Family &
Community Engagement
IDEA Leadership Essential
Engage in and maintain authentic family and community partnerships.
IDEA Leader Mindset
Leaders must value building trust through authentic relationships with families and community members, fostering partnerships aligned with IDEA's goals, and engaging families as equal partners in decision-making.
Indicators of Success
- Create systems of belonging. Demonstrate competence from a strengths-based perspective and create a culture centered on belonging for families of children with disabilities.
- Communicate effectively. Communicate clearly, honestly, intentionally, and with empathy so that families can effectively advocate for their children with disabilities.
- Promote family engagement in decision-making. Invite and include families in decision-making around programs, services, and key actions that support children with disabilities.
- Solve conflicts. Use interpersonal skills to solve conflicts, leading through listening and centering family voices to maintain healthy relationships with families.
- Develop community partnerships. Collaborate with families to secure needed services. Coordinate and forge community partnerships that benefit children with disabilities and leverage broader community resources, including therapy centers, advocacy groups, and adaptive technology providers, to optimize the learning environment for children with disabilities.
