Two Guides, One Goal: Partnering with Families to Transform Early Childhood Systems
June 27, 2025
Two Guides, One Goal: Partnering with Families to Transform Early Childhood Systems
An early childhood system is a vision of coordination, where all programs and services that support young children and their families — such as health, mental health, early learning, economic support, and family support — are coordinated, connected, and easy to access.
While most families don’t currently experience this broad network as a true “system,” this vision remains essential—and achievable—when we pursue it together. At CSSP, we embrace this definition of early childhood systems as a shared goal rooted in partnership. We believe that coordinated, responsive systems are only possible when families and communities are co-creators in shaping them.
To achieve coordinated early childhood systems, stakeholders must invest in a shared vision, mutual trust, and a commitment to working together across roles and identities. To bring that vision to life, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) is proud to launch two new companion resources developed through our work with the Early Learning Nation (ELN) Collective:
- Partners for Change: A Guide for Parents on Strengthening Early Childhood Systems
- Partners for Change: A Guide for Organizations on Engaging Family & Parent Leaders in Early Childhood Systems
These Guides are rooted in a simple but powerful idea: transforming systems starts with transforming relationships. Whether you’re a parent stepping into leadership or an organization seeking to deepen your engagement with families, these Guides offer clear strategies, shared language, and values-based tools to build stronger, more equitable early childhood systems.
At the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), our North Star is clear: to advance economic justice, health justice, and family autonomy with an unwavering commitment to racial equity. That means standing with families as they define and pursue their own goals — recognizing them as the experts in their own lives, and as partners in building the systems that are meant to support them.
Families are not only the first teachers and caregivers, but also the daily navigators of the systems meant to support their children. Their experiences, insights, and solutions are critical to designing systems that actually work. When parents and organizations share power—working side by side to shape policies, practices, and priorities—we move closer to building the coordinated, equitable, and responsive systems that all children and families deserve.
The Guides aim to break down long-standing silos between families and systems and to co-create early childhood systems that reflect the wisdom, culture, and priorities of the communities they serve.
Why Two Guides? Because System Change Is Shared Work
Too often, family engagement is treated as a one-sided effort: either families are asked to “get involved” without real influence or capacity-building, or organizations are expected to “outreach harder” without structural support. But real change happens when families and organizations work in partnership—when both are resourced, respected, and aligned around shared goals.
The Partners for Change Guides are built on this principle of partnership. The Guides recognize that families are the first teachers, fiercest advocates, and everyday decision-makers in children’s lives—and that organizations must shift practices, policies, and culture to fully honor and support families’ leadership. Each Guide speaks to a different audience but pushes toward the same outcome: early childhood systems that are more responsive, equitable, and community-driven.
“Tools like these help parents build confidence, find their voice, and realize that their lived experience is a powerful form of leadership. They turn barriers into bridges by making leadership more accessible, equitable, and sustainable for families.”
– Amanda Quiroz-Guajardo, Local Leader on the ELN Collective Steering Committee
How These Guides Work Together
The Partners for Change Guides are designed to be used together, each offering a distinct but complementary set of tools for advancing family leadership in early childhood systems.
The Parent Guide offers ideas, encouragement, and actionable steps for parents and caregivers who want to strengthen early childhood systems and advocate for change. It helps families build confidence and clarity around their leadership goals—whether that means joining a local advisory group, sharing their story, or shaping a new policy. It includes strategies for identifying local organizations, exploring different opportunities, and finding roles that feel like the right fit.
The Organizational Guide provides a foundation for building authentic, equitable partnerships with families. Grounded in core values and actionable strategies, it helps organizations move beyond surface-level outreach to embed family voice in decision-making, shift internal structures, and foster a culture of shared power. These approaches are not one-size-fits-all—they’re adaptable starting points for organizations at any stage of their family engagement journey.
The real power of these tools is in how they complement each other. When used side-by-side—in community meetings, parent advisory groups, or leadership training cohorts—these Guides help create aligned expectations and shared accountability. Families are invited to lead in ways that feel meaningful to them. Organizations are challenged to reflect and adapt to better support family leadership.
For example, a local early childhood coalition might use the Organizational Guide to strengthen its family engagement strategy, while using the Parent Guide to onboard and mentor parent leaders. A Head Start site might bring both Guides into a shared learning session for staff and families. A systems-building initiative might use them to frame an inclusive planning process that begins with family voice.
“Family leadership is essential in early childhood systems because parents like me bring lived experience, valuable insight, and a deep commitment to improving outcomes for all children.”
– Huong Vu, Parent Leader and Family Engagement Specialist with the Dorchester Family Engagement Network at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester, MA
A Call to Shared Action: Moving from Participation to Power
At their core, both Partners for Change Guides are about transforming how systems and families work together—moving from systems that see families as recipients of services to systems that embrace them as leaders, partners, and change agents. These Guides are also unapologetically about equity. They name the systemic racism, bias, and exclusion that too often shape who gets heard and who holds power. And they offer clear, actionable ways to cultivate trust, strengthen relationships, and share leadership.
Whether you’re a parent wondering how to get started or an organization ready to do things differently, these Guides offer a roadmap—and an invitation. To reimagine what’s possible. To build together. To lead together.
Because lasting change happens when families, communities, and organizations stand side by side—sharing power, purpose, and responsibility—to transform early childhood systems for good.
