Some preschool centers will not even bother asking immigrant parents to help in any way,” complains one California parent. “They don’t seem to want to hear what I have to say!”

But “many studies show parent involvement is a big factor in student success,” as Children Now researcher Sandra Naughton points out.

Involvement in their children’s preschool programs may be especially important for immigrant families, so their children’s home and school cultures are connected. And immigrant parents, says San Francisco early childhood consultant Hedy Chang, need to know that “unlike what many learned in their home countries, (here) they need act as advocates for their children and not just turn over their authority to teachers.”

Here are stories of three California preschool programs that have successfully built partnerships with immigrant parents.

Merced City School District preschool programs

Including parents as teachers: In the Merced City School District preschools, immigrant families (mostly Mexican and Hmong) play an active role. Angelica Ozuna, a bilingual family literacy specialist, says every day parents help children sign in, answer a “question of the day,” and read and discuss a picture book with the child in their home language. If parents are working, the auntie or grandparent who brings the child takes over the job.

Family members also act as cultural experts. On holidays like Cinco de Mayo or Lunar New Year, they come to the classrooms dressed in traditional costumes and talk about their heritage. Says Ozuna, “We try to make parents feel valued. We are all here for the benefit of the children.”

Helping parents learn with their kids: The Merced preschools also run Even Start (family literacy) programs. In these, parents have to sign contracts agreeing to tutor their kids a certain number of hours a week. Program staff translate the preschool curriculum into Hmong and Spanish—so parents learn what their kids are learning. They also attend evening or Saturday parenting classes in three languages.

Wu Yee Children’s Services

Understanding families’ culture: “Most Chinese parents, if you don’t ask them, they won’t take the initiative and volunteer. It’s incumbent on the staff to make sure they take the initiative,” says Un Un Che, a parent volunteer at Wu Yee Children’s Services in San Francisco. Staff at Wu Yee are all bilingual, some trilingual (English, Cantonese, and Mandarin), and know the immigrant Chinese culture.

Che, a recent immigrant from mainland China, started out helping in the classroom and now works as a volunteer to involve other parents. In her outreach to parents, she appeals to a shared cultural value: responsibility to do what is expected to help their children.

Building relationships: Che advises preschool programs to start involving parents by asking them to do something easy, like help set up chairs for a meeting. Also crucial, she says, is caring about the parents as individuals—finding out about their needs and referring them to community services that can help.

Offering opportunities for connection: Parents at Wu Yee are invited to monthly parent meetings covering topics such as health and school readiness. Parents can participate by doing office work, helping set up activities, and joining field trips and celebrations. “Wu Yee is able to create an environment where parents feel comfortable and get to know each other,” says Che. “It’s not just the place where we drop off our kids.” (For more on Wu Yee, see "Happy gathering" at Joy Lock Center)

Family Connections

Including the family: “One of the reasons our program has been so successful is that we have the idea of embracing the whole family,” says Ruth Pinkus-Resnik, director of Family Connections, which runs three preschools south of San Francisco. Her program serves mostly Latino immigrants who “have left extended family and are alone here. We open the door to the possibility of a community. We become the substitute group for sharing the joys and issues of parenting.”

Family Connections is a cooperative that requires parents to volunteer in classrooms. Parents with full-time jobs can participate on Saturday mornings or weekday mornings if they work afternoons or evenings.

Involving dads: When a parent is reluctant to participate, Pinkus-Resnik responds in a nonconfrontational way. For example, when a father says, “It’s not my job to be in the school. It’s my job to provide,” she just invites him to come see what’s happening at school.

“We have been able to find ways of reaching dads (and other) male caregivers,” Pinkus-Renik says. “Currently we have a few dads that have given many hours of work to remodel one of our schools. Their children are proud of seeing their dads working for their school.”

Triggering potential: “Once (parents) feel comfortable, it triggers all the potential they have. They start doing amazing things!” says Pinkus-Resnik. Parents like Mario Arreola, whose daughter Jacy attends Family Connections, make community presentations about the program, participate in the classroom, and help with administrative tasks such as preparing bags of books to send home with the children.

Sharing information: Family Connections parents also attend classes on parenting and on what to expect in American schools. Pinkus-Resnik says she wants parents to “leave with a strong foundation about what it means to advocate for the child and be part of improving the community as a whole.

For more tips on parent involvement, see Early Care and Educaiton: "Parents need to be nutured too"