Twenty-Nine Kentucky Schools and Early Care Centers Awarded Family Friendly Schools Certification
Written by
The Prichard Committee
Published on
May 28, 2024
LEXINGTON, Ky -- The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence has awarded 29 Kentucky schools and early care centers with a Family Friendly Schools Certification this spring. "Schools that earn this certification have demonstrated their commitment to proactively engaging families in their student’s education," said Brigitte Blom, president and CEO of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. “These schools have been innovative and energetic in their efforts to make families a valued part of their school’s team, which enriches the learning experience for students. We’re excited they’ve chosen to pursue this certification to demonstrate their dedication to their students and community.”
The schools have worked to foster more effective partnerships with families and the broader community. As part of the certification process, a multidisciplinary team consisting of families, teachers, and administrators used a self-assessment tool to evaluate the school's family engagement performance. This team evaluated the school's practices, identified key areas for improvement, and integrated new practices designed to elevate its family-friendly rating.
The Family Friendly Schools Certification is awarded by the Prichard Committee after applications are reviewed and scored by a working group of families, educators and community organizations. The group is focused on increasing open communication, learning opportunities and shared decision-making power across the Kentucky education system.
“Schools and early care centers who apply for Family Friendly Schools Certification gain a deeper understanding about the importance of family-school partnerships, examine core beliefs about family-school partnerships and apply concrete strategies for increasing family engagement in their school,” said Blom.
The Kentucky Department of Education includes the Family Friendly Schools Certification in its school report card as evidence of effective family engagement.
“The Family Friendly Schools Certification highlights the exceptional work being done across Kentucky to build strong, collaborative relationships between schools and families,” said Clay Ford, Prichard Committee Board Chair.
Most Americans make a difference in their communities by supporting nonprofit organizations as both volunteers and donors. And let’s be honest—most of us also love a great deal! Right now, those of you who care about improving education for all Kentuckians have an opportunity to do both: Double Your Difference with a gift to the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence.
Did Alexis de Tocqueville Invent Giving Tuesday?
Well, no. But since publishing Democracy in America in 1835, the United States has been an example for other nations for the central and distinctive role philanthropy can play in creating a better society. Since its launch in 2012, millions of Americans have demonstrated the same spirit that captured de Tocqueville’s attention through their participation in Giving Tuesday.
In 2023 alone, Americans donated over $3.1 billion to nonprofit organizations on Giving Tuesday, the philanthropic equivalent of Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday always falls on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, which is December 3rd, this year.
By participating, you can join a groundswell of donors who share the Prichard Committee’s belief that a world-class education should be available to every student, ensuring economic prosperity for all Kentuckians. While we are grateful for gifts made any day of the year, on Giving Tuesday, you can be confident that you are joining a community of other like-minded donors to make a collective difference.
What Does It Mean to Double My Difference?
A small group of generous donors are making it possible for you to double the impact of your gift through the Double Your Difference Challenge. Here’s how it works:
If you gave in 2023 and increase your donation in 2024, the Challenge will match the difference.
For example, if you gave $100 in 2023 and give $250 in 2024, your $150 increase will be matched, making your total impact $400.
If you didn’t give in 2023, your entire 2024 gift will be matched—doubling your impact!
The Challenge will match gifts up to a cumulative total of $50,000, so don't miss this opportunity to amplify your generosity.
How to Make Your Gift
Can I make my gift before or after Giving Tuesday?
Of course! The Double Your Difference Challenge is in effect through December 31, 2024.
I don’t know how much I gave in 2023. How can I find out?
You can email Shawn Lyons, Vice President and Director of Philanthropy for the Prichard Committee, at shawn@prichardcommittee.org or call him at 859-227-0987 to check on your giving history.
Set up automatic monthly gifts using a credit card or bank account.
Explore non-cash options that might have favorable tax benefits—such as appreciated stock, cryptocurrency, a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA, a gift from a Donor-Advised Fund, etc.
Mail a check payable to the Prichard Committee to: The Prichard Committee, 2285 Executive Drive, Suite 120, Lexington, KY 40505.
Any gift dated December 3 will count toward Giving Tuesday totals.
All gifts postmarked by December 31 will be eligible for the Double Your Difference Challenge.
Can I direct my gift to something important to me?
Yes, you can! On our giving page, you can choose to support a specific initiative or let your gift be used where it’s most needed. You can also make your gift in memory or honor of someone.
Is there anything else I should know?
Every gift matters, and we are profoundly grateful for your support. To demonstrate our gratitude for gifts of all sizes, we have a series of donor recognition societies that recognize all individual donors in our annual report.
If you’re considering a lasting impact, we also invite you to explore including the Prichard Committee in your estate plans.
How Do I Know My Gift Will Have a Real Impact?
Perhaps the best way to demonstrate the impact your gift willhave is to examine what the Prichard Committee has already been able to do in 2024 thanks to earlier gifts. Here is just a partial list:
We released an analysis of the 2026 budget proposals by the Governor and by the House and their impact on education, as well as an analysis of the final 2026 Kentucky State Budget, showing progress in several areas, but a decided lack of progress in early childhood education.
Along with others, the Prichard Committee provided information to the legislature’s Interim Joint Committee on Education about the importance of expanding access to advanced coursework for Kentucky students.
In August, the Prichard Committee released an in-depth analysis of the potential impact of Amendment 2 and participated in many panel conversations across the state hosted by a variety of news and educational outlets throughout the fall.
We highlighted innovative strategies used in seven counties to teach the durable skills that employers have repeatedly identified as critical work skills, such as communication, teamwork and collaboration.
We certified 83 schools and early childhood learning centers across the Commonwealth as Family Friendly Schools.
We released findings in a report titled The State of Educational Opportunity in Kentucky examining the views of parents and guardians about educational opportunities in their communities compared to similar data from across the nation.
We shared a report that important leading indicators show that family engagement efforts in schools across Kentucky that engaged in deep conversations with families and community members are having a positive impact. The Kentucky Collaborative for Families and Schools, consisting of the Prichard Committee and four other partners, is leading that work.
A Final Note of Thanks
This Giving Tuesday, join us in creating a brighter future for all Kentucky learners. Together, we can make a difference that lasts a lifetime. Thank you and happy Giving Tuesday!
Family-Friendly Early Care and Education Programs:
Parents as First Teachers, Education Partners for Life
Get acquainted with any learning community, and you will likely find that the early childhood educators are authentically engaging families as respected partners in raising healthy, well-rounded young learners. That’s because early care and education providers recognize that families are the experts when it comes to understanding what makes early learners shine – what their strengths, interests and potential are. Family Friendly Certification for early childhood education programs validates and celebrates the strong family engagement practices that are already rooted in early childhood settings. The certification process is also an opportunity to deepen those trust relationships between educators and families, and to sow seeds for parent engagement and leadership that will last through students’ school years.
In 2024, twelve Early Care and Education (ECE) programs achieved Family Friendly Certification and were honored at a reception at the Kentucky State Capitol on Monday, Nov. 18, during Governor Andy Beshear’s proclamation of Nov. 18-22 as Family Engagement in Education Week in Kentucky.
Growing Together Preschool in Lexington always works to improve communication with families. This certification process aligned with the overarching program goals and was a good fit for the work that was already being done to meaningfully engage families. Listening to family feedback from their annual surveys, the staff discussed how they could help families know more about what their child is doing and learning during their time at the preschool. Dr. Elizabeth McLaren provided parent training on developmental milestones. Because play-based learning is one of the bedrocks of early childhood education, the preschool team also planned a fall festival with learning stations that modeled for families how to initiate and sustain play-based learning with their children. Families shared that they were appreciative of the opportunities and were planning to replicate the activities at home.
Executive Director Denise Menhouse shared that both the lengthier initial certification in 2023, and the recertification in 2024 were worth the time and energy because the process brought awareness to improving practices in the program, enhanced levels of communication with families, and greater trust.
“The staff and families are more knowledgeable and able to help others understand why family engagement is so important to the success of our work,” Menhouse said.
Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission Head Start serves 333 children ages 3-5 and 80 children ages 6 weeks to 3 years in Boone, Campbell, Kenton and Pendleton counties. It now holds the distinction of attaining Family Friendly Certification for six Head Start programs in Northern Kentucky – Boone County Center, Alexandria Center, Elsmere Center, Eastside Child Development Center, Newport Center and Falmouth Center. Head Start program standards require a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of both the young learners and their families.
According to Marie McDine, Family and Community Partnership Coordinator, the Family Friendly Certification process highlighted the great educational, family service and parent engagement work in all of their centers.
“The process strengthens the partnerships with our families by promoting open communication, trust and a shared commitment to supporting each child’s development, “ McDine said. “The families feel supported, heard and engaged in their child’s positive growth and development.”
Once a month, Friday Family Field Trips are held at NKCAC Head Start programs. “Our families have raved about it!” McDine shared. A parent declared, “I think this year has been the best year of family involvement. The field trips and activities have been great!” Recent Friday Family Field Trips included Neltner’s Farm, bowling, Newport Aquarium, Cincinnati Zoo and Children’s Museum.
For other early childhood programs considering this certification process, McDine advises that they start collecting data and evidence immediately and reach out for support from the Prichard Committee and certified programs like hers. McDine believes that the Family Friendly Certification process showcases their centers’ hard work and commitment to family engagement and to their relationships with families, and makes their Head Start program stand out!
Floyd County Schools Early Childhood Program pursued Family Friendly Certification to strengthen their commitment to family engagement in their blended Head Start/preschool program and to recognize their staff’s dedication to families and students. Inspired by insights from the Early Childhood Institute and the two Family Friendly Certified schools in their school district, Chief Early Childhood Officer Kim Grubb began with a self-assessment, then expanded it to a small team of two staff and a parent from their policy committee. After gathering the initial data from these self-assessments, a diverse team across seven schools was assembled to complete modules, gather data and utilize the digital playbook for ideas to enhance current family engagement practices.
The Family-Friendly Certification process demonstrates how much the Floyd County Early Childhood Program values the parents’ role in their child’s education. The process has fostered open communication between staff and families, allowing them to work together to overcome barriers, improve attendance, and increase parent involvement/engagement. Over the past three months, this commitment has helped the Early Childhood program to achieve the highest volunteer and/or parent meeting attendance in the Big Sandy Head Start Region. As a result, the program now provides a more supportive environment that helps children and families from the start.
“For those applying for Family-Friendly Certification, remember—you’re likely already doing much of the work, especially if you’re in Head Start or preschool!” Grubb says. “The key is to document your efforts. Setting up Google folders where staff can add examples and documentation of family engagement activities was incredibly helpful for us. This approach streamlined our process, kept everything organized, and made it easy to showcase our ongoing support for families, as well as any areas where we were going above and beyond.”
The Family-Friendly Certification has helped the program build stronger connections with families. It encouraged staff to use different ways to communicate and reach out more often. Grubb states, “For many families, this is their first experience leaving their little ones with us, and the certification reassures them that we are committed to a welcoming, family-centered environment. This recognition has built trust, making families feel more comfortable and involved in their child’s learning. As a result, we’ve seen increased attendance, better enrollment rate, more volunteers, and higher parent meeting participation.”
New Report Shows Impact of Family Engagement in Kentucky Schools
LEXINGTON, Ky -- When schools implement intentional strategies to create a culture of family engagement, families’ knowledge of the education system improves and teachers’ job satisfaction improves. Further, with support and encouragement, families feel prepared to partner with schools and help them develop authentic family engagement activities. These are among the key findings in a recent report released by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and conducted by the Center for Policy, Research, and Evaluation at the NYU Metro Center.
“These initial findings validate the strength of the family engagement work happening in schools across Kentucky,” said Brigitte Blom, President & CEO of the Prichard Committee. “When schools and families partner, student outcomes improve; it’s that simple. We’re excited by the research findings that show small, intentional steps to engage families can have big, positive impacts.”
The Kentucky Collaborative for Families and Schools Research and Evaluation Findings 2020-2023 provides an overview of findings from the 5-year startup of the Prichard Committee’s Collaborative for Families and Schools, which benefitted from funding for Statewide Family Engagement Centers through a US Department of Education grant. The work resulted in the development of the Family Friendly Schools Certification process and built upon the proven 26-year legacy of the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership. In addition, the Prichard Committee worked deeply with four regional partners: Learning Grove, Partners for Rural Impact, The National Center for Families Learning, and Daviess County Public Schools. The work is anchored in the Dual Capacity-Building Framework, which is the widely accepted research-based framework for building effective partnerships.
"Rather than focusing on scaling up a specific family engagement program, the Kentucky Collaborative supported schools and communities statewide to combine evidence-based practices with local wisdom, leadership, and relationships. This approach was not only more effective, but also more sustainable," said Dr. Joanna Geller, NYU’s director of policy, research, and evaluation and the study’s principal investigator.
Findings include:
For teachers, the most improved family engagement actions included:
Increase in school outreach to families
Teachers sending communications about what children learn in class
Schools encouraging parents to reach out to other parents
Staff applying knowledge of parents’ various cultural backgrounds when collaborating with them
Schools becoming more linguistically responsive
Families reported an increase in the following actions:
Ever attending family events (+25%) and volunteering (+22%)
Believing teachers regularly communicate about how to help their children learn and encourage parent feedback (each +12% change in strongly agreeing)
Perceiving stronger climate for family leadership in all areas (+10-11% change in strongly agreeing)
Knowing special programs available at the school to help their child (+10% change in strongly agreeing)
In addition, educators who participated in training were almost twice as likely to report a great deal of confidence with family engagement, and participating in training appears to have increased their satisfaction with their job.
“When districts prioritize family partnerships and schools create authentic spaces for connection, the ripple effect is powerful,” said Brooke Gill, vice president and director of the Prichard Committee’s Kentucky Collaborative for Families and Schools. “These findings should be used across the state to encourage more schools to create time and space for families and educators to build authentic connections.”
The report also found some important differences in how families are supported broadly. Namely, families of color and with less affluence reported less outreach to them by schools and a less welcoming environment for families. As Kentucky schools continue to support effective family engagement, reflecting on and implementing strategies that engage all families through a strengths-based lens will be important.
“While this initial report shows important leading indicators that family engagement efforts have a positive effect, in the years ahead, we are eager to show the direct impact effective family engagement can have on outcomes for all students as we work to expand Family Friendly Schools Certification and Fellows of the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership,” said Blom.
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