Supporting Parents as Partners
The involvement of parents and family members of young children with disabilities is integral to early childhood field and inclusion.
by Tracey West
The involvement of parents and family members of young children with disabilities is integral to the early childhood field and inclusion. Parents, depending upon their time and interests, participate in a variety of ways ranging from volunteering in their child’s program to serving on local boards to joining state and national committees and organizations.
However, volunteering to serve on state and national committees can be particularly challenging for parents of children with special needs. Issues such as finding a knowledgeable caregiver for their child coupled with being asked to represent the “voice” of parents can be overwhelming.
A question I have heard colleagues discussing recently is how they can support parent involvement in meetings. NPDCI has compiled some ideas in a document: Recommendations for Meaningfully Involving Families in State Planning Meetings. Suggestions include:
- Inviting parents who have previously served on state planning groups to mentor and support parents who are new to the effort
- Contacting parents in advance to provide an overview of the agenda and to answer questions
- Providing an honorarium to help cover the parent’s travel and caregiver costs
Do you, as a parent or a professional, have any ideas to share? How can we make parent participation in meetings easier and more meaningful?
Supporting Parent Involvement
A few other things that we should be sensitive to families in making their participation in meetings easier are: starting and stopping on time, (if possible) providing quality child care, and not using acronyms and jargon.