Children develop and learn within all types of families, and family members are the most important people in young children’s lives. When providers understand families as a system and the impact of parenting in early childhood, they are better able to develop partnerships with families to help create an environment that meets the needs of each child. This lesson shares perspectives for understanding families and provides an introduction to family-centered practice.

Strong family engagement is an integral part of high-quality family child care homes. Successful providers depend on relationships and collaborations with children’s families and communities. For this reason, it is critical to establish positive partnerships with children’s families and to include families in your family child care home. Research indicates that family engagement is essential to child development and can lead to positive results in children’s school readiness. This lesson will help you identify ways to establish and maintain positive relationships with children’s families.

Strong partnerships with families are built on good communication. Child development happens quickly. When families and caregivers communicate and share what is observed and experienced, it creates opportunities to better understand and support developmental growth. Sharing information with families about their children and their development can make or break the partnership between home and child care. This lesson will highlight appropriate ways to collect information from families, as well as the ways and opportunities to share information in a caring, easy-to-understand way.

This lesson will highlight the ways in which you can play a significant role in supporting families of children with special needs in your family child care home. You will learn recommendations for effective collaboration with families and other professionals and begin to understand the additional roles and responsibilites placed on many families of children with special needs.

Families often face challenges that put them and their children at risk. Military families deal with specific circumstances that can affect their functioning and well-being. Providing support is one of the most important things we can do for families. This lesson will provide an introduction to the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework. You will learn about each factor, how you can provide support, and challenges you may face when working with children and their families. This lesson will also help you understand common situations military families face, such as frequent moves and deployment.