1. Family Engagement Strategies in Early Childhood
RIVERSIDE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Joe Nieto: Early Childhood & Family Education Coordinator

2. Riverside Unified School District
K-12 Enrollment = 42,462 students
Preschool Enrollment = 900 students (Head Start & State Preschool)
15th Largest District in California

3. Student Diversity Asian 3.4% African American 7% White 24%
Hispanic %
Other 5%

4. Student Diversity Low Income 64% English Learner 17.2%
Reclassified EL %
Foster Youth 1.3%
Special Education 2.79%
GATE %

5. Why Family Engagement is Important

6. Recent

8. RUSD Family Resource Center

9. Parent Institute For Quality Education

10. EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) PROGRAM
PIQE
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) PROGRAM
The ECD Program teaches parents how to provide a stimulating home environment that encourages and facilitates early success in school for their Pre-K and Kindergarten children. This program engages parents in activities that stimulate language development and essential pre-reading skills, as well as activities that help recognize the presence of mathematics in everyday life. Parents will understand the importance of an adequate preparation for kindergarten, and how it may impact future academic achievements.

11. Abriendo Puertas

12. Opening Doors I am my child’s first teacher Reaching family success
My child grows and talks
Our health is first
Let’s go to school
Advocating for our future

13. Borrego Health Student Health Care Specialist Dental Screenings
Health Clinic Referrals

14. Riverside University Health Systems

15. FATHER ENGAGEMENT

16. National Center for Education Statistics
“The proportion of children with highly involved fathers is about half of the proportion with highly involved mothers, 27 percent and 56 percent, respectively.”

17. National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center
“Fathers who have positive relationships with their children can have positive effects on their social, cognitive, and academic achievement and their behavior. Children with involved fathers tend to do better in school, have better grades, and are less likely to be expelled and/or repeat grades. For young children, good fathering contributes to emotional development because fathers offer emotional security. Involved fathers also help young children develop their math and verbal skills and develop their curiosity.”

18. How did RUSD respond to this?
Dad’s University
Once a month
Evenings
Led by Joe Nieto and Louie Ortega
Male guest speakers
Topics relevant to father figures
Topics relevant to parents of Preschoolers – Elementary School
Family Dinner and Awards in May

20. The Dad’s University program is open to anyone who is concerned about the education, health and welfare of children and youth. We want Dads….not only biological fathers, but grandfathers, stepdads, adoptive dads, foster dads, uncles, older brothers, male family friends and other male role models.

21. The Dad’s University Model
Balance workshops/speakers with “Daddy and Me” events.
Workshops include literacy, mathematics, homework, discipline, men’s health, etc.
“Daddy and Me” events include building, math games, rockets, outdoor games, etc.

22. Goals To involve fathers in the education of their children.
Promote positive discipline and participation with their children.
The participants will be more willing to participate in PTA, SSC and ELAC at their schools.
Encourage fathers to volunteer in the classrooms and at the school sites.
When the school calls the home, the phone won’t automatically be passed to the mother. 

35. Contact Information
Joe Nieto
Gabriela Alonso
Louie Ortega