Partnering With Parents

Approaching parents as the experts on their own children, listening openly to their concerns and perspectives, and seeking solutions with them (rather than providing for them) helps foster a trusting relationship between service providers and parents. When service providers work with parents in a spirit of true partnership, mothers, fathers, and other caregivers are more likely to invite and welcome providers' support in evaluating needs, developing goals, and identifying effective ways to strengthen the family and provide care for children.

Use the following resources to learn more about partnering with parents, including State and local examples.

Building and Sustaining Effective Partnerships With Parents
National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds
Describes training and technical assistance to improve parent partnerships as well as initiatives such as community cafes and the Parent Partnership Council.

Circle of Parents^®
A collaboration of Prevent Child Abuse America and the National Family Support Roundtable, Circle of Parents provides training and technical assistance around parent leadership and resources on parent involvement.

Definition of Family-Driven Care
Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health (2008)
Definition, guiding principles, characteristics, and web references for more information.

Engaging Families as Experts: Collaborative Family Program Development (PDF - 168 KB)
Fraenkel
Family Process, 45(2), 2006
Describes 10 steps to engage families in the development and implementation of community-based programs, including a discussion of family contributions to program development and an illustration of a program developed with family engagement.

Family Centered Practice and Child Safety Management (PDF - 75 KB)
Action for Child Protection (2008)
Discusses the need to create safety management partnerships with families so that caseworkers and families have a shared interest in assuring the safety of the child. Includes strategies for employing family-centered practices and for building partnerships, as well as tips for handling client resistance.

Growing and Sustaining Parent Engagement: A Toolkit for Parents and Community Partners (PDF - 495 KB)
Center for the Study of Social Policy (2010)
Features approaches to parent engagement and provides examples and questions to help readers create their own parent engagement roadmap, checklist, and support network.

Parent Leadership Network
Parents Anonymous
Offers a free online community for parents to talk about ways to develop and expand their leadership skills and opportunities. The network also provides resources to community members and policymakers who currently work with or are interested in working with parent leaders in shared leadership.

Parent Partner Programs for Families Involved in the Child Welfare System
California Evidence-Based Practice Clearinghouse for Child Welfare
Describes parent partner programs reviewed and rated by the Clearinghouse for their effectiveness engaging parents in meeting their safety, permanency, and well-being goals.

Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: Parent-Provider Partnerships in Child Care
ZERO TO THREE (2006)
View Abstract
Training curriculum to help childcare providers promote positive parenting and healthy social-emotional development in children by building protective factors into their programs.

Stories of Parent Leadership
FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (2009)
Presents excerpts from interviews of six parent leaders on the value of parent engagement and involvement to positively impact parents' personal growth and develop effective and relevant programs and policies.

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State and local examples

Parent Engagement in State Policy and Planning: A Directory of Opportunities for Parents to Get Involved in State Policy and Planning (PDF - 144 KB)
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT (2004)
Describes State agency efforts to involve parents in the design, implementation, evaluation, and oversight of policy and programs that affect children and families in Rhode Island. Provides information on ways to gain meaningful parent involvement and engage and sustain parent voices.

Working With Families Right From the Start
Massachusetts Department of Social Services
Resources and publications on this project aimed at improving the department's engagement and involvement with families.

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