• support their children's literacy development;
• connect stories to children's experience;
• engage their children in discussion; and
• take advantage of everyday activities and occurrences to connect sounds, oral language and print.

Parenting education: provides a positive impact on the whole family by enhancing the relationship between parents and their children. Parents learn to understand their children’s development and to support family-school partnerships.  Parenting education helps to foster:

• understanding of children's growth and development;
• positive relationships between parents and their children;
• selection and use of quality learning materials;
• support for learning in the home;
• communication with school and understanding of school expectations; and
• understanding of parents’ role as the first teachers of their children and lifelong partners in their education.

Adult education: improves the educational level of parents and the economic self-sufficiency of families by empowering parents to set and meet goals, improve their English language literacy, and increase their employability.  Adult education provides:

• adult basic education, GED preparation, employment skills, and life skills;
• education and training experiences that respond to each parent's interests and needs;
• English as a second language for non-English speakers;
• clear understanding of each parent’s role as a parent and family member, as a community member, and as a worker; and
• the opportunity for families to achieve economic self-sufficiency by enabling them to set and meet their goals.

Early childhood education:  provides children with an age-appropriate education that prepares them for success with school and life experiences.  Early childhood education includes:

• developmentally appropriate activities to prepare children for success in school and life experiences;
• print-rich environments;
• pre-reading, reading–readiness, and early reading activities;
• enhanced learning through play;
• verbal interaction with and support from adults; and
• a focus on children's interests.

Other Significant Characteristics of Family Support Services

• connection of program activities through meaningful and consistent messages;
• experiences that will change intergenerational patterns associated with low literacy;
• co-location of child and adult services;
• flexible staff work roles, team building, coordination and cross-training in each service component for all staff members;
• joint planning time and professional development opportunities for staff; and
•  a strong team effort and a collective willingness to take risks to attain transformational  change.

Intensity/Duration:  providing services at a sufficient level of intensity and duration results in significant gains in literacy skill development that enables children to succeed in school and adults to find sustainable employment.  The intensity and duration of services:

• provides sufficient hours per session to have an effect, and sufficient sessions over time to make sustainable changes in a family;
• keeps families participating long enough in the program to achieve gains in learning and improvements in parenting; and
• allows for the development of a plan appropriate to the individual’s and the family’s needs, capabilities and goals.

Sustainable Change: focusing on the needs of the family strongly influences children’s outcomes and improves the likelihood of success for the adults since high participation rates are a strong indicator of success in adult education programs.  Sustainable change ensures that:

• the long-term capacity of individuals is strengthened so that they are able to continue to benefit from learning experiences; and
• there is little or no possibility of the family members returning to the original state of knowledge and skill.

Adapted from materials provided by the NYS Alliance for Family Literacy