Program provides regular opportunities for parents to participate in program-level decisions.

To meet this Standard, evidence MUST include ALL of the following:

• Written evidence of opportunities for parents/guardians/families to participate in program level decision-making.
AND
One source of evidence that clearly indicates which members are parents/guardians/families:
• Parent Advisory Council member list.
OR
• Governing Board member list.
OR
• Hiring Board.
OR
• Program Self-Assessment Team List.
OR
• Other structured/formal opportunities to engage parents/guardians/families in program-level decisions.

Acceptable types of evidence include:

• A detailed written policy or practice statement in parent/family handbook.
AND
• Parent Advisory Council, Governing Board, Hiring Board, Program Self-Assessment Team lists or other structured/formal opportunities.

Attention:

• Redact/remove identifying information.
• Clearly indicate which members are parents/guardians/family members.
• It MUST be clear that the written policy or practice statement is part of the program's official manual/handbook. For example, submit a copy or excerpt of the policy or practice statement that visibly shows the page number from the program's manual/handbook or submit a copy of the table of contents from the program's manual/ handbook along with a copy of the written policy/practice statement.

Evidence Notes Box (in data system):

• If submitting a large document, enter a note in the Evidence Notes box indicating what page(s) shows the relevant information. In the large document, it must be clear what page is being referred to and the relevant text must be highlighted.

Families are actively engaged in program-level decision making and have some influence on program-level decisions.

Why is it important to involve parents/families in program evaluation and program decision making?

Including parents/families in meaningful opportunities to inform program decisions and using formalized methods for collecting parent/family input through evaluations and surveys can help staff to maintain positive attitudes, approaches, and policies toward working with families. Actively gathering input from parents/families can also help programs to better meet the needs of families and reveal ways that families and providers can partner to support children's learning and development. 

What are some ways to involve parents/families in program evaluation and program decision-making?

There are many ways that parents and other family members can be involved in program planning and decision making. If the program has a policy council or other governing board, they can invite parents/families to become members of that group. Other options might include working with parents/families to develop a satisfaction survey or including parents/families in program level decisions. Programs could also consider inviting parents and family members to join the program's self-assessment team.