2. Creating Effective Family Partnerships

Getting to know families is all about creating positive and authentic partnerships. Families and the individuals that make up a family are an intersection of their backgrounds and cultures. Our goal is to ensure that family interactions with program staff are positive from the very beginning, that we are intentionally providing ways to get to know families and their learners, and use strategies that make families welcome and included in our program.

In this video, we’ll begin by talking about the importance of meaningful family partnerships. Then we will share strategies for developing strong relationships with families. This includes creating an inclusive intake process, tailoring communication for families with children with disabilities, and using effective communication strategies. Finally, we’ll see an example of an effective family partnership when 13-year-old Leonard attends chess club. Let’s dive in.

Meaningful family partnerships are a cornerstone of all inclusive programs and activities. Families know their children best and are the biggest part of their lives. When children enroll in our programs, we have the chance to get to know them and their families, and to learn about their child’s strengths, challenges, and the activities that bring them joy. This starts with creating opportunities for back-and-forth communication with families. How can we share information with families and provide ways for families to share information back with us? We should think of these as a two-way street.

Let’s look at three strategies for developing strong, meaningful family partnerships. One of the successful elements a program can put into place is to provide a more inclusive intake process. This helps us get meaningful information from families before their child begins the program. Although you might not be directly responsible for this aspect of your program, it’s important to prioritize gathering information from families and planning for ways to effectively communicate with them.

Almost every program asks families about their children’s allergy and health needs. For children with intellectual disabilities, it’s equally important to ask them about their children’s communication and support needs. This might include options for families to write in information about their child’s needs and preferences, or the chance to visit your program and meet with staff ahead of time. We can also offer families a few different ways to communicate. This could include texts, emails, quick in-person chats, or even texting or sharing photos of their children through an app. How might your program provide ways to engage in this type of communication so you can develop family partnerships in a way that’s most comfortable for the family?

As part of getting to know families, you can even use technology to virtually meet with them and share a video tour or photos of your environment. When sharing information, it’s crucial that this be accessible for everyone. Materials should be translated and available in multiple formats, including print, electronic copies, emails, texts, through an app, and in multiple languages.

Take a minute to reflect: how do you gather information about your families in your community? What are important questions to ask so you can learn more about them?

When we’re working to develop partnerships with families, we might find that families of children with disabilities have different needs and priorities for relationships with teachers or staff. It’s likely they’ll want more information about the program and how their child spends their time there. They may need specific information about their child’s behavior, eating preferences, or interactions with friends, or they may feel anxious sending their child to a new place and would probably appreciate specific information about the day’s events.

When children with communication delays or complex communication needs participate in our programs, we should plan on sharing more detailed information about the child’s day, as the child may not be able to share this information themselves. Once your program begins, plan for various ways you can communicate with families. Communication develops connections.

Simple things can mean a lot. For example, the power of an individual greeting cannot be understated. Make sure you warmly greet each participant and, if applicable, the family every single day. Make an effort to talk with families at the end of the day, sharing some specific information about what the child did, who they played with, or what they really enjoyed. Some programs even use an app to share photos and notes with families. Others post things on a blog or a website or a private social media group. Maybe your program has a bulletin board outside your room with detailed information about the schedule, certain events, and photos of teachers or staff.

And as we mentioned before, it’s likely that families of children with disabilities and complex communication needs will need more specific information.

Let’s look at an example of how one community camp created an effective partnership with one family.

Leonard, an active 13-year-old with autism, is excited for the first day of chess club. Leonard’s dad, Gordon, feels a little nervous because Leonard has never participated in an afterschool activity like this before. The chess club has asked each family and participant to share a bit about their learner and themselves, and Gordon met with the program director ahead of time to talk about Leonard’s support needs. The program director emailed details about the schedule for each day that the club meets, including photos of past chess club events, and Gordon was happy to have the opportunity to review this at home with Leonard.

As they walk in, both Leonard and Gordon are warmly greeted by an instructor who says, “Hi Leonard, hello Gordon, welcome to chess club.” Leonard is then brought over to the rest of the chess club members for introductions. While Leonard is settling in, Gordon explains to a second instructor that Leonard brought headphones with him, as he sometimes prefers to wear them when things get loud. The instructor replied, “I saw that on his intake form. Thanks so much for sharing that with us.”

Gordon also explains that when he’s excited, Leonard may need to be reminded about personal space. The instructor assured him that if that happens, they’ll address it in a positive way, which puts Gordon’s mind at ease. He is thrilled to see Leonard transitioning so easily and lets him know that he’s leaving and will see him at the end of the session.

The instructors let Gordon know that they’ll text if anything happens and to make sure their communication app is installed on his phone. As he walks to the car, his phone dings, and up pops a photo of Leonard playing chess with another club member, included is a short note reading, “Leonard and Jackson have started their first game, and all is going well.” Gordon is so relieved and so proud of his son.

At pickup a few hours later, he notices Leonard wearing his headphones while playing the last round of chess. He’s really pleased to see Leonard using this accommodation and that none of the other club members seem to think it’s unusual. An instructor approaches Gordon and says, “Leonard had a great day! He played three separate rounds of chess with different partners. Each time, about 30 minutes ago, he put on his headphones and continued to play. Check out the pictures on our app later!”

That evening, Gordon and Leonard took a look at the photos shared by the chess club staff on the app, and Leonard smiles widely and points out a photo of him playing chess and says, “I won that game!” Gordon thanks him for sharing and says that he’s looking forward to hearing about future games.

This club has done a fantastic job creating meaningful family partnerships. They provided ways for families and the participants to share information about the learner’s support needs, sent home details ahead of time, planned for back-and-forth communication using an app, and welcomed Leonard’s accommodations. With these things in place, Leonard has a great time, and his father feels comfortable and confident that his son is supported, included, and having a great time at chess club.

Take a minute to reflect: what could you do to foster meaningful family partnerships with the families in your program?