Parent/Guardian Contacts
Photo by Luis Quintero is under license Pexels
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Families are a child’s first teachers and home visits and parent teacher conferences are great opportunities to collaborate with families. Sharing ideas, language, and expectations provides consistency between home and the classroom.
You will use the Child and Family School Readiness Plan to document all four parent/guardian contacts (home visits and parent conferences). Child and Family School Readiness Plan (PTC form) (7/24) Remember to track your required meetings with the Parent Contacts Tracking and submit to your Coordinator with your monthly paperwork. Parent Contacts Tracking (7/24) |
Suggested Timeline for Parent Contacts
- 1st home visit- before the program year begins (or before a new student starts throughout the year), if feasible. (The Head Start Program Performance Standards require this contact to take place before the child begins or as close to the child's start date as possible.)
- 1st Parent/Teacher Conference- During the two week period following the Fall Smart Teach checkpoint.
- 2nd Parent/Teacher Conference- During the two week period following the Winter Smart Teach checkpoint.
- 2nd home visit- Following the 3rd Smart Teach checkpoint, before the end of the program year.
Home Visits
Home visits engage parents/guardians in their child's learning and development. Through facilitated activities that promote parent-child interactions parents can support their child's learning and development. Head Start and Early Head Start teachers will offer 2 home visits per contract year.
Note: This parent contact may take place at the program site or another safe location that affords privacy at the parent’s request.
1st Home Visit
The 1st home visit will take place before the beginning of the program year, if feasible.
Purpose: Building comfortable relationships through informal conversation is the goal. Ideally, you will bring your personality, center culture, and your curiosity of the children and families starting the program. Below, is the First Home Visit Ideas and Conversation Starters document. It is not intended to be used as a checklist, but includes a list of ideas to get you started.
First Home Visit Ideas and Conversation Starters
Check out the Transitions page for more ideas you may use at your home visits. There may be resources you could use from there too, such as the Getting to Know Your Child and Family.
Purpose: Building comfortable relationships through informal conversation is the goal. Ideally, you will bring your personality, center culture, and your curiosity of the children and families starting the program. Below, is the First Home Visit Ideas and Conversation Starters document. It is not intended to be used as a checklist, but includes a list of ideas to get you started.
First Home Visit Ideas and Conversation Starters
Check out the Transitions page for more ideas you may use at your home visits. There may be resources you could use from there too, such as the Getting to Know Your Child and Family.
2nd Home Visit
Purpose: Continuing a periodic, year-long conversation focused on their child's growth and development. Reinforcing that parents/guardians are the experts and are important advocates and participants in their child's education. A conversation about, "Here is where we were....Here is where we are....What comes next?" Below is the Second Home Visit Ideas and Conversation Starters document. It is not intended to be used as a checklist, but includes a list of ideas to get you started.
Second Home Visit Ideas and Conversation Starters
Second Home Visit Ideas and Conversation Starters
Parent Teacher Conferences
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Parent teacher conferences (PTC) enhance the knowledge and understanding of both the education staff and the parents regarding the child's education and developmental progress and activities in the program. Head Start and Early Head Start teachers will offer 2 Parent Teacher Conferences per contract year. Conferences should be held within a 2-3 week period following a Smart Teach checkpoint. Complete the Child and Family School Readiness Plan and submit to your Coordinator after each PTC. The School Readiness Goals document is a resource you could share with families to give them ideas of how to support the school readiness goals at home. Parent Teacher Conference Family Reflections School Readiness Goals with School-Home Activity Ideas |
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Example of the Development and Learning report
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Sample of completed Child and Family School Readiness Agreement
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