Head Start and Early Head Start program staff value the family's role in child development. This section provides parents and staff with resources that offer support for families to engage in the special education process and other advocacy efforts. A parent of a child with a disability or an adult with a disability also can find resources in this section that can help them face the unique challenges of their day-to-day lives. 

The information and resources are related to the subjects listed below:

Engaging Families
Program staff work to involve families of children with disabilities in the big decisions for their children as well as the everyday experiences in the program. Looking for ways to get families involved? Check out the resources in this section for ideas.

Family Stories
Families bring unique experiences and cultural diversity that influence the relationships they establish in the Head Start community. This section provides resources on how to engage families in using personal stories and experiences to advocate on behalf of their families and communities.

Parenting
Recognizing the important role that fathers of children with disabilities play, the resources in this section offer information and ideas about supporting fathers, as well as the national fatherhood initiative.

Policy
Check out this section for regulations and other related policies regarding support for families of children with disabilities.

Self-Advocacy
Self-advocacy involves making informed decisions and taking responsibility for those decisions. For parents of children with disabilities, developing an awareness of learning styles, interests, and preferences can be a first step in self-advocacy skills. Program staff and parents can use materials from this section to help families help themselves through describing expectations, setting boundaries, and offering solutions.

Working with Parents*
Look to parents to show support for learning at home and for communicating positive feedback that supports children in their learning experiences. In this section find materials and information that can be used to train program staff in working with parents of children with disabilities.

*Coming soon