Effective programs use both universal and family-specific practices to ensure that all families become engaged in their child’s early learning and development. Use this Family Checklist as a supplement to the Program Self-Assessment Checklist to help track and analyze your program’s effectiveness with individual families. You might assign each family to a staff member who has primary responsibility for documenting the family-program relationship.

Download the Family Checklist in Microsoft Excel format.

As you work through the checklist, keep the following in mind:

• Consider the quality and effectiveness of every listed policy or practice that is already in place. For example, family members may attend parent-teacher conferences, but consider how welcoming you are, how much time you spend conferencing, and how open and honest the relationship is.
• Make a plan to improve engagement with this family if needed.
  • Describe the new approach.
  • Determine how to move forward.
  • Assign individuals to take responsibility for implementation.
  • Monitor progress regularly.
• Remember that some areas may not apply to certain families—and that families should not be expected to participate in everything. The goal is to provide ample, high-quality opportunities for families to engage in their child’s early learning.
• Celebrate your strengths!

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