Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

"For your blog this week, consider one system element that is a foundational strength of Head Start: Parent and Family Involvement. Review and reflect on the life stories you discovered among Parent and Family Stories on the website of the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC), part of the Office of Head Start.http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/family/For%20Parents/pfs."

(1) What is the value that hearing such stories has for early childhood professionals, for the public, and for policymakers and government officials? 

These stories provide hope and encouragement for early childhood professionals, the public, and for policy makers/government officials. It restores faith in the program through true tales of success. Many of the stories were so inspirational  they warmed my heart. One lady went from having nothing to being the director of her local program and going on to get her Master's degree. Her children went through the Head Start program and went on to attain higher education as well. It is valuable for everyone to hear these stories so that they can see the real people affected for the better by the Head Start program. 

(2) Your opinion regarding why or why not parent/family involvement is an essential system element for all strands of service in the early childhood field...

Parent/family involvement is indeed an essential system for all strands of service in the early childhood field. For me personally, I want to know exactly what my child is learning and how he is learning it. Parents know their children and who better to make polices and lay out procedures than parents? When my son is finally old enough to enroll in the education system, you better believe I will be as involved as I possibly can be. As parents, we must take an active role in our children's education and stop blaming "the system" for everything.