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As stated in a recent report, "the evidence is consistent, positive, and convincing: families have a major influence on their children’s achievement in school and throughout life."¹ Though programming aimed at involving families and engaging them in activities can make a difference in a child’s education, encouraging family involvement in correctional education can be challenging for many facilities.

This document, divided into two sections, is designed to meet the needs of juvenile justice stakeholders, who are working to promote family involvement, and families, whose children are involved in the juvenile justice system. The guide can be accessed in two formats: PDF or MS Word document. The latter format is recommended if you plan to customize the materials. The two sections of this document are outlined below.

SECTION ONE: The Facility Guide

The first section is The Facility Guide. This guide provides information for facilities and stakeholders about how to use the Family Guide (see section two) and customizable tools that can be used to help promote family participation in a student’s education. The guide contains the following materials:

• A sample letter to parents and family members from a facility that could accompany The Family Guide when disseminated
• A contact sheet that identifies key staff and contact information that can be given to family members
• An educational questionnaire for families that can be administered by facilities to gain a better understanding of the student
• A tip sheet with information that helps families stay connected with their child’s correctional education program

SECTION TWO: The Family Guide

The second section is The Family Guide. Facilities and stakeholders can customize this guide and disseminate it to family members to encourage them to become more involved with their child’s education. This guide focuses on practical strategies that families can use to build a relationship with their child’s correctional education program and to keep their son or daughter on track for completing school and becoming a successful young adult. The guide discusses the following strategies:

• Getting off to a good start after a child is incarcerated
• Ensuring that the child is making academic progress
• Preparing for the child’s return home
• Connecting with other families
• Taking action when things are not going well
• Advocating for improved programming and family involvement and support
• Staying connected to the correctional education program

The guide also provides additional resources for families that can be accessed via the Internet and/or telephone.

¹Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on students' achievement. Austin, TX: National Center of Family & Community Connections with Schools, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 7.

Working With Families of Children in the Juvenile Justice and Corrections Systems

This guidebook presents strategies to help build collaborations between and support family involvement in institutions that educate youth who are delinquent.

Family Involvement Library

Get more resources on family involvement.

NDTAC Webinars on Family Involvement

View archived family involvement Webinars.

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