1. Building Great
Relationships With Parents
Creating a Welcoming Environment
For a Successful Head Start Program
Yvette Dobbs M.S.
The Gravely Group

2. Our Warm Up
Discussion Dice
• Introduce yourself to others at
your table.
• Roll The Dice. Match The Sum Of The
Dice To Topic.

3. Parental Influences
We Know that:
Parents are the single most important
influence on children’s decisions
Adolescents who are connected to their
parents are less likely to engage in risky
behaviors

4. Parental Influences
We also know that:
When parents are involved, students
succeed in school
The earlier in a child’s life parents become
involve the bigger the impact

5. Six Types of Involvement
Joyce Epstein’s
Keys to
Successful
Family-School-Community
Partnerships

6. The Six Keys
• Parenting
• Communicating
• Volunteering
• Learning at Home
• Decision Making
• Collaborating With The Community

7. What Comes To Mind
When You Hear the Term
Parent Engagement?

8. Recognizing
Challenges

9. Challenges to Engagement
• Language
• Different
Perspectives
• Insufficient
information
• Economics Language
• Different
Perspectives
• Negative School
Experience
• Role confusion
• Racism, classism,
• Defensiveness
• Time, Logistics
• Cultural differences
• Trust
• Anxiety, Negativity
• Unresponsiveness
• Powerlessness

10. Activity 1
Part 1.
Work Alone
Write Down One Important Challenge
That Your Program Faces In Working
With Families.
BE READY TO SHARE!

11. ACTIVITY PART 2
Let’s Solve Some Problems Together
Work with 4 People Together
“Twenty Tips”
How can we make sure these “tips”
happen in our programs?
BE READY TO SHARE!

12. ACTIVITY 3
Starting
Points
BE READY TO SHARE!

13. Thank You!
The Gravely Group.
1-614-901-3369
www.thegravelygroup.com