Family Engagement

From Learning Links

At the heart of Maryland’s Birth through Five System of Services are families and children. The early childhood intervention and education process by design establishes families as equal partners, families as their child’s first teacher, families as fully engaged in all aspects of Maryland’s birth through five system of services. This philosophy is supported through national research that suggests that meaningful engagement of families in their children’s early learning supports school readiness and later academic success (Henrich & Gadaire, 2008; Weiss, Caspe, & Lopez, 2006).

Family engagement is critical to successful outcomes for children. All families want the best for their children. In order to build the capacity of families to engage in the process they must understand the process. Informed families can communicate the vision for their child; they know their child best, and can provide their child’s strengths and challenges as well as other critical information to help shape the plan for meeting their child’s goals and objectives.

Maryland’s Birth through Five System of Services has at the very foundation the premise that family support and parent training are critical components to ensure that families are actively participating in the decision making for their child. In each local jurisdiction in Maryland, parent coordinators (parents of children with disabilities) and professionals work together to provide family support services through the public school system. These services consist of three different program components:

• Family Support Network (FSN) – Parent Coordinators provide support and training to families of children receiving early intervention services.
   
• Preschool Partners (PP) – Parent Coordinators provide support and training to families of children ages 3 through 5 receiving services through an Extended IFSP or an IEP.
   
• Partners for Success (PFS) - Parent Coordinators provide support and training to families of children receiving services through an IEP. Families of children with disabilities can access support throughout their child’s academic career and as they transition into adult life.