To support and enhance family engagement, as a caregiver, consider the following:

• Create a welcoming early care and learning environment by greeting families during drop-offs and pick-ups, hang welcome signs on the door, post caregiver photos and information, hang a board to post information about community and program events
• Ways to get involved in the community and learn about different cultural backgrounds of the infants, toddlers and families you support
• Ask families how they prefer to receive information and consider different ways to communicate with families on a regular basis. Prepare written materials in the home languages of the families you support
• Ways to gather information from families and learn about what is important to them, such as using surveys or creating a question and answer section on a program website
• Opportunities for families to be involved in decision-making and voice their opinion
• Opportunities for families to volunteer and spend time in the early care and learning setting:
  • Share a favorite family song
  • Read a favorite family story in their home language
  • Create a family fun area in the care setting where families can spend time playing and learning with their infant or toddler
• Support a family meeting by suggesting meeting or session topics (learning a new language, stress management for adults, first aid, infant and toddler safe sleep)
• Provide families with activities and materials to use at home or in the community; consider recording routines and interactions during the day within the care and learning setting that families can watch, learn about, and use at home