Supporting Families/Caregivers* During Stressful Times:
Immediate and Long-Term Practices and Strategies
(*Families/Caregivers also include kin, foster, and adoptive caregivers)
As COVID-19 continues to spread uncertainty and force us to navigate through changing times, families/caregivers have encountered significant stressors. Recent research also shows that schools that successfully engage caregivers/families find that their students earn higher grades, score higher on tests, develop better social skills, and are more likely to graduate.
Recently developed by the BEST/VTPBIS State Team, this resource – Supporting Families/Caregivers During Stressful Times: Immediate and Long-Term Practices and Strategies – provides educators with user-friendly, actionable strategies that can be used immediately to connect with and support families. This is the third document created in response to anecdotal and survey feedback from district/school staff, state partners, mental health clinicians, and caregivers. The first two documents are – Supporting Educators During Stressful Times: Immediate and Long-Term Considerations for Systems Changes and Individual Wellbeing; and, Supporting Students During Stressful Times: Immediate Practices and Strategies to Support Students’ Social, Emotional, Behavioral Learning, and Well-Being. All three documents provide selected “off-the-shelf” research supported strategies*, practices, and activities that promote a culture and climate of safety, inclusion, and belonging that ensure equitable experiences for all learners and their families.
This resource is not meant to be an exhaustive list or one more thing to pile on your plate! The links below will help you jump to resources as you need them. If you need any support implementing any of the suggested actions, VTPBIS TAs and VTPBIS coaches can help. If you have any questions, please contact Cassandra Townshend.
*Resources can be found at the following sites:
- https://education.vermont.gov/sites/aoe/files/documents/edu-family-engagement-making-connections-with-vtmtss.pdf;
- https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/resources-for-families;
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pulling-through/202004/the-pandemic-toolkit-parents-need?eml;
- https://ggie.berkeley.edu/practice/stepping-up-family-engagement-through-dance/#tab__2;
- https://ggie.berkeley.edu/practice/making-families-feel-welcome/;
- https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/resources-for-families/questions-ask-schools;
- https://assets-global.website-files.com/5d3725188825e071f1670246/5d7be24b5254100582c11757_2016-11_difficult_time_support.pdf;