Who are SSWs and How Can They Assist Parents?
Is your child experiencing difficulty at school? Are you concerned about your child's behaviors? Did your child's teacher tell you your child needs "testing"? Need help finding resources in your community? These are only a few areas that a School Social Worker could assist you with.
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Resources for Parents 
NYSSSWA has gathered resources to directly assist parents with concerns such as bullying, grief and loss, substance use, special needs, social/emotional/behavioral concerns and determining when your child may need counseling, etc. We hope you find them useful. Ask to see your school’s School Social Worker to assist you in exploring your specific concerns as well as discuss possible strategies and/or resources to support you and/or your child.
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Parent Engagement
11 Ways Parents Can Get Involved in School Provides practical suggestions to parents on how to get involved. Source: Pontz. Eden. 9/1/2024. Center for Parent and Teen Communication.
Back to School: Ideas for Parent Involvement. Source: 8/2024. CDC
Family Engagement & School Readiness: Source: US Department of Health & Human Services
How Families Can Support Student Health & Well Being Source: 7/2022. CDC
Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community The 16 page document referred to in this article places the child at the center of health and education. Additional attention is placed on the effect of the Social and Emotional Climate in addition to the Physical Environment as well as family engagement and community involvement. Source: 2/2023. CDC
Parent engagement in Schools: Information for Parents Source: 11/2024. CDC
Parental Involvement vs Parental Engagement "An involved parent takes part in the activities already determined by the school. An engaged parent takes a step further, often becoming part of the school’s decision-making process." This article also includes tips on how schools can encourage family engagement. Source: 2/2023. Annie E. Casey Foundation
'A Welcoming Place': Family Engagement Strategies for Schools (Video) "Education Week Staff Writer Libby Stanford spent four months talking to parents, superintendents, principals, teachers, and researchers about what it takes to build positive relationships between families and schools...Ultimately, they said, it comes down to developing trust. She shares key strategies schools can adopt to make sure their family engagement practices are effective at building long-lasting, trusting relationships with families." Source: Stanford, Libby. 5/2024. Education Week
The Importance of Family Engagement (Video) This video features a parent from the Danville, VA school district addressing the importance of family engagement as well as some of the tools that the school district is using to engage parents. Source: 5/2024. Danville School District
Family Engagement with Schools: Strategies to Build Strong Partnerships. (Video) This 9 minute video is packed with helpful information in building relationships with parents and informing them of services available. Source: 6/2020 Formed Families Forward of Northern Virginia
Family Engagement with Schools: Strategies to Build Strong Partnerships Fact Sheet Source: Formed Families Forward of Northern Virginia
Effective Family Engagement Could Look Like This (Video) Source: 2/2018. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
District Wide Strategies for Family Engagement. (2 sided Handout) Source: (2017) Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Family Engagement = Student Success. (Video) While this video is from 2011 and features former President Obama and a diverse group of national and New York leaders speaking on the importance of family engagement and student success, it is still relevant in encouraging parents to get involved! Oprah Winfrey noted that if every parent went to their child's teacher and said " 'Tell me what I can do to help you, help my child'. You would get a different level of respect and you would get a different level of return for your child." See more.... Source: 3/2011. Learning Leaders.
Welcoming Families from Day One 2 strategies: 1. Welcoming Phone Call suggestions. 2. Restructure Open House to Involve Families. Check it out. Source: Shafer, Leah. 8/2017. Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Activities for Parents
COVID provided an opportunity for NYSSSWA to gather all kinds of resources and activities that parents and families could do together. So if you are looking for ideas....
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Crisis Response Resources for Parents
When families experience a loss or are impacted by a tragedy, there are many resources to support parents not only in talking with their children/teens immediately after an event or loss but also strategies to support children and family members in the days and months that follow.
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Special Education Resources for Parents
If you have a child with a disability, NYSSSWA has gathered a few resources to assist you in navigating services for your child. While some articles came during COVID, your rights and advocacy strategies still may apply. If you are struggling to get resources and/or services from your local school district, you can also ask to speak with the School Social Worker in your school who can assist you in navigating the district maze.
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