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The following resources were developed as part of the Family Connections model for infant and early childhood mental health consultation and professional development in early childhood settings. They offer a foundational understanding of the model and a wide array of staff development workshops on topics related to social-emotional development and well-being, mental health related topics, and programmatic issues to enhance staff capacity and well-being.
Family Connections Manual
The Family Connections manual, first published in 2008 and revised in 2011, includes a guide for implementation of the model.
Introduction
- Introduction to the Family Connection Materials
- The Family Connections Readiness Guide
- A Guide to Using the Family Connections Materials: Lessons Learned
Training Modules
Module One: These three workshops focus on information, skills, and strategies for enhanced parent engagement.
Module Two: These three workshops encourage participants to consider their roles in the program and how they might contribute to a positive program climate. Building a program-wide response to depression and other adversities is the focus of the third workshop.
Module Three: These three workshops encourage early care providers to reflect on how their own professional practice impacts the classroom environment, their communication styles and strategies, and the children they serve. Themes related to social-emotional growth and development and relational care are woven throughout.
- Supporting Social-Emotional Growth
- Strategies for Talking to Children about Difficult Issues
- Getting the Most Out of Circle Time
Module Four: These workshops focus on important components of a Head Start, early education and care, or home visiting program’s success: communication, the resource and referral process, and home visits.
Short Papers for Staff and Parents
Family Connections Short Papers share information on many workshop topics, including understanding depression, resilience, and best practices in engaging parents facing adversities. They are intended to support workshop learning or to be used as stand-alone resources for staff and parents.
Short Papers for Staff
- The Challenges and Benefits of Making Parent Connections
- Better Parent Communication: What Do I Say When a Parent Tells Me Something Difficult?
- Better Communication with Children: Responding to Challenging Subjects
- Parenting, Depression, and Hope: Reaching Out to Families Facing Adversity
- Fostering Resilience in Families Coping with Depression: Practical Ways Head Start Staff Can Help Families Build on Their Power to Cope
- Understanding Depression across Cultures
- Communicating Across Language and Culture: How Do I Reach Out to Parents Who Are Immigrants?
- Encouraging an Expressive Environment: Supportive Communication From the Inside Out
- Self-Reflection and Shared Reflection as Professional Tools
- Supportive Supervision: Promoting Staff and Family Growth Through Positive Relationships
Short Papers for Parents
Family Connections Workshop Series for Staff and Parents (2021)
The Family Connections Workshop Series for Staff and Parents is the newest addition to the Family Connections resources. Developed in 2021, this series features an updated introduction and guides to lead six workshops, three for professionals and three for parents. All workshops focus on knowledge and skills related to strengthening relationships with adults and children and promoting family well-being. The workshops may be delivered individually or as a series.
Ideally, programs and organizations offer both the professional and parent workshops so professionals and parents are familiar with similar knowledge and language. This workshop series content is adapted from the original Family Connections Mental Health Consultation and Professional Staff Development resources, first developed in 2008.
Workshop Series Introduction
This guide includes information about each workshop, materials, preparation required, and facilitation strategies to enhance participants’ learning.
Workshop for Staff: Partnering with Parents
This workshop offers staff an opportunity to explore relationships between early childhood professionals and parents, and consider strategies that support positive and strong partnerships.
Workshop for Parents: Partnering with Early Childhood Staff
This workshop offers parents an opportunity to explore relationships between early childhood professionals and parents, and consider strategies that support positive and strong partnerships.
Workshop for Staff: What is Depression?
This workshop teaches Head Start and early childhood professionals about depression and helps staff in their current roles reach out to parents more effectively.
Workshop for Parents: What is Depression?
This workshop looks at depression and how it can impact parenting. It is not meant to teach participants how to be therapists, but it provides useful information for parents to understand depression and its impact.
Workshop for Staff: Talking with Children About Difficult Issues
This workshop gives staff an opportunity to share challenges, explore strategies for supporting children and families, and look at ways to take care of themselves.
Workshop for Parents: Talking with Children About Difficult Issues
This workshop gives parents an opportunity to share their challenges, discover strategies for supporting their children, and learn ways to take care of themselves.
Tell Me A Story
Tell Me a Story is a literacy-based emotional expressiveness program designed to help young children, their families, and teachers discuss difficult emotions associated with challenging situations. It was developed as part of the Family Connections model, to support early childhood learning programs and their mental health outreach to families and children, with a focus on adversity and parental depression.
Through reading stories with social-emotional themes, parents and early care professionals can support children’s social-emotional growth and development. Books can be used to explore important topics, such as managing strong emotions, dealing with feelings of grief, or working on social skills.
Introduction
Workshops for Teachers
Early care and education staff can use Tell Me a Story workshops to support professional development. Staff learn how to use the Tell Me a Story book guides and find strategies for sharing books with social-emotional themes and talking with children about difficult topics. Each workshop includes sections for workshop leader preparation, step-by-step instructions for facilitation, and follow-up activities.
- Introduction to Tell Me A Story Workshops
- Strategies for Talking With Children About Difficult Issues
- Getting the Most Out of Circle Time
- Using the Tell Me A Story Book Guides
Book Guides
The Tell Me a Story Book Guides offer strategies for sharing books in classrooms and other early care settings. Each Book Guide includes helpful tips for staff and families, suggested questions to facilitate thoughtful discussions with children, and follow-up activities.
- Introduction to the Book Guides
- Book Guide: When Sophie Gets Angry – Really Really Angry…
- Book Guide: Jamaica Tag-Along
- Book Guide: When My Mom is Sad
- Download book: When My Mom is Sad
- Book Guide: Only You
- Book Guide: Knuffle Bunny Too
- Book Guide: Quinito’s Neighborhood / El Vecindario de Quinito
Workshops for Engaging Families
Tell Me a Story may be used to enhance parent and family engagement. These workshops are designed for program leaders to use with staff to reflect on, plan, and implement Tell Me a Story practices to support family engagement and early literacy. Each workshop includes preparation instructions, step-by-step instructions for facilitation, and follow-up activities.
- Introduction to Workshops for Families
- Ways to Engage Families by Using Tell Me A Story in Your Classroom
- Ways to Engage Families by Using Tell Me A Story in Your Center
- Teachers and Parents Working Together: Delivering a Tell Me A Story Workshop to Parents
Workshops: Dual Language
These workshops address the many rewards and challenges that may be present in communities where multiple languages are spoken. These three workshops focus on creating a supportive, stimulating educational environment for dual-language learners.
- Introduction to Workshops Addressing Dual-Language Communities
- Engaging Families Across Language and Culture
- Engaging Dual-Language Learners in Head Start Preschool Classrooms
- Creating Programs to Partner With Immigrant Parents
Short Papers
- Better Parent Communication: What Do I Say When a Parent Tells Me Something Difficult?
- Better Communication with Children: Responding to Challenging Subjects
- Parenting, Depression, and Hope: Reaching Out to Families Facing Adversity
- Fostering Resilience in Families Coping With Depression: Practical Ways Head Start Staff Can Help Families Build on Their Power to Cope
- Understanding Depression Across Cultures
- Communicating Across Language and Culture: How Do I Reach Out to Parents Who Are Immigrants?
- Encouraging an Expressive Environment: Supportive Communication From the Inside Out
- Self-Reflection and Shared Reflection as Professional Tools
View materials in Spanish
Related Videos
A Day in the Life of an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant
Making a Difference: Maternal Depression
This video discusses the Family Connections model for IECMHC, with a particular focus on issues related to maternal depression.
Developing Children’s Literacy and Social and Emotional Skills
Learn how the Tell Me A Story materials can be used to strengthen young children’s literacy and social and emotional skills.
Enjoy these resources from the Family Connections model for infant and early childhood mental health consultation and professional development in early childhood settings.
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