Pathways Recommendation
Require child and family systems and programs to use strategies that intentionally engage and learn from families, and connect those strategies across systems and programs. Examples of such strategies could include: 1) Work with Community Groups to Reach Families Where They Are. Reach families where they are. Ask families to share their knowledge. Become familiar with and support informal community-based family networks. Build relationships with families through these networks and use their knowledge and social connections to make positive change, 2) Involve Families in Services from the Beginning. Involve families in all steps of their children’s education and healthcare, including deciding what is most important (agenda setting), planning, implementation, and evaluation. Provide support as needed to maintain involvement.
Why This Matters
Families are a critical resource in planning and implementing services for children. Involving them as equal partners and leaders in decision making from the beginning is an equity strategy that can result in systems that better meet the needs of children and families. Strategies that work can be replicated across child and family-serving systems and services to build relationships with families and learn from their wisdom and lived experiences.