Partnering with parents is essential if an early childhood program is to succeed. "From Parents to Partners" explores the reasons and methods for developing ongoing partnerships with parents and other family members. It also provides the tools and strategies needed to build the communication and support networks within which these partnerships thrive. Throughout the book are interactive, hands-on exercises to help adapt these principles to individual beliefs, practices, and experiences. Newsletters, bulletin boards, and parent conferences are only some of the practical tools that can be used to involve parents in their child's care and education. This center-tested approach is designed to include the whole family unit--not just the parents--in the partnership. Following acknowledgments and a introduction, the book contains 12 chapters: (1) The Importance of Family-Teacher Partnerships; (2) Five Principles of Family-Centered Care; (3) Effective Communication with Families: An Overview; (4) Daily Communication; (5) Challenges to Communication: Problems Affecting the Child at Home or at School; (6) Challenges to Communication: Conflict between Family and Program; (7) Formal Communications: Documentation and Conferences; (8) Creating Successful Parent Meetings and Events; (9) Classroom Environments; (10) Curriculum in a Family-Centered Classroom; (11) Families as Teaching Partners at Home and at School; and (12) Welcoming Families into the Partnership. Also contains a index.