# 9 Ways to Strengthen Family Partnerships

September 25, 2025

If you work with young children, you know how important it is to make the most of families’ expertise and involve them in supporting their child’s progress. Here are 9 strategies you can use to build stronger partnerships with families, adapted from the new book **[Assessment of Young Children, Sixth Edition](https://products.brookespublishing.com/Assessment-of-Young-Children-P1681.aspx)** by Lee Ann Jung & Gayle Mindes.

**1. Plan empowering family support events.** When developing family support interventions, families from the classroom should be in the driver’s seat. Try scheduling a craft-making meeting in which parents can lead the activities and informally share experiences, challenges, successes, and questions. Serve as facilitator and consultant, responding to the expressed needs of families. This avoids the ineffective past tradition of “parent education.” Treat the parent as someone who brings a wealth of experience, a set of understandings, and valid questions and concerns to the process.

**2. Brush up your cross-cultural communication skills.** In working with families who are newer or less confident in the language(s) you speak, leverage available resources to bridge that gap. Find a person who can translate, use apps, and learn some words and phrases. Being able to say “hello,” “thank you,” “nice to meet you,” “your child is a delight,” and “have a great day” go a long way in showing you care. Also, be aware of the role nonverbal behavior plays cross-culturally so that you are not inadvertently offensive to families.

**3. Avoid labeling families as “difficult.”** Instead, take the time to try to understand what is beneath the surface of the behavior. Perspective taking can help us to be sensitive to these possibilities and not stigmatize parents or children, particularly those with disabilities.

**4. Choose words with care.** Always attend to your tone and attitude when talking with families. Describe the child’s development in specific, observable language. Label judgments, opinions, and hypotheses clearly. Avoid sweeping generalizations and value judgments.

**5. Reduce barriers.** In scheduling meetings and conferences, ensure that your program or school does not create barriers for parental comfort and participation. Hold conferences when families can come conveniently and provide childcare if possible.

**6. Be sensitive to individual needs.** For example, some parents might prefer to meet by phone or online instead of a sit-down conference. Offer options for communication.

**7. Create a comfortable space in your classroom.** For the first parent-teacher conference of the year, hold it in the classroom. Ensure seating arrangements set an inviting tone and promote open communication.

**8. Practice deescalation.** Responding to parents’ intense emotions takes skill and practice. The goal is to preserve the relationship, not to prove you’re right. Employ empathetic statements to acknowledge their feelings.

**9. Keep communication going all year.** At the beginning of programs, describe your philosophy and curriculum to parents, and maintain contact through conversations and scheduled reporting.

Making families comfortable, accentuating the positive, and maintaining open and respectful communication will help you make the most of your partnerships with children’s caregivers.

### Assessment of Young Children, Sixth Edition

By Lee Ann Jung, Ph.D., & Gayle Mindes, Ed.D.

Formerly published as Assessing Young Children, this bestselling book has been updated to prepare early childhood educators for success in today’s diverse programs. Covering the full birth through 8 age range, this edition shifts its focus to inclusive early childhood learning environments.

[SEE THE BOOK](https://products.brookespublishing.com/Assessment-of-Young-Children-P1681.aspx)