¡Versión en español a seguir!

October 2022

Supporting Diverse Cultures in Early Learning Programs

In this month’s Family Engagement newsletter, we highlight resources and ideas to help you integrate the valuable cultural and linguistic diversity of the children and families in your ECE programs.

Did you miss any of our old Family Engagement Newsletters? You're in luck! Check out and bookmark our Family Engagement Newsletter Archive!

Welcoming Environment Ensure Your Program Feels Inviting

Creating a Learning Environment Inclusive of Families' Cultural Diversity

All families are unique and special. How do we create inclusive environments that make families and their diverse identities feel welcome and valued? Look below for resources and ideas:

Check out QSLA's Family Engagement tip on Building Programs that Reflect Families' Cultural Diversity! In this tip, we focus on how learning about families’ race, ethnicity, & culture, can strengthen our partnerships with families and improve implementation of culturally inclusive practices in our early learning programs.

Welcoming Schools offers the Checklist for a Welcoming and Inclusive School Environment as a resource for evaluating and planning next steps for your early education program’s environment. Examples include using inclusive language and incorporating diverse books in early education programs.

This resource will support ECERS-R: Item 9 and FCCERS-R: Item 35- Provisions for Parents, PAS: Item 16- Family Communications, and BAS: Item 7- Provider Parent Communications.

Family Partnerships Work with Families to Build a Stronger Program

Using our Culturally Diverse Lens to Strengthen Relationships with Families

Relationship building with the families we serve is an important element of creating stronger partnerships. Check out these resources below to add to your relationship building toolbelt:

Colorín Colorado describes how to build relationships with families, in particular, immigrant families. Read this informative guide, "How to Build Partnerships with Immigrant Families" to learn more about various communication methods and how to incorporate immigrant families' input into program practices.

Watch the video above about building relationships with families!

The Children's Bureau Express shares this article, "Considerations and Strategies for Engaging Tribes and Tribal Families" with key considerations around engaging tribes and tribal families. When working with tribes, our program leaders can begin by understanding the tribe's history, culture, and traditions and prepare their frontline staff to work effectively and respectfully with tribal families - explore the article to read more!

This resource will support ECERS-R: Item 38 and FCCERS-R: Item 35- Provisions for Parents, PAS: Item 16- Family Communications, and BAS: Item 7- Provider Parent Communications.

Staff Development and Support Enhance Your Family Engagement Knowledge and Skills

Improving Knowledge about Diversity - Learning About and Reflecting on Our Own Biases and Practices

Join QSLA and our PEACH partners in our second anti-bias webinar, “Understanding How Color Blindness is Really Color-Evasiveness.” In this interactive workshop, we will learn, examine, and discuss how the concepts of color-blindness and color evasiveness affect us, our programs, and the families we work with - and what we can do about it!  Define and distinguish between color blindness/evasiveness, and color awareness. Identify resources & strategies that we can use in partnerships with families and more! Time & Date: Wednesday, November 2nd from 6:00PM - 8:00PM (2 hrs Professional Development credit)

Click the video above for the Color Blindness webinar preview! Register Here for Color Blindness Webinar!

The Essential Elements of Teaching Dual Language Children and Supporting Their Families in the Learning Process Learn about the development of first and second languages in young children. Learn how to adapt strategies to support families of Dual Language Learners. Time & Date: This is a self-paced webinar. (1-hour Professional Development credit)

Register Here for Teaching Dual Language!

These trainings support ECERS-R: Item 43- Opportunities for Professional Growth, PAS: Item 3- Staff Development, FCCERS-R: Item 37- Opportunities for Professional Development, and BAS: Item 1-Qualifications and Professional Development

Community Partnerships Use Community Resources to Strengthen Program Quality

Supporting a Diverse ECE Community

All early learning communities bring together diverse families with unique backgrounds, wisdom, and experiences. Sesame Street in Communities highlights various resource pages centered around family diversity for you to share with your families and staff:  Sesame Street in Communities highlights various resource pages centered around cultural diversity: For All Families - Activities and articles focused on embracing diverse families. Talking About Race - A set of resources to help kids think about, ask about, and talk about race. Check out the Community Diversity page for even more information about diverse cultures!

Watch the video above to see how Elmo, Rosita, and friends explore music across different cultures!

Knowing and using these community resources will support PAS: Item 17- Family Support Involvement, BAS: Item 8-Community Resources, and NAEYC Accreditation: Standard 7-Families

You Asked, We Answered - Additional Resources to Support Families' Cultural Diversity in your Early Learning Programs

Each month, we respond to your needs as early educators by sharing helpful related QSLA resources as well as additional external resources. This month: we share additional resources for your early learning program to better support your reflection and implementation of cultural diversity practices - paying special attention to our relationships with families. Check out the following links:

Explore Head Start's resource, Family Engagement and Cultural Perspectives: Applying Strengths-based Attitudes, which includes information about: Why relationship building is important with families Using a strengths-based approach to guide conversations

Head Start also offers the resource page, Making It Work: Implementing Cultural Learning Experiences in American Indian and Alaska Native Early Learning Settings for Children Ages Birth to 5 with several resources including: How to Use "Making It Work" - a suite of products to help programs work with American Indian and Alaska Native young children and families Pilot Program Examples Training Guide for Implementation

Watch Zero To Three's 30 minute webinar recording, "Culturally Grounded Approaches to Support Children and Families in American Indian and Alaska Native Early Care and Education". What do they cover? Background around Native populations, beliefs, and statistics Research on the importance of culture for Native children's upbringing Overview of Project Launch and the key tenets that helped this program succeed - including practices around Native language, cultural traditions, Native specialists/elders' presence, and more

Check out these two posters about how to embrace cultural diversity in early learning programs. These resources are provided by the Australian Human Rights Coalition. This is a great resource for program staff to reflect, discuss, and share within their teams. Encouraging respect for cultural diversity Tackling tricky questions about racial identity

Need additional support? NAEYC offers a forum based platform to ask questions, guidance, and insight on various topics, including topics of culture, social issues, and more. Instructions on how to join the forum can be found by clicking here.

Are you looking for support in another area? Please share your request in this 1-question survey!

If you would like to share some inspiring words, click here! To see more provider perspectives, field related news, and early learning resources follow our social media accounts. *These quotes have been edited for grammar and clarity.

Were you forwarded this email and/or would you like to sign up to receive our Family Engagement Newsletters? Please click here to sign up!

If you have questions, feedback, or ideas we would love to hear from you! Please email us at cristina.espinoza@ccala.net.

‌ ‌ ‌