McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Linda Butkovich | November 18, 2019

A woman wearing glasses and a suit is smiling in front of a flag.

Sim Loh is a family partnership coordinator at Children’s Village, a nationally-accredited Keystone 4 STARS early learning and school-age enrichment program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving about 350 children. She supports children and families, including non-English speaking families of immigrant status, by ensuring equitable access to education, health, employment, and legal information and resources on a day-to-day basis. She is a member of the Children First Racial Equity Early Childhood Education Provider Council, a community member representative of Philadelphia School District Multilingual Advisory Council, and a board member of Historic Philadelphia.


Sim explains, “I ensure families know their rights and educate them on ways to speak up for themselves and request for interpretation/translation services. I share families’ stories and experiences with legislators and decision-makers so that their needs are understood. Attending Leadership Connections will help me strengthen and grow my skills in all domains by interacting with and hearing from experienced leaders in different positions. With newly acquired skills, I seek to learn about the systems level while paying close attention to the accessibility and barriers of different systems and resources and their impacts on young children and their families.”

This document may be printed, photocopied, and disseminated freely with attribution. All content is the property of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

Research has consistently demonstrated a relationship between families engaged in their children’s learning and development and positive outcomes for their children. Considering this, it is important to distinguish family engagement from family involvement or family support. When we think about family engagement, we often think about inviting families to participate in events, meetings, and classroom routines at the early learning program. We might also consider offering support to families, such as sharing information about community resources or sharing information on supports that may reduce child care costs. However, family engagement is so much more! It is authentic collaboration (based on mutual trust and respect) between the provider and families on how to promote their children’s learning, development, and well-being.


The second edition of the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS), an assessment tool for measuring business and professional practices, was recently revised and includes a greater emphasis on family support and engagement. At the “excellent level” of quality—in addition to family involvement and family support practices—“families participate in an at-home learning activity that the provider makes available.” At-home learning activities may include a lending library of books, activities, games, or puzzles. The intent is for families and children to work together at home to extend the learning on a topic or skill introduced in the family child care program. Remember, collaboration is a two-way street so providers should create learning activities based on areas of interest shared by families.


Here are some additional ways providers may extend the learning and skills they are introducing in their programs:


  • You and the children in your care are excited about the forecast of a snowstorm. Ask families to measure the number of inches of snow that fall near their home.
  • Children are interested in building roads in the block area. Suggest to families that they point out traffic signs on their way home and talk to their children about what the signs mean. They may want to take a picture of an interesting sign and send it to the provider so that she and the children can make this sign into a prop for their block play.
  • Teach the children a new song or fingerplay and send a recording to the families so they can sing it with their children at home. Invite families to come in and teach the children a song they sang when they were young.
  • Introduce simple yoga poses to the children (https://www.kidsyogastories.com/kids-yoga-poses/). Share some of these poses with your families and ask them to have their children teach them how to do the poses.
  • You and the children routinely discuss the different colors of food on their plates at lunch time. On their next visit to the grocery store, ask families to spend some time with their children in the produce section, looking for different colors of fruits and vegetables. They might take a picture of their child’s favorite color food!
  • Suggest to families that they make counting part of their routines. For example, how many stairs does their child go up or down to reach your early care and learning program? How many buses, trains, or trucks do they see on the way home?
  • Create a word wall in your program. Ask the families to send in new words their child learns. The child may even want to write their new word themselves or draw a picture representation to share.


Reflecting on Practice

What do you do to extend the learning beyond your program and into the home?

 

References

Talan, T.T. & Bloom, P.J. (2018) Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (2nd ed.). New York: NY: Teachers College Press.


Want to learn about the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care in person? Attend the upcoming BAS Reliability Training or let us bring the learning to you. Contact us about traveling training options. Note: The BAS and PAS Reliability Training fees are increasing by $50 starting January 1st, 2020.

Linda Butkovich, M.S.Ed., is Report and Certification Manager for the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. In this role, Linda oversees the Program Administration Scale (PAS) and Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) certification system. Linda is also a national reliability anchor for the PAS and BAS. She holds a master’s degree in early childhood special education. Prior to joining the McCormick Center, Linda worked as a developmental therapist with children birth to three years of age and their families. She has also been director of a NAEYC-accredited program, teacher, and family child care provider. Linda also provides training, consultation, and mentoring for early childhood program administrators.

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Building Community Partnerships for Lasting Impact

By Cara Murdoch and Sherry Rocha • December 12, 2025
By Cara Murdoch and Sherry Rocha Community collaborations can strengthen your early childhood program, expand services for families, and increase your visibility and credibility as a trusted resource in the community. But effective partnerships don’t begin with a phone call—they start with a plan. Start with internal planning Before reaching out to community members or organizations, gather insights from your internal team. Hold a brief planning meeting to discuss goals, identify needs, and build a shared vision for collaboration. Consider including: Members of your board of directors or advisory board Program staff members Interested family members and parents of enrolled children. REVISIT your mission and goals A clear, shared understanding of your program’s purpose will guide effective partnerships. Before reaching out to community members or organizations, gather insights from your internal team. Hold a brief planning meeting to discuss goals, identify needs, and build a shared vision for collaboration. Consider including: What is your mission? What strengths and expertise do we bring to the community? What challenges do our enrolled families face? What support or resources would be most helpful? What can we offer potential partners in return? Clarity about these questions will ensure that your outreach to community members and organizations is focused and meaningful. Learn about local resources Begin exploring the services and organizations that exist in your community. These may become valuable referral partners or direct collaborators. Examples include: Early intervention services Family support agencies Mental health providers Multilingual tax-preparation volunteers Knowing these resources helps you connect families with the help they need. share your space and services Your early childhood center may be a valuable asset for other groups. Consider offering your space to other programs or groups to strengthen your role as a community hub. Possibilities include: Scouting America or Girl Scout meetings Parenting workshops or support groups Health screenings or nutrition programs Community committee meetings participate in community events Raising visibility in your community opens doors to partnership. Become involved in: Neighborhood clean-up days Local fairs or festivals Library literacy events Cultural celebrations School district events These types of interactions naturally build trust and relationships. build and expand your network Partnerships often begin with small conversations or shared goals. Stay curious and connected—the more people you meet, the more opportunities arise. Potential collaborators include: Museums Public libraries Human services departments Colleges and universities Local schools Cooperative Extension services Hospitals and clinics Banks and financial advisors Mental health agencies Early intervention programs Remember: partnerships are mutually beneficial Successful collaborations are built on: Clear communication Shared goals Appreciation for each other’s strengths A commitment to supporting families and the community Whether the support you receive is financial, advisory, or educational, strong partnerships help everyone thrive. A final thought Community partnerships don’t happen overnight. With the proper planning, your early childhood program can become a powerful and connected resource in your neighborhood. Start small, stay open to ideas, and let relationships grow.
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