The Engagement Imperative

This paper describes how Forsyth Family Voices (FFV) produced stronger solutions to systemic barriers through a community-based partnership that engaged the people most affected in creating and implementing solutions.

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FFV is a place-based initiative funded by the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. It  involves actors across a complex early childhood system to ensure that the perspectives of parents and families of young children inform Great Expectations, an initiative of the Trust that works to ensure that all children living in Forsyth County enter kindergarten ready to learn and leave set for success in school and life.

FFV is designed to:

• Build the capacity and align the data collection efforts of early childhood and family support agencies so better data can be used to improve individual programs and strengthen the early childhood system overall.
• Share data with stakeholders and facilitate peer learning among agencies and parents.
• Identify additional opportunities to engage and develop parent leaders in the programs that serve them and their children.
• Gather insights from parents to inform Great Expectations’ strategies and guide local grantmaking.

FFV began with a shared survey and focus group tools to listen to and learn from families. It was developed collaboratively with a diverse, cross-sector group of agencies representing different fields within the early childhood system. The experience and learning from survey development, honest conversations with families, shared refection, and data-informed decision-making, led to the creation of the FFV Learning Network, a group of agency staff and parents who have been deepening their learning through continued engagement and leadership development opportunities.

For more information, contact Abby Parcell.