This resource for early childhood education (ECE) professionals who work directly with families, ECE program leaders, and policymakers is designed to support the implementation of the “equity, inclusiveness, cultural and linguistic responsiveness” arrow in the Head Start Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework. It also features a series of equity-focused activities to help you reflect on — and find actionable answers to — important questions, such as:

• What is equitable PFCE?
• How can you best foster it in your program?
• Why is it important to focus on racial equity in PFCE?

Influenced by the Civil Rights Movement, Head Start programs were designed to promote equitable, or fair and impartial, opportunities for all children.^[3],[4]

Equity in the Head Start Program

The Head Start program was created in 1965 to promote equitable educational opportunities for all children. Community programs were launched in places where racism and discrimination were key barriers to success for Black children, children experiencing poverty, and their families.^[1],[2]

The core of the Head Start mission is to promote equity across race, ethnicity, income, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, education level, ability, age, citizenship, and geography. This mission also serves as a model for PFCE practices. Head Start programs intentionally build partnerships with parents and family members in support of children’s health, learning, and development. These partnerships aspire to shared power between staff and enrolled families through Policy Council, parent committees, parent volunteer opportunities, and family input on children’s learning.

Read more about equity and the history of Head Start programs.

Defining Equity Within Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

Parent and family engagement is an interactive process through which program staff, family members, and children build positive and goal-oriented relationships. This engagement is a shared responsibility of families and professionals, one that requires mutual respect for the roles and strengths each has to offer. As such, family engagement means doing with — not doing to or for — families. Parent and family engagement represents an important focus within Head Start programs because it supports healthy child development.

Community engagement is the mutually respectful, strengths-based relationships among Head Start staff and families, community members, and local and state agencies (e.g., libraries and food banks). These relationships support parents’ roles as valued community members and their progress toward the goals they set for themselves and their children.

Equity, inclusiveness, and cultural and linguistic responsiveness are all part of PFCE efforts. With these driving elements, staff can build partnerships that honor and respond to the languages and cultures of the families they serve.

Equity is different from equality. Equity means fair treatment and involves acknowledging that some groups of people come from unequal starting points.

Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.

Equity addresses people’s need for different resources or opportunities due to different starting places. We aim for equity because if everyone is given the same resource or opportunity (equality), those who started behind due to historical disadvantages will stay behind those who had historical advantages.

A working definition of equity within PFCE is the promotion of consistent, systemic, and tailored services that lead to equal access to comprehensive services and systems^[5] for children and families, regardless of race, ethnicity, language, geographic origin, and life condition, or any previous adverse experiences.

Equity as a process means that Head Start staff and community agencies take a fair and individualized approach in their ongoing efforts to engage with families in support of their goals. Equity as a goal means that all children, families, and those who support them have opportunities to reach their full potential.

Equity Is a Process and a Goal

Equity promotes consistent, systemic, and tailored services that lead to equal access to comprehensive services and systems for all families. It is a process of taking a fair and individualized approach to engaging with families. Equity’s goal is that families reach their full potential.

Last Updated: September 16, 2024