Collaborating with Caregivers for Student Success

A key factor known to help young people build resiliency is “…mobilizing sources of faith, hope, and cultural traditions.” Without promoting a singular faith or culture, we can recognize and make space for students to lean into these key parts of their lives.

For data on engaging caretakers, see the Flamboyan Foundation’s Family Engagement Matters handout in our references.

Barriers

• Culture of school communication and content can be a one-way street of schools sending information, but not often gathering information from caregivers.
• Adjusting the way we speak and think about caregivers is key; see this handout: Safeguarding Inclusive and Respectful Communication: Caregivers.
• Young people are largely influenced by those who caretake for them. They may be influenced by their caretakers’ experiences in schools. Those experiences could include:
  • As students, they did not feel safety and belonging
  • Institutional trauma and/or historical trauma
  • School-to-prison pipeline 
  • Building relationships and earning trust and respect with caregivers can create new pathways for future generations. 
  • Sometimes a shift in norms and expectations between home and school (one example is mealtime). 
  • Some hesitation when the education system requires navigation. Not all families are familiar with these systems. Examples include post-secondary options and filling out forms to register students.

Strategies

• Positive communication first! See Flamboyan Foundation’s “Connecting with ‘Hard to Reach’ Families;” This resource includes strategies and sample templates.
• Ask preferred communication method and ideal time; be persistent and consistent.
• Ask for input from caregivers: What are your child’s strengths? What works at home? What support(s) does your child need? Tell me about _____.
• Know students beyond academics.
• Consider situations where homework may stress the relationship between school, students, and caregivers.
• Provide equitable homework experiences.
• When possible, provide multiple resources for multi-household families.
• Make space for caregiver voice and decision input: representation on advisory committee and hiring boards.

SEL is a broad topic. Young people and educators need systems that support their social and emotional skills and wellness. Let’s keep the conversation going. Questions or comments? Contact us at [email protected]

References

• Family engagement matters. Flamboyan Foundation. (2021, July 29). Retrieved July 13, 2022, from https://flamboyanfoundation.org/resource/family-engagement-matters/
• Kliment, K. (2019, August 30). Connecting with "hard to reach" families. Flamboyan Foundation. Retrieved July 13, 2022, from https://flamboyanfoundation.org/resource/connecting-with-hard-to-reach-families/
• Logan, R. (2020). Safeguarding Inclusive and Respectful Communication: Caregivers. Staples, MN; Sourcewell.
• National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2018). Understanding Motivation: Building the Brain Architecture That Supports Learning, Health, and Community Participation: Working Paper No. 14. Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu
• (Video) PMC (Public Media Connect). (2021, Februa

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