All parents whose children are enrolled in the Head Start or Early Head Start program participate in a family partnership process. This process includes staff and parents working as partners to focus on the issues most relevant to the family.  Head Start and Early Head Start staff encourage parents to identify their individual and family strengths, values, interests, areas of concern and goals. To promote a spirit of partnership, staff seek to set a positive tone, build a relationship with the family, develop and maintain a shared vision, engage in creative problem solving and share information. 

In addition to the child’s education goal, other family goals might focus on issues such as basic needs, parenting, health, personal support structure, adult education and employment, child care services, family literacy, family relationships, or community resources.

The Head Start program is involved in other areas related to Family Partnerships such as Family Literacy, Fatherhood Initiative, Healthy Marriage Initiative, Homelessness, and Parent Education.