These resources offer guidance on how Head Start programs can support parents and families in developing healthy relationships with their child from birth. These positive relationships help nurture a child’s health, development, and learning. In the Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework, Positive Parent-Child Relationships is one of the seven family outcomes that affect child outcomes.
Learn ways professional development can help build and expand home visitors’ capacity to work with families to support their child’s development. Find resources to support ongoing professional development.
Learn about effective home visiting practices to help nurture parent-child relationships and positive interactions. Find out how to partner with families to create a rich learning environment in the home.
Children learn best from rich, responsive social interactions with other people. These interactions allow children and adults to share attention and build bonds.Explore the importance of adults’ responsive social interactions with children. Find out how these interactions allow children and adults to share attention and build bonds.
Learn about the importance of supporting early bonding and attachment child-parent relationships and child-caregiver relationships. Explore strategies useful for Head Start center-based, home-based, and family child care program options.
Explore this resource to understand the differences between parent involvement and family engagement. Learn why moving from parent involvement to family engagement practices can help you build strong relationships with families.
Caregivers and parents have unique temperaments. Adult-child compatibility can affect the quality of their relationships. Use this chart to discover your traits and those of the children you work with.
Children are learning all the time. Explore this resource booklet that contains fun activities for parents and children to do together at home, away from home, indoors, and outdoors.
Explore strategies to encourage strong and positive parent-child relationships. Discover how to use family engagement efforts that include valuing, respecting, and supporting families.
Explore this research-based infographic to learn how and why the parent-child relationship is important. Review strategies program supervisors and staff can use the infographic to promote these relationships.