How will you train and support staff to involve families?

For staff to achieve their primary goal of helping program youth be successful, families are one of the greatest allies. Staff need to form strong and lasting relationships with the families or program youth and should constantly look for opportunities to reach out to families, address their concerns, and utilize their knowledge and skills. To achieve complementary and trusting relationships, staff must connect with families, hear their concerns and wishes, and offer resources and suggestions on how they can help their children be successful.

• Part of family involvement is understanding, appreciating, and honoring the culture and traditions of the families of the youth they serve.
• Staff should know about and direct families to free and low-cost resources and community organizations that can help them with their educational and life goals.
• Engaging families requires different types of events and strategies depending on the age of the youth served.