Schools can facilitate the involvement of single and working parents in their children's education by seeking cooperation and collaboration with resources in the community. Approach human service, cultural, social, and other organizations to suggest the development of programs and services that meet the needs of children and parents. Form partnerships with organizations that can provide programs for children. Work with employers to encourage them to institute flexible hours for working parents who want to attend school activities. Use a variety of approaches to enable as many parents and children as possible to benefit from these programs.
Fathers Fathers are often the forgotten ones in family-oriented programs.
Mothers have traditionally been more involved in the schools and community organizations. But with more mothers in the labor force and a growing recognition of the father's importance for child development, there is new interest in meaningful ways of involving dads in their children's education. All forms of communication to families need to mention fathers as well as mothers, assume that both will be interested, and encourage both to participate in school-sponsored activities. Further, non-custodial parents, who are usually fathers, need to be informed of these activities too unless there are strong reasons for not doing so. In-School Activities These should be scheduled at times when all parents can attend, such as before school, in the evenings, or on weekends.