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##  Working with Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Families. ERIC                 Digest.                                                                      

The United States is one of the most culturally, ethnically,                    racially, and linguistically diverse countries in the world. During             the 1990s, there was a heightened awareness among early childhood               researchers of the need to examine efforts to provide programs and              services responsive to the needs and preferences of families of                 young children from diverse cultural and linguistic groups (Lynch &             Hanson, 1998; Quintero, 1999; Tabors, 1998). Because one approach               may not be successful with all groups, researchers advise early                 childhood teachers and service providers to examine a range of                  strategies to enhance their relationships with families from a                  variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. It is useful for                professionals to develop a common foundation of knowledge and                   practical strategies to address the needs of the families they                  serve, especially when the families' backgrounds are different from             their own. This Digest presents strategies supported by the research            literature to enhance interactions with families from diverse                   cultural and linguistic backgrounds. SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF            RELATIONSHIPSA variety of interrelated issues and personal                  characteristics influence the development of relationships between              professionals and those they serve, including family structure, age,            length of time since immigration, and cultural expectations about               early childhood services and outcomes. Researchers report the                   following areas as some of the most critical that affect the                    formation of effective helping relationships between families and               early childhood professionals: 
 * Differences in roles and                    expectations (Kalyanpur & Harry, 1999) 
 * Differences in                      personality characteristics (e.g., comfort in new situations, input             in decisions) (Dinnebeil & Rule, 1994) 
 * Differences in worldview            associated with cultural beliefs and acculturation (Lynch & Hanson,             1998) 
 * Differences in background of family and                              professionals (e.g., age, training) (Kochanek & Buka,                           1998) STRATEGIES FOR WORKING TOGETHER IN EARLY EDUCATIONBased             on consideration of these areas of possible conflict, the following             strategies are available to reduce the impact of these                          differences: 
"Respect The Uniqueness Of Each Family                           System" 
Characteristics of the family system are often heavily                influenced by a family's cultural values and beliefs. For example,              researchers have found that, in some cultures, the family unit                  includes extended family members or clans composed of several                   households of relatives with a commitment to a family-based support             network, while other families tend to focus on the immediate family             and utilize external support networks (Gonzalez-Alvarez, 1998; Joe &            Malach, 1998). Knowledge and understanding of the variety of family             structures and systems increase the professional's ability to                   respond to the family's needs. In turn, respect for the diverse                 systems of family organization enhances a professional's                        effectiveness. "Develop A Personalized Relationship with                        Families" 
Families are more likely to develop effective working               relationships with professionals they trust (Dinnebeil & Rule,                  1994). Yet, this relationship may be forged in different ways. Some             families may prefer a more formal relationship with early education             professionals (Schwartz, 1995), while others may prefer a more                  informal, friendly relationship (Gonzalez- Alvarez, 1998). In some              cultures, the father may be considered the head of the household                and, therefore, may be responsible for making decisions for the rest            of the family. In other cultures, the oldest female member of the               household may hold the position of authority. Researchers in the                early education field suggest that these issues need to be                      considered on a family-by-family basis, because intra-group                     differences are as great as inter- group differences (Lynch &                   Hanson, 1998). Awareness of these differences increases the                     likelihood of building effective relationships. "Communicate in                 Culturally Appropriate Ways" 
Cross-cultural differences in                    communication may also affect professional-family relationships. For            example, researchers note that if professionals assume a dominant               role in conversations, the submissive role in which the family is               placed may be a source of tension and may result in family members              withholding information (Dennis & Giangreco, 1996; Gudykunst,                   Ting-Toomey, & Nishida, 1996). Communication of this type may be                particularly offensive to some families from traditional Hispanic,              Native American, and Asian backgrounds (Gonzalez-Alvarez, 1998;                 Joe & Malach, 1998; Schwartz, 1995, respectively). As discussed in              the literature, knowledge of issues related to the use of                       translators and interpreters is important for early education                   professionals because communicating with linguistically diverse                 families often requires individuals fluent in the family's primary              language to explain or clarify information related to programs and              services (Ohtake, Santos, & Fowler, 2000). 
It is also critical to             maintain open, ongoing communication with families from diverse                 linguistic backgrounds. This communication may take the form of                 home-program notebooks, oral exchanges, or other modes of                       communication based on each family's preferences. "Recruit Staff Who            View Diversity as an Asset" 
Efforts should be made to hire                    bicultural and bilingual staff to increase an organization's ability            to create trust between families and professionals. However,                    researchers note that what is even more essential is to hire staff              who embrace diversity as an asset and demonstrate a willingness to              learn about the experiences and traditions of individuals whose                 backgrounds are different from their own (Kalyanpur & Harry, 1999).             By recruiting such individuals, early childhood programs will                   substantially enhance their ability to work with families from                  diverse cultural backgrounds. "Create Alliances with Cultural                   Guides" 
It is important to encourage the participation of                     community leaders as "cultural guides" to facilitate communication              and understanding between professionals and families (Lynch &                   Hanson, 1998). The literature describes several roles these                     individuals can play: 
 * Provide professionals with insights                  concerning community beliefs, values, and communication                         style (Dennis & Giangreco, 1996). 
 * Offer families information               about programs and services in a culturally sensitive and responsive            manner (Kalyanpur & Harry, 1999). 
 * Act as facilitators to bring             families and professionals closer together to reach desired                     outcomes (Joe & Malach, 1998). 
Examples of cultural guides include            community leaders, members of the clergy, and business leaders who              are from the family's cultural group or who speak the family's                  primary language. "Evaluate Process and Outcomes" 
The final                   strategy addresses the need for ongoing evaluation of early                     childhood programs that serve diverse families. Evaluation can take             several forms, such as asking families to complete surveys or                   sharing information through face-to-face or phone interviews. Early             education professionals may also participate in program improvement             activities by conducting a needs assessment to identify areas for               training and then self-evaluating their knowledge and skills in                 those areas. As the research literature indicates, with                         collaboration from bicultural/bilingual staff and cultural guides,              information can be collected in ways that match families'                       preferences (Schwartz, 1995, Tabors, 1998). In turn, early education            professionals can use this information to improve their programs and            their interactions with families. SUMMARYThe preceding                    discussion describes strategies to support the development of                   relationships and enhance communication between early education                 professionals and families. It is only through developing a better              understanding of the beliefs, values, and preferences of families               that early education professionals can gain a broad perspective and             offer effective programming (Quintero, 1999). Just as young children            develop and grow, early education professionals must continually                work to heighten their awareness of cultural and linguistic                     diversity, improve their professional skills, and work to develop a             shared vision of early education with all families. FOR MORE                  INFORMATIONDennis, R. E., & Giangreco, M. F. (1996). Creating               conversation: Reflections on cultural sensitivity in family                     interviewing. EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN, 63(1), 103-116. EJ 529                      426. 
Dinnebeil, L. A., & Rule, S. (1994). Variables that influence            collaboration between parents and service providers. JOURNAL OF                 EARLY INTERVENTION, 18(4), 349-361. EJ 511 832. 
Gonzalez-Alvarez,             L. I. (1998). A short course in sensitivity training: Working with              Hispanic families of children with disabilities. TEACHING                       EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN, 31(2), 73-77. EJ 571 917. 
Gudykunst, W. B.,             Ting-Toomey, S., & Nishida, T. (1996). COMMUNICATION IN PERSONAL                RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS CULTURES. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 
Joe, J.               R., & Malach, R. S. (1998). Families with Native American roots. In             E. W. Lynch & M. J. Hanson (Eds.), DEVELOPING CROSS-CULTURAL                    COMPETENCE: A GUIDE FOR WORKING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR                   FAMILIES (pp. 127-164). Baltimore, MD: Brookes. ED 346                          190. 
Kalyanpur, M., & Harry, B. (1999). CULTURE IN SPECIAL                    EDUCATION: BUILDING RECIPROCAL FAMILY-PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS.               Baltimore, MD: Brookes. 
Kochanek, T. T., & Buka, S. L. (1998).                Influential factors in the utilization of early intervention                    services. JOURNAL OF EARLY INTERVENTION, 21(4), 323-338. EJ 581                 686. 
Lynch, E. W., & Hanson, M. J. (1998). DEVELOPING CROSS-                  CULTURAL COMPETENCE: A GUIDE FOR WORKING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN AND                THEIR FAMILIES (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Brookes. ED 346                        190. 
Ohtake, Y., Santos, R. M., & Fowler, S. A. (2000). It's a                three way conversation: Families, service providers, and                        interpreters working together. YOUNG EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN, 4(1),                12-18. 
Quintero, E. (1999). The new faces of Head Start: Learning             from culturally diverse families. "EARLY EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT,             10(4), 475-497. EJ 593 721. 
Schwartz, W. (1995). A GUIDE TO                   COMMUNICATING WITH ASIAN AMERICAN FAMILIES: FOR PARENTS/ABOUT                   PARENTS. New York: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education. ED 396                014. 
Tabors, P. O. (1998). What early childhood educators need to             know: Developing effective programs for linguistically and                      culturally diverse children and families. YOUNG CHILDREN, 53(6),                20-26. EJ 576 002. 
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Note: This Digest was based on a review            of the early education, cross-cultural, and communication literature            conducted by the Early Childhood Research Institute on Culturally &             Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS;                                      http://clas.uiuc.edu). 
ERIC Digests are in the public domain and              may be freely reproduced. 
This project has been funded at least in            part with Federal Funds from the U.S. Department of Education,                  Office of Educational Research and Improvement, under contract                  number ED-99-CO-0020. The content of this publication does not                  necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of             Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or             organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.                      **Title:** Working with Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Families. ERIC                 Digest.                                                                      **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education,                 Children's Research Center, University of Illinois, 51 Gerty Dr.,               Champaign, IL 61820-7469. Tel: 800-583-4135 (Toll Free); Tel:                   217-333-1386; Fax: 217-333-3767; Web site: http://ericeece.org;                 e-mail: [email protected]. For full text:                                       http://ericeece.org/pubs/digests.html.                                       **Descriptors:**  Cross Cultural Training,  Cultural Awareness, Cultural Traits,                 Early Childhood Education, Family Characteristics, Family                       Environment, Family History, Family Needs,  Family School                       Relationship,  Family (Sociological Unit), Family Structure,                     Intercultural Communication,  Interpersonal Relationship, Program              Evaluation                                                                   **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests                                                                 
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