– in the school system, in public health initiatives, and in policy. The approach requires changes to processes and policies – as well as professional development in order to create awareness of the value families can provide when they are engaged in a transparent, collaborative manner.
Wherever you want to go with families, we will help you get there. Contact us for a free 30 minute consultation to explore the possibilities to enhance family engagement for your organization.
Click below to see some of the magic we can do.
Too often precious human and fiscal resources are used for family engagement efforts to no avail. Most often this occurs because an important element was overlooked — the climate in the organization is not conducive to welcoming families. What we pay attention to grows. Are we saying positive things about families or negative things?
We can assist your organization in putting our framework of five Critical Components into action. With a steady stream of support, a disheartened staff will be able to re-frame many of the limiting beliefs that prohibit authentic family engagement. In the end, together, you will have created a community of belonging for staff, students, and families.
Research shows that any program or practice is stronger when it’s supported and reinforced by families. It’s not unusual, for example, to have a best practice program in a classroom or clinical setting, but often miss the target when it comes to informing families about its benefits and how to apply it in a home setting. Parent Action for Healthy Kids can guide you on how to take a program like Mindfulness, a practice like Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) or policy such as Restorative Justice, and make it come alive for parents so they can not only understand the full benefit to their children, but be empowered to incorporate it into the home and in the community. That’s the kind of magic we can help you make happen!
We believe that anyone who has a commitment to the well-being of children, is a leader. Whether you are a principal, teacher, coach, parent or member of a community organization, we can all get bogged down from time to time in the day to day hustle. It is not uncommon to feel isolated or to lose faith in our ability to make a difference. It’s ironic how we are constantly looking for and encouraging the strengths in our children, but often neglect to do that for ourselves and our peers. The coaching process allows you to see your strengths and the “unique genius” that is exclusive only to you. We coach one-on-one as well as in groups and at retreats. We have had success, whether it is helping a parent who is feeling defeated or a new teacher getting their footing or a building principal feeling the overwhelm of increasing demands. We will gently and compassionately guide you back to you and your “unique genius.”
It is often assumed that those who work with children also know how to work with families. Believe it or not, the majority of providers serving children have had little or no professional development on authentically engaging families. Depending on the place you’re at with family engagement, Parent Action for Healthy Kids can customize and facilitate a Professional Development to suit your needs. Implementing successful family engagement strategies won’t add to the burden of a busy staff but lessen it. Sound impossible? We know our approach is a novel one, but certainly not impossible. If you want to engage families, we can get you there.
Our founder, Barb Flis, has spent decades championing parent engagement in schools and communities in her home state of Michigan and across the U.S. From grass-roots PTA mom to providing guidance to former First Lady Michelle Obama on the Let’s Move Campaign, Barb’s experience and heart work continues to inspire and motivate groups of all sizes. The stories she shares about the wonderment of working with families will inspire your group to open their hearts and minds to welcoming families as authentic partners.
Parents and the people who provide services for their children are at the starting line of kids lives and it's a lonely place. In this world of information overload, of doing rather than being, there is an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, a disconnect. Our goal must be to connect with each other so we become a community of people held together by feelings of belonging. This is the magic that will release us all from our limitations and allow the greatness of children to unfold.
Families need to feel seen and accepted as they are. This requires empathy and a strength-based approach. The goal is not to fix families but to connect with them.
Spoken, or even just in thought, words matter a lot. Are our thoughts and words about families positive or negative? We have a choice with every thought and word about the kind of energy we want to create.
When said in a kind way, families will respect you for speaking the truth, and you will have the foundation of a healthy relationship.
Opening our hearts allows us to see more of what’s going on for families.
Do everything humanly possible to help a family navigate the system. When we offer and receive help, a connection is made.
Our clients come from all places and in all shapes and sizes. No one is too big or too small to be a part of the magic of engaging families. We will help you make your space a safe and compassionate one for families.
Are you looking for inspiration? Sometimes solutions to our situations are right in front of us. I’ve worked with parents, educators, and students throughout my career and I have a lot of nuggets of wisdom to share.
Check out my blog for some tips, tricks, inspiration, and a story or two.
Who Cares? The school year is coming to an end. There are so many significant things that happened to our kids this year that are
This week on May 8 th , there will be a celebration for School Nurses. If your first thought is, “Are there still school nurses?”
Mother’s Day is a Cruel Trick! If you are mother, grandmother or a person who supports children, you are a powerful group of humans and
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