Tools for Community Work

Collaboration

Parent Leadership and Engagement

	Community Materials

	Statewide Partner Materials

	How To / Toolkits

	National Information and Resources

	Related Sites

Community Building

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Data Collection

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Parent Leadership and Engagement

A core value of Discovery is parent engagement. Sustained change will happen with the active engagement of all parents and in particular those whose children are most at-risk The Memorial Fund views parent engagement as an ongoing process in which parents, over time, take multiple roles that include: Engagement, Civic Participation, Leadership, Stewardship, Knowledge and Information and Involvement.

Moreover, parents are most effective as advocates for their children and change agents when working together with others. Discovery communities have accepted the responsibility for maintaining a system of opportunities for parents to actively exercise their civic and parental responsibilities. The collaborative group ensures that the community and parents are engaged in a partnership where children are at the center and family roles are acknowledged and respected. Each community continues to explore a variety of strategies, reaching more parents and moving beyond parent involvement to parents as decision-making partners on issues that affect the early school success of young children.

This section includes:

» Community Materials
» Statewide Partner Materials
» How To / Toolkits
» National Information and Resources
» Related Sites

Featured Resources


	Get Ready for Kindergarten A one-page checklist for parents, created by the CT Early Childhood Investment Initiative, that provides parents with a list of things to work on with their child. Provided in English and Spanish. (703.93K Bytes)

	Information for Parents (Milford) Registration for Motheread/Fatheread program is curently being accepted for the spring 2008. This program for parents helps to build reading skills in children and teaches parents how to use quality children's literature to help with parenting. Go to mothereadmilford@yahoo.com to email your interest. A facilitator will contact you. (See other resources by Milford)

	Are You Ready for Kindergarten? Coloring Page (Southington) A coloring page that is distributed with crayons at local restaurants. (3.95M Bytes) (See other resources by Southington)

	West Hartford Dual Language Kits Program (West Hartford) Description of the program at Noah Webster Library in West Hartford to make dual language backpack kits available for use at home or in school. (211.5K Bytes) (See other resources by West Hartford)

	A Parents' Guide: Derby Preschool Information (Derby) A brochure for parents outlining the importance of school readiness, what children learn in early education programs and questions to ask to find the right program. (257.38K Bytes) (See other resources by Derby)

	Derby School Readiness Checklist (English) (Derby) A school readiness checklist that was developed by the Derby Kindergarten teachers and the Discovery collaborative for distribution to parents. (60.5K Bytes) (See other resources by Derby)

Resources

The Children First Initiative: A Community and Parent Engagement Strategy In Connecticut

This manual begins with background information on the Children First Initiative. CFI was an initiative of the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund. CFI communities work to engage parents, early childhood educators, childcare providers, school administrators, local businesses, social service agencies, state and local government, and policy makers.

The intent of this manual is to provide the reader ideas, methods, and background information on strategies that have been successful in promoting children's readiness to learn and early school success in the seven Children First Initiative communities. Programs are grouped together in the areas of: Family Support, Parent Engagement and Leadership, Family Literacy and Transition from Community to School.