Family Engagement
Centering the Voices of Parents and Caregivers: Family Engagement Program
Parents and caregivers are a powerful voice for children. Focusing public policy discussions around the lived experience of families contributes to lasting change for kids.
Parents are experts of their own lives but advocacy can be intimidating for some. Through SCAN’s Family Engagement Program we foster a community of learning by offering trainings on topics such as:
- Telling your story
- Engaging family and friends in advocacy
- Speaking with policy makers
- Writing letters to the editor
- Using social media to make change
- Elevating early learning in elections
Even with training support, engaging in advocacy can be out of reach for many families. Lack of time, money and/or child care are barriers to participation. That’s why we offer financial assistance to cover these costs for any program opportunities.
Family Engagement Program Around the Country
We launched our Family Engagement Program in communities as unique as the United States itself. We hire local staff to collaborate with community-based organizations. The local groups connect us with the families they work with. Together, we provide advocacy and leadership development opportunities to create sustainable change for kids.
Family Advocates in Action
Meet Yvonne Franklin (shown here with her grandchild). Yvonne is the Voter Engagement Volunteer Leader in Denver, CO with SCAN and alumna of Clayton Early Learnings’ Parent Ambassador Program, now called Community Ambassador Program.
Meet members of the Doña Ana County Family Engagement Network. This collaborative launched the Children’s Reading Corner at the Market to engage families and provide a literacy opportunity to children.
Meet Silvia and her daughter from Yakima, WA. As part of a diaper drive, Family Engagement staff member, Claudia Villatoro worked with Silvia, Save the Children home visitor, Maria, and other parents to write Valentine’s Day themed cards to lawmakers. They asked the lawmakers to have a heart and invest in kids!
Meet this amazing team of advocates from Orangeburg. They organized a Care Wanted rally to urge South Carolina lawmakers to support the Build Back Better Act.
Meet family engagement staff member, Rachel Russell. She participated in a Trunk or Treat event in Greene County where she met parents, garnered interest in our advocacy work, and collected petition signatures in support of Build Back Better.