide has recommendations for programs trying to improve their family engagement practices. It has four sections: 1) research on the benefits and challenges of engaging families in after-school programs; 2) four strategies that after-school programs can use to engage families, drawing from current research and program examples; 3) in-depth profiles of three after-school programs actively working to engage families and 4) evaluation tools for collecting family engagement information that can be used to strengthen a program’s connection with families.
Author/Publisher: Harvard Family Research Project and Build the Out-of-School-Time Network (BOSTnet).

Pathways to Success for Youth: What Counts in After-School (2005) http://www.uwmb.org/MARS-Report.pdf
The Massachusetts After-School Research Study (MARS) looked at after-school programs serving elementary and middle school students from 10 different communities across the state. The purpose of the study was to identify program characteristics related to high-quality implementation and to look at links between program quality and youth outcomes. This study provides lessons learned, including a finding that positive relationships with adults -- one of the key youth outcomes -- was positively associated with the quality of family relations observed at pickup time.
Author/Publisher: Massachusetts After-School Research Study (MARS) Report. United Way of Massachusetts Bay.