Family engagement is important for children’s learning and development. Research shows that strong relationships between families and educators are essential for partnerships to be successful. However, it is less clear what meaningful family engagement looks like during everyday interactions. We interviewed and conducted focus groups with 73 educators and 12 caregivers of children aged birth to sixth grade from around one state in the Northeastern United States. We also analyzed 176 video minutes of family–educator interactions. Using data, we define relationship-based family engagement as a partnership that starts from a place of strength, centers empathy, and is built from everyday interactions. We also describe practical strategies shared by participants for families and educators that seek to build relationships in support of their children and one another.
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