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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -           Impact of Family Engagement      

# Impact of Family Engagement

## The Importance of Research on Family Engagement

Research has shown that meaningful family engagement positively impacts youth outcomes across various domains. Parental involvement in education has been extensively studied for decades with less attention paid to the degree of involvement in other systems. More recently, studies have focused on the purpose and roles of family engagement across key child and youth serving sectors. Advancements in brain science, the use of precise research methods, and the inclusivity of diverse populations are influencing family engagement strategies in education, child welfare, juvenile justice, health, mental health, and behavioral health systems.

Studies have shed light on the vital roles and functions that families of all backgrounds can perform to support their children’s and youth’s development and success. Ongoing research is essential in advancing the implementation, continuous improvement and adoption of family engagement practices. These practices can make a difference in the lives of children and youth across various service systems, and for diverse populations and communities. Studies show that strong family engagement is a necessary component in improving outcomes for children and youth.

## Youth and Family Outcomes

                      - Family engagement in schools contributes to positive student outcomes, including improved child and student achievement, decreased disciplinary issues, improved parent-teacher and teacher-student relationships, and improved school environment. 1
                      - Family engagement with health care professionals improves care coordination and health outcomes at the individual, youth, and family level. 2
                      - Most families, when adequately supported and engaged, can work in full partnership with juvenile justice system professionals to achieve better outcomes for youth. 3
                      - Children and youth served by mental health system of care providers show increases in emotional and behavioral strengths and improved relationships with peers and adults when families are engaged. 4
                      - A comprehensive review of the literature on family engagement in early childhood found that all families from diverse socioeconomic, educational and racial/ethnic backgrounds were interested in their child’s educational success and could effectively support their child’s learning at home and school when provided with the information and guidance that they needed. 5
                      - Parent involvement leads to positive benefits for students, parents, and schools, including improved academic performance and improved parent-teacher relationships. Students whose parents were involved in school during their elementary years experienced lower rates of high school dropout, were more likely to complete high school on time, and had higher grades. 6
                      - Recent experimental research has documented how two-way teacher-parent communication can lead to greater parental involvement, improved student engagement and academic achievement. 7
                      - Youth engage in fewer health risk behaviors when their parents are actively involved in their lives. These health risk behaviors include cigarette smoking, 8  drinking alcohol, 9  becoming pregnant, 10  becoming sexually active, 11  and carrying weapons. 12
                      - In addition to avoiding health risk behaviors, family engagement can increase participation in positive health behaviors such as school-related physical activity 13  and improved educational achievement, including increased attendance 14  and higher grades and test scores. 15 , 16 , 17
                      - When child welfare staff involves families in the decision-making process and in developing the plans that affect them and their children, they are more invested in the plans and committed to achieving objectives and complying with treatment. 18
                      - Parental involvement improves timeliness of child welfare permanency decisions and can lead to quicker reunification. 19 , 20
                      - Families that actively support youth involved in juvenile justice help reinforce the importance of treatment, articulate and advocate for their child’s needs, and increase the probability of a smooth transition home at the end of an out-of-home placement. 21
                      - Involving families in strength-based decision-making processes and modeling appropriate problem-solving approaches increases families’ comfort with communicating their own problem-solving strategies and exploring new strategies that may benefit themselves and their children. 22
                      - Working collaboratively increases the likelihood of identifying a family’s unique needs and developing relevant and culturally-appropriate service plans that address needs, build on family strengths, draw from community supports, and use resources more effectively. 23

## Resources

**A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement**This resource features studies that describe successful practice in engaging families of all backgrounds in the challenging work of improving student achievement and offers practical strategies for reaching out to families and sustaining their involvement.

**Family Engagement: Partnering with Families to Improve Child Welfare Outcomes**This website from the Children’s Bureau offers child welfare practitioners an overview of the importance of family engagement and addresses the foundational elements of the family engagement approach. Also provided is guidance on strategies and promising practices for implementing this approach at the case level, peer level, and systems level.

**Family Involvement in the Juvenile Justice System**This guide from the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice provides families of youth with behavioral health problems essential information about what to expect and how to effectively navigate the juvenile justice system. Also included is guidance on advocating and partnering to best support young people through the juvenile justice processes.

**Family Involvement Resource Inventory: An Overview of Resources for Family, Youth and Staff**This guide from National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice lists publications and resources that address the barriers that families and caretakers may face when a youth is involved in the juvenile justice system.

**How Family, School, and Community Engagement Can Improve Student Achievement and Influence School Reform**This resource for district and school leaders aims to foster an understanding of how family and community partnerships can promote school improvement efforts and increase student achievement, particularly in areas with underserved communities. This literature review provides current information about key components of promising family-school partnerships that support school- and district-level reform and how promising partnerships effectively engage families and communities in improvement efforts.

**Understanding Family Engagement Outcomes Research to Practice Series: Family Well-being**This resource presents a summary of selected research, program strategies, and resources intended to be useful for Head Start, Early Head Start, and other early childhood programs.

**Adolescent Connectedness Has Lasting Effects**

This webpage from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presents findings that support that adolescent connectedness to school and family is an important protective factor in promoting positive lasting effects.  

## References

1 Henderson & Mapp, 20022 Cené, Johnson, Wells, Baker, Davis, & Turchi, 20163 National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, 20164 Stroul, Goldman, Pires, & Manteuffel, 20125 Van Voorhis, Maier, Epstein, & Lloyd, 20136 Barnard, 20047 Bergman, 20148 Wang, Storr, Green, Zhu, Stuart, Landsman, & Ialongo, 20129 Komro, Perry, Veblen-Mortenson, Bosma, Dudovitz, Williams, Jones-Webb, & Toomey, 200410 Klein, 199711 Guilamo-Ramos, Bouris, Jaccard, Gonzalez, McCoy, & Aranda, 201112 Child Welfare Information Gateway, 201013 Haerens, De Bourdeaudhuij, & Maes, 200714 Epstein & Sheldon, 200215 Fan & Chen, 200116 Jeynes, 200317 Jeynes, 200718 Child Welfare Information Gateway, 201019 Tam & Ho, 199620 Merkel-Holguin, Nixon, & Burford, 200321 National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, 201622 Child Welfare Information Gateway, 201023 Doolan, 2005

## Other Resources on this Topic

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                          - HHS Awards $256.6 Million for Equitable and Affordable Title X Family Planning Services Nationwide
                          - June is Internet Safety Month
                          - Justice Department Announces $21.72 Million to Reduce Sexual and Domestic Violence on Campus, Support Children and Youth, and Engage Men and Boys as Allies
                          - National Adoption Month 2022
                          - National Adoption Month 2022
                          - National Crime Victims’ Rights (NCVRW) Week
                          - National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims
                          - Novavax Approved by CDC as an Additional COVID-19 Vaccine for Adolescents
                          - Observance: 2023 National Adoption Month
                          - Observance: 2023 National Veterans and Military Families Month
                          - OJJDP Seeking Nominations for National Missing Children’s Day Awards
                          - Permanency for Youth on Their Own Terms
                          - Redesigned National Adoption Month Website
                          - Report: A Guide to Effective Collaborations with Community-Based Organizations to Support Students Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Report: Building Co-Regulation Capacity to Support Positive Development for Youth with Foster Care Experience
                          - Report: Lessons from a Historic Decline in Child Poverty
                          - Report: School Health Profiles
                          - Report: Supporting Tribal Youth Attendance Achievement
                          - Report: Take Action for Adolescents: A Call to Action for Adolescent Health and Well-Being
                          - Report: The Condition of Education 2023
                          - Report: The State of Family-School Partnerships: Findings from a Survey of Public-School Parents
                          - Reproductive Rights Task Force
                          - Resource: 2022 Adoption Month Outreach Toolkit
                          - Resource: 2023 Red Ribbon Rally
                          - Resource: 9/11 Service Day Public Service Announcement
                          - Resource: A Handbook for Military Families: Helping You with Child Support
                          - Resource: A Look Inside Sharing Power in Child Welfare: A Podcast
                          - Resource: A Starter Kit on Engaging People with Lived Experience in Child Support Programs
                          - Resource: Addressing the Long-Term Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Families
                          - Resource: Addressing Trauma and Mass Violence
                          - Resource: Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers – Part 3
                          - Resource: Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers — Part 5  Agencies and departments: Department of Health and Human Ser
                          - Resource: Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers Podcast Series
                          - Resource: AFFIRM Caregiver: Affirmative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Caregivers of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning (LGBTQ+) Populations
                          - Resource: Affirming and Supporting LGBTQ Children and Youth in Child Welfare
                          - Resource: All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness
                          - Resource: AMBER Advocate – Issue 4, 2022
                          - Resource: AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program Fact Sheet
                          - Resource: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Heritage Month Fun Facts
                          - Resource: Astronomy & Astrophysics for the Classroom
                          - Resource: Back to School Checklist for Parents
                          - Resource: Back to School Resources for Success
                          - Resource: Barriers to Authentic Youth Engagement in Permanency Planning
                          - Resource: Behavioral Health Beneficiary Survey
                          - Resource: Beyond the ACE Score: Perspectives on Child Trauma and Adversity Screening and Impact
                          - Resource: Blue Campaign College and University Toolkit on Human Trafficking
                          - Resource: Broadband Access Landscape
                          - Resource: Building Educator Pipelines Through Service 
                          - Resource: Building Multi-Disciplinary Core Planning Teams
                          - Resource: Building Partnerships with Organizations
                          - Resource: Bullying Prevention for Parents of Middle School Students
                          - Resource: CFSR Round 4 Planning and Implementation Tools
                          - Resource: Change and Implementation in Practice: Teaming Worksheets
                          - Resource: Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) Webpage
                          - Resource: Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) Webpage
                          - Resource: Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice System Involvement
                          - Resource: Children In Disasters Emergency Kit Checklists
                          - Resource: Children on the Autism Spectrum: Search Protocols and Questionnaire for First Responders
                          - Resource: Choose AmeriCorps Public Service Announcement
                          - Resource: Co-Regulation in Human Services
                          - Resource: Co-Regulation in Practice Series -- Strategies for Practitioners Who Serve Youth Aged 14-24
                          - Resource: Co-regulation: What It Is and Why it Matters Video
                          - Resource: Common Problems, Common Solutions: Looking Across Sectors at Strategies for Supporting Rural Youth and Families Tool-Kit
                          - Resource: Communities Talk to Prevent Underage Drinking: Success Stories
                          - Resource: Community Violence Intervention: The Chicago Story
                          - Resource: Connecting Conversations
                          - Resource: Court Improvement Programs: Collaboration Between Child Welfare Agencies and Legal and Judicial Communities
                          - Resource: Cultural Responsiveness Overview
                          - Resource: Culturally Responsive Pathways to Peer Programming in Tribal Communities
                          - Resource: Dear Colleague Letter on Addressing the Impacts of Parent and Caregiver Loss on Children
                          - Resource: Defining Child Exposure to Domestic Violence: Lessons From a Historical Review of the Literature
                          - Resource: Department of Defense School Liaison Program
                          - Resource: Department of Justice Awards Nearly $105 Million To Protect Children From Exploitation, Trauma and Abuse
                          - Resource: Determining Youth and Young Adult Eligibility for Services: Grantee Tools and Processes
                          - Resource: Determining Youth and Young Adult Eligibility for Services: Grantee Tools and Processes
                          - Resource: Developing a Graduate Mental Health Internship Program
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                          - Resource: Distracted Driving
                          - Resource: Diversity & Inclusion Activities Under Title VI Fact Sheet
                          - Resource: Diversity, Racial Equity, and Inclusion in Child Welfare: Our Shared Vocabulary 
                          - Resource: Domestic Violence, Child Welfare, and the School System
                          - Resource: Encouraging Families to Visit a Literacy Website: A Randomized Study of the Impact of Email and Text Message Communications
                          - Resource: Encouraging In-kind Contributions for Communities Talk Activities
                          - Resource: Engaging People with Lived Experience: Resources from Division X Technical Assistance
                          - Resource: Engaging Survivors of Human Trafficking
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                          - Resource: English Learner Family Toolkit
                          - Resource: Essentials for Parenting Teens
                          - Resource: Establish an Emergency Action Plan
                          - Resource: Establishing Rules – Tips for Talking to Your Child about Appropriate Digital Behavior and Content
                          - Resource: Extended BMI-for-Age Growth Charts
                          - Resource: Families and Caregivers as Partners in School Emergency Management
                          - Resource: Family-Based Justice Center
                          - Resource: Family-Based Justice Center
                          - Resource: Federal Funding to Support LGBTQIA2S+ Children, Youth, Young Adults, and Families
                          - Resource: Flu Vaccine Social Media Toolkit
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                          - Resource: From Complaint to Resolution: Understanding the Child Welfare Grievance Process
                          - Resource: From Crisis to Care: Building from 988 and Beyond for Better Mental Health Outcomes
                          - Resource: Future Self Tool
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                          - Resource: Going to a Public Disaster Shelter During the COVID-19 Pandemic
                          - Resource: Guidance for Immigrant and Refugee Families: Parenting in a New Country
                          - Resource: Guidance for Immigrant and Refugee Families: The Child Welfare System
                          - Resource: Guides for How to Incorporate Coregulation with Older Youth in Foster Care
                          - Resource: Having the Normalcy Conversation
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                          - Resource: Infographics on Trauma-Informed Advocacy for Survivors of Human Trafficking at Points of Contact
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                          - Resource: Prescription for Disaster: How Teens Misuse Medicine
                          - Resource: Prevent Unsafe Drinking on Campus
                          - Resource: Preventing ACEs Training Module for Educators
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                          - Resource: Preventing Childhood Adversity Through Economic Support and Social Norm Strategies
                          - Resource: Preventing Youth Hate Crimes & Identity-Based Bullying Fact Sheet
                          - Resource: Prevention Matters Multimedia Gallery
                          - Resource: Prevention Profiles: Take Five - Jeff Coady, Psy.D.
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                          - Resource: Private Schools: Emergency Management Planning for All Settings
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                          - Resource: Racial Equity Reflection Videos
                          - Resource: Raise the Bar: Resources for Parents and Families
                          - Resource: Recovery Planning for Schools and Institutions of Higher Education in the Immediate Aftermath of a Significant or Federally Declared Natural Disaster 
                          - Resource: Recruiting and Supporting Resource Families in Tribal Communities
                          - Resource: Recurrence of Maltreatment
                          - Resource: Recursos en Español
                          - Resource: Red Ribbon Patch Program
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                          - Resource: Reducing Homelessness Among Young People Transitioning from Foster Care
                          - Resource: Reentry Matters: Voices of Experience
                          - Resource: Reentry to Foster Care
                          - Resource: Reflections – Stories of Foster Care
                          - Resource: Relationships as a Support for Reunification
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                          - Resource: Responding to Human Trafficking Through the Child Welfare System Training
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                          - Resource: Reunification
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                          - Resource: September 2022 Spotlight on Kinship Care
                          - Resource: Service and Advocacy Organization Leaders Share Insights for an Applied Research Agenda on Black Children and Families
                          - Resource: Services to Support Children Living in Kinship and Nonrelative Foster Care 2008-2009
                          - Resource: Social Influencers of Health and Education Needs Assessment: A Pathway for School Health and Mental Health Professionals
                          - Resource: Social-Emotional Learning and Mental Health Toolkit: Support for Systems and Programs
                          - Resource: Stability of Mental Disorder Prevalence Estimates Among School-aged Children and Adolescents: Findings from the Community-based Project to Learn about Youth
                          - Resource: Standing Together to Prevent Bullying
                          - Resource: State Kinship Care Contacts and Programs
                          - Resource: State Survey Analysis
                          - Resource: Stop Bullying on the Spot
                          - Resource: Stop Overdose
                          - Resource: Strategic Planning in Child Welfare: Agency Process Alignment Toolkit
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                          - Resource: Study of State Policies to Prohibit Aiding and Abetting Sexual Misconduct in Schools
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                          - Resource: Thanksgiving Day Fun Facts
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                          - Resource: The AMBER Advocate, Issue 3, 2022
                          - Resource: The Impact of COVID-19 on College and University Students Who Self-Injure: Risks and Strategies for Mitigation
                          - Resource: The National Partnership for Student Success
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                          - Resource: Tip Sheets on Everyday Parenting Topics
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                          - Resource: Transporting Students Experiencing Homelessness
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                          - Resource: Tribal Customary Adoption
                          - Resource: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health
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                          - Second Chance Month: April 2023
                          - Social Media Campaign: Teen Tuesdays
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                          - Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth: A Guide for Foster Parents
                          - Toolkit: National Foster Care Month 2022 Outreach
                          - Toolkit: Preventing Mass Attacks, Saving Lives
                          - U.S. Department of Education Creates National Parents and Families Engagement Council to Help Ensure Pandemic Recovery Efforts Meet Students’ Needs
                          - U.S. Department of Education Disperses Funds to Support Parents of Children with Disabilities
                          - Virtual Training: Preventing Mass Attacks in Our Communities
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### Briefs 

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### Collaboration Profiles 

                          - Program Components
                          - Promising Practices/Accomplishments
                          - Y2CONNECT.org

### Data Sources 

                          - 2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

### Feature Articles 

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                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - Resources to Support Youth Who Have Lost a Caregiver

### Programs 

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### Resources 

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### Youth Topics 

                          - Family Engagement

## Youth Briefs

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

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2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

### Feature Articles

Healthy Youth Development through Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation

Resources to Support Youth Who Have Lost a Caregiver

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

### Resources

Webinar Recording: Helping the LGBTQIA+ Community Before Disasters: Preparedness and Mitigation Considerations

Youth Advisory Councils

Webinar Recording: Helping the LGBTQIA+ Community Before Disasters: Preparedness and Mitigation Considerations

### Youth Topics

Family Engagement