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Family Partnerships

FP hero - parent and children reading

Family Partnerships

The Office of Family Partnerships coordinates and aligns a statewide system of family-school-community partnerships in support of positive developmental, health and academic outcomes, ensuring every learner in Michigan thrives.

Mi Family Engagement Map - May 2025

MiFamily Engagement Regional Centers

MiFamily Engagement Regional Centers will serve as a nexus for resource development and capacity-building within a network of those supporting educators, providing educational programs, linking families to community resources, and reaching out to families in meaningful ways to better equip them to become the best partners in their child's education that they can be.

MiFamily Michigan's Family Engagement Framework cover 2026

MiFamily: Michigan's Family Engagement Framework

This framework is intended to support family-facing professionals, who are anyone who works directly with families.

The vision of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential’s (MiLEAP) Office of Education Partnerships is to build and sustain partnerships that enhance educational opportunities and outcomes throughout the state, prenatally through postsecondary education. Achieving this vision requires deliberate and strategic action to strengthen collaboration through authentic relationships and setting the conditions for codesigning and leading together.

MiLEAP’s revised edition was developed in collaboration with families, educators, and community partners from across the state of Michigan. Together, we drew on the most current research and the real-life experiences of those who work with the children of our state every day. The result is a common vision for family engagement that reflects research-based practices and the needs our communities have shared.

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Cover of report

MiFamily Engagement Centers Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Annual Report

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Review of Family Engagement definition, framework, and resources

Family Engagement

Family engagement is a partnership among families, students, educators and community partners built on trust, respect and common goals, so that every learner thrives.

Family Engagement Principles

  • Relationships are the Cornerstone of Family Engagement

    • Offer getting-to-know-you meetings in smaller, informal settings.
    • Make relationship-building home visits.
    • Co-design with families a pre-school-elementary school transition program.
    • Create welcoming spaces in the program and schools.
    • Learn the names of all families.
    • Develop parent advisory committees. 

  • Families are Engaged and Supported Partners in their Child's Education

    • Peer-to-peer family groups. 
    • Volunteer opportunities. 
    • Linking families to community resources. 
    • Provide leadership opportunities for families. 
    • Parent-Teacher Home Visiting Program. 
    • Student-led conferences. 
    • Curriculum showcases.

  • Family Engagement Efforts are Purposeful, Intentional, and Clearly Identify Learner Outcomes

    • Share how families can engage children in interactive play, reading, and hands-on math activities that promote problem-solving. 
    • Invite families to visit the after-school program, meet staff, and join the activities. 
    • Host "classroom visits" for families to see firsthand what their kids are doing in class and how the classroom is set up for linking learning to current events. 

  • Family Engagement Efforts are Tailored to Address all Families so all Learners are Successful

    • Talk about the skills that will help children upon their transition to kindergarten and discuss children's progress with families regularly. 
    • Explain your school or program's high achievement goals and ask families about their ideas to help their kids reach them. 
    • Seek barriers and remove them.

  • Positive Learning Environments Contribute to Family Engagement and Learning

    • Provide opportunities for parent and student input on Title I school-parent compacts to make them more personalized.
    • Respond to what students say about social and emotional issues.
    • In middle and high school, set up an advisory system, so that all students have someone who knows them well and who can be their advocate in the school and the primary contact for their families.
Parent and student reading

Family Engagement for Literacy

When families and schools partner to support children's literacy achievement, children have more opportunities to learn and practice essential literacy skills and grow as readers and writers. This resource is intended to support educators in building family partnerships to enhance students' literacy development at school and at home. 

View Family Engagement for Literacy

Resources

Academic Parent Teacher Teams

Career and College Readiness

Communications and Messaging Tools

Access to Community Resources

Engaging Families in Literacy

Engaging Multilingual Families

Equity and Family Engagement

Reaching Families Experiencing Homelessness

Home Visits

Contact the Family Engagement Team

  • Tewonia Alamu, Family Engagement and Early Literacy Specialist
  • 517-896-2022
  • AlamuT@michigan.gov
  • Melissa Manko, Family Engagement and Early Literacy Consultant
  • 517-420-9774
  • MankoM@michigan.gov
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