Once families show interest in a Head Start program, the next steps involve enrollment, intake, and assessment. The process and steps may differ across programs in response to families’ strengths and needs or the time that the program operates during the year (e.g., migrant and seasonal programs). To learn more about how families can be enrolled, explore Enrollment: Creating Systems for Filling Every Seat for more information.

Enrollment is also an opportunity for family services staff to develop relationships with families. Families could drop off an application to a program. A family member could meet with you to learn more and want to complete the application with you, either in person or online. Take advantage of these opportunities. When talking with families — whether in their home, at the program, or virtually — ask about the family’s strengths, hopes, and challenges. Ask what they want from the program. Listen and follow the family’s lead. As you do this, be sure to observe the privacy and confidentiality protocols of your program, especially when using a phone or a virtual platform.

The HSPPS, Family partnership services, 45 CFR §1302.52 (a), requires programs to develop and implement a family partnership process. This process starts the moment a family meets program staff, often during the enrollment process. This process is an ongoing opportunity for you to build a relationship with each family that is positive and focuses on the family’s goals. This relationship will develop over time through authentic and meaningful interactions.

Relationships are based on mutual respect and trust. They also affirm and celebrate families’ cultures and languages. They are further fueled by families’ passion for their children.

Through the family partnership process, you’ll work with families to identify their unique interests, strengths, needs, and goals by:

• Establishing and maintaining a Family Partnership Agreement or plan that includes family goals and ways to track progress toward those goals
• Providing resources and support to families as they progress toward their goals
• Coordinating with other community agencies that can help address family needs, strengths, and goals

Completing a family assessment is an important part of the family partnership process. It is another opportunity for you to build a relationship with family members while learning more about them and their child.

Programs may complete this assessment process at different times. For example, you may assess a family during enrollment and then again after enrollment. Completing a family assessment as soon after enrollment as possible allows programs to track and partner with families to make progress on their goals throughout the program year.

Building Relationships and Trust in the Family Partnership Process

• Approach families with respect and care to help them feel seen, heard, and valued.
• Place people before paperwork. Relationship-building interactions should be at the heart of all activities — even paperwork.
• Show interest in learning about the cultures, languages, hopes, and dreams of families and their children.
• Use family-friendly language. Avoid jargon or terms that are difficult to understand.
• Listen to families’ stories, especially those about their children and how they learn.
• Help families find and complete required forms, in hard copy or online.
• Offer supports for family members with learning differences.
• Talk about program requirements.
• Anticipate obstacles to the child’s attendance, such as transportation needs.
• Connect families to other community resources as needed.

Considerations for Family Assessment

• Remember that the family assessment is an important step in the family partnership process. It’s a great way to learn what is most important to families. It gives insight into how you and the program can best offer support.
• Make sure that any family assessment forms or paperwork support the relationship-building process. Include questions that help you get to know families and learn their strengths and interests. Avoid questions that could stigmatize or objectify families.
• Agree upon a convenient time and place with the family (e.g., in their home, at the program, at a playground, on the phone or in a virtual platform) to discuss the family’s backgrounds, interests, needs, and aspirations.
• Ask the family for permission to take notes or record the conversation. These notes and data will inform your ongoing work with the family. This data also helps the program track progress toward program goals.
• Follow your program’s protocols to ensure that the family’s information is kept secure and confidential. Use these protocols for collecting and storing personal data. Share only relevant information as needed with other staff working with families, such as teachers, home visitors, or mental health consultants. Obtain the family’s permission before sharing private information.
• Learn about your program’s systems and processes to avoid placing an undue burden on families to provide the same information or duplicate efforts. Find out if your program has software or a system for data collection, analysis, and use.

Conversations with Families

Throughout the family partnership process and in conversations with family members, you can learn:

• What matters to families
• What families hope to accomplish for themselves and their children
• What goals families are already working on
• Which services family members already receive from other agencies or would like to receive

Use your power responsibly when engaging in conversations with families. You have the ability to connect them to needed resources in the program and community. From the families’ perspective, you have control over whether they receive help or not. Reflect on your power. Use it to build relationships with families based on open communication, collaboration, and respect for families’ expertise.

Understand that conversations and patterns of discussion are influenced by different cultural perspectives and norms. These patterns may include ways of asking and answering questions. Consider the following tips for engaging in equitable conversations.

• Make conversations inclusive by considering all family members who want to participate.
• Think about ways to include parents or other family members who may not live with the child.
• Invite family members to lead the conversation.
• Ask permission before asking questions or sharing advice.
• Listen to the family without interrupting.
• Use active listening.
• Follow up to check your understanding.

Family stories can be personal, sensitive, and emotional. It is our privilege and responsibility to listen with the compassion and respect that conveys a spirit of partnership. Remember that each family is unique. Each family may have different perspectives based on past experiences, culture, place of origin, child-rearing practices, and priorities.

“Telling family stories is powerful, but not always in the way we think. Stories are a way of preserving family history, but more importantly, they create a sense of continuity and resilience, and — this is the thing we often forget — they build a framework to understand painful experiences and celebrate joyful ones.” — Anna Nordberg

Caring Conversations

Conversations with families can lead to topics that may be challenging or sensitive. You can prepare for these kinds of conversations before you are faced with one by exploring Preparing for Challenging Conversations with Families and Engaging with Families in Conversations About Sensitive Topics. The Sensitive Conversations with Families podcast is another helpful resource to increase your understanding of the stressors that families are facing and why it is important to identify and address their concerns early.

You may find that you need support from others in helping families navigate challenging situations. Remember that community partners are great sources of support for specific or difficult situations. They can help families experiencing housing instability or homelessness, substance use disorders, or domestic violence.

Reflection Questions

Reflect on each question. Write your responses using the downloadable worksheet.

• What more would you like to learn about enrollment and the family partnership process?
• What ideas do you have for ensuring that enrollment and the family partnership process are equitable, inclusive, and culturally and linguistically responsive?
• How can you enhance your skills to manage sensitive topics or challenging interactions during meetings with families?
• What professional development activities or topics would support your practices related to the family partnership process?

Key Takeaways

• Relationship-building with families should be at the heart of all interactions during the enrollment process. People come before paperwork. Follow the family’s lead in the family partnership process.
• The family assessment is an important step in the family partnership process. It’s a great way to learn what is most important to families. It gives insight into how you and the program can best offer support.
• Make sure that any family assessment forms or paperwork support the relationship-building process. Include questions that help you get to know families and learn their strengths and interests. Avoid questions that could stigmatize or objectify families.
• Listen to families’ stories, especially those about their children and how they learn. It is our privilege and responsibility to listen with the compassion and respect that conveys a spirit of partnership. Each family may have different perspectives based on past experiences, culture, place of origin, child-rearing practices, and priorities.

Action Starters

On your reflection worksheet, identify two to three key takeaways that you want to implement in your daily work.

Last Updated: June 3, 2024