Using the six principles of effective family engagement as the foundation, NAEYC set out to identify programs that effectively engage the families they serve. In early 2009, NAEYC invited early childhood education programs across the county to respond to a written application.

Of the 24 programs that submitted complete applications, 17 were selected to participate in phone interviews during June 2009, and 15 finalists moved on to receive a site visit by NAEYC staff. In April 2010, after a careful review of the wealth of materials from each program, NAEYC identified 10 programs as exemplary in their family engagement practices.

To learn more about NAEYC's selection process, please read the NAEYC Engaging Diverse Families project overview.

• Children’s Village Child Care Center - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Community Renewal Team’s (CRT) Locust Street Early Care and Education Program - Hartford, Connecticut
• Iowa State University Child Development Laboratory School - Ames, Iowa
• Montgomery County Community College Children’s Center - Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
• Rainbow School - Stanford, California
• School for Friends - Washington, DC
• Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Center—International Village - Atlanta, Georgia
• Sunnyside Child Care Center at Smith - Northampton, Massachusetts
• The Family Schools, Inc. - Brewster, Massachusetts
• YWCA of Minneapolis Downtown Children’s Center - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Developed for NAEYC's Engaging Diverse Families Project through a generous grant from the Picower Foundation.
© National Association for the Education of Young Children.