3. Develop Two-Generation Strategies to Engage Families

Healthy development is bolstered when children grow up in nurturing environments. When parents have access to information about parenting, have resources to cover basic needs, and feel engaged in their child’s learning, children are more likely to thrive. Two-generation strategies can effectively improve outcomes for both children and their parents, creating positive early learning experiences as well as empowering parents with knowledge of child development and increased educational attainment levels.

Engage families in creating ecosystems of support. Families are best positioned to identify the barriers to their success and to design programs that meet their realities. Publicly funded programs in a community, from health clinics to libraries to home visiting programs to child care providers to community centers, should be easily navigable and truly support the families they serve. The government agencies awarding grants to intermediary organizations and direct service providers should include in the grant making process a requirement that the applicant describe how it will engage families in the service design process and should incent collaboration among programs serving a similar population.

Integrate adult education or workforce programs and early childhood programs. States should align their child care subsidy eligibility policy with adult education and workforce development program enrollment. They could establish child care subsidy eligibility priority for adults enrolled in adult education programs or workforce programs, engage in coordinated outreach activities, and conduct eligibility determinations and enrollment for the adult program and child care simultaneously. The government could also provide incentives for carving out classroom space at adult education facilities for on-site child care for enrolled students and employees.

Better integrate home visiting programs into early childhood systems. Home visiting is a powerful, evidence-based two-generation program, which promotes healthy births, improves school readiness for children, improves parental employment outcomes, and links families to other services including physical and mental health care and social services. Federal and state governments should vastly increase funding for home visiting programs. In 2018, only 286,000 families out of a possible 18 million were served. States should ensure home visiting programs are integrated into early childhood systems: home visiting should have representation on early childhood advisory councils. Program enrollment should be integrated with other child- and parent-serving programs. Transitions from home visiting to early learning programs should be seamless, including enrollment feeder patterns or data sharing agreements. Screening and referrals should help families identify any special needs a child might have and link them to appropriate health, mental health, dental, and early intervention providers. Early childhood workforce systems should include training, scholarships, and a career lattice for home visiting staff that recognizes the specialized knowledge and skills required. There should be quality standards for home visiting programs and evaluation systems linked to quality improvement resources.

• New America resources:
  • Centering the Margins: A Framework for Equity and Inclusive Social Policy (policy paper)
  • Supporting Caregiver Students: A Two-Generation Model (blog post)
• Other resources:
  • Migration Policy Institute, Serving Immigrant Families through Two-Generation Programs: Identifying Family Needs and Responsive Program Approaches
  • Ascend at Aspen Institute, New Federal Opportunities to Advance Two-Generation Approaches to Improving the Lives of Children and Parents
  • Ascend at the Aspen Institute, States Leading the Way: Practical Solutions that Lift Up Children and Families
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Home Visiting’s Two-Generation Approach: Supporting Primary Caregiver Education, Family Self-Sufficiency, and Children’s Well-Being
  • National Home Visiting Resource Center, 2019 Yearbook
  • ZERO TO THREE, Think Babies Voluntary, Evidence-Based Home Visiting Resource List