Preschool Special Education - Family Relationships

III. Family Relationships

Component A - Family Involvement
Component B - Family Education
Component C - Diversity

III. Family Relationships: The program values and respects families as the primary decision-makers for their children and provides family-focused, culturally sensitive services.

Component A:
Family Involvement

The program includes families as full partners in the education of their children.

*Quality Indicators:*	Check (3) if implemented
A variety of opportunities exist for families to become involved in both the program and their child’s activities:
membership on decision-making and advisory committees	q
classroom observation and/or volunteer work	q
information-sharing with staff	q
family workshops/family group meetings	q
child assessment, program planning, IEP development	q
development, implementation and evaluation of program evaluation/quality improvement activities	q
Systems and resources are in place that support family participation in the program, such as:
orientation programs	q
written information on program philosophy, goals, policies, procedures and practices	q
meals, transportation, child care	q
an open-door policy that allows families to feel welcome while maintaining student safety	q
materials in the preferred language of families	q
flexible options for participation (e.g., flexible times and sites; opportunities for those with limited time)	q
informal opportunities for sharing of family successes and concerns	q
Staff and families regularly exchange (jargon-free) information about the program and children’s development. Communication strategies include the following:
regular mailings or newsletters about the program	q
regular progress briefs on children	q
regular meetings and family conferences	q
home visits to promote school-family collaboration	q
informal telephone or face-to-face conversations or notes in families’ preferred language	q
Staff and families share information about how to promote and extend child learning, social and physical development at home.	q
Procedures are in place to address families' concerns about the program. These procedures are available in written form and distributed to the families.	q

Rating for Record Keeping/Reporting:

No
Implementation

Minimal
Implementation

Moderate
Implementation

Complete
Implementation

Exemplary
Implementation

Component B:
Family Education

The program provides families with information to enhance their skills as their child’s principal educator.

*Quality Indicators:*						Check (3) if implemented
A variety of opportunities exist to promote and support family skill development including:
special training programs for families (e.g., Parent Effectiveness Training (PET), Parent and Child Together (PACT))						q
linkages to accessible programs and resources within the community						q
family–to-family networking						q
opportunities for informal conversation about parenting and other issues						q
Programs and services are based on families’ identified needs, resources, priorities and concerns.						q
Rating for Family Education:	1 No Implementation	2 Minimal Implementation	3 Moderate Implementation	4 Complete Implementation	5 Exemplary Implementation

Component C:
Diversity

The program recognizes the cultural/linguistic diversity of families and values their strength.

*Quality Indicators:*						Check (3) if implemented
Staff members communicate in the preferred language of families and/or seek out specialized resources as needed.						q
Staff members demonstrate sensitivity to differences in family structure, social, religious and cultural backgrounds.						q
Family needs are addressed through diverse and flexible opportunities built on the family’s strengths and differences.						q
Rating for Family Education:	1 No Implementation	2 Minimal Implementation	3 Moderate Implementation	4 Complete Implementation	5 Exemplary Implementation