Family engagement is a shared responsibility of families, schools and communities for student learning and achievement. It is continuous from birth to the school-age years and occurs across children’s various early care and learning settings. Family engagement means building relationships with families to support family well-being, strong parent-child relationships and the ongoing learning and development of parents and children.

Family engagement reflects culturally competent and universal design approaches, encompassing all families’ beliefs, attitudes, behaviors and activities. It also reflects early care settings that support all children’s positive development. Family engagement happens in the home, early childhood settings, school and the community. Sustainable family engagement operates with adequate resources, including public-private partnerships, to provide meaningful and effective strategies that have the power to impact student learning and achievement.