Partnering with Families to Support Children’s Early Learning Hailey Paschold September 15, 2026

Children learn and grow within two interconnected worlds — home and school — and the strength of the partnership between them directly shapes learning and development. Participants in this workshop will explore how communication style and family systems theory shape the way we engage with families. Participants will also learn how classroom and program structures — from arrival routines to communication policies — either support or hinder genuine partnership. In addition, they will examine their own assumptions and biases. Educators will learn to recognize that a family's values, beliefs, or goals is information — a starting point for understanding what matters most to a family and how best to support them.

Grounded in a strengths-based approach and the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework, this session will include practical scripts, reflective inquiry tools, and planning suggestions for strengthening family engagement. Whether working in a public, private, or home-based setting, participants will build the knowledge, skills, and tools to build authentic, reciprocal relationships with the families they serve.

Participants will:
-Understand how communication styles and family systems theory influence the development of effective, reciprocal relationships with families.
-Recognize how program environment, policies, and daily procedures shape family inclusion, engagement, and equity — and how this differs across settings.
-Apply a strengths-based lens and active listening skills to engage families as genuine partners, even amid differing values or expectations.
-Use reflective inquiry tools to interrogate assumptions.
-Develop practical scripts and plans for family communication across key interactions: daily arrival/departure, ongoing communication, family events, and conferences.