New from WisTech Open: Family & Community Relationships

WisTech Open is pleased to introduce Family & Community Relationships, a free, open-access textbook designed to help students in early childhood education build strong, inclusive partnerships with families and community networks.

Now available, this resource equips learners with the practical strategies needed to foster trust, promote cultural competence, and engage families meaningfully in early childhood education.

🤝 Why this textbook matters

At its core, Family & Community Relationships empowers students to:

• Explore the evolving definitions and diverse structures of family units
• Practice culturally responsive, inclusive communication and conflict resolution
• Strengthen engagement using strength-based and trauma-informed approaches
• Facilitate effective meetings and home visits that build lasting connections
• Advocate for families within public policy and support systems
• Connect families to essential local services and community resources

By weaving theory with real-world examples, this textbook prepares students to support children through meaningful family and community collaboration.

👩‍🎓 Who it’s for

This resource is a great fit for:

• Students in early childhood education programs
• High school and dual-credit learners preparing for careers in child development
• Faculty and trainers seeking adaptable, open teaching materials
• Early care and social services professionals striving for inclusive family and community engagement practices

📘 What’s inside

• Foundations: understanding family diversity and inclusive definitions
• Strategies: building resilient, trauma-aware family partnerships
• Communication: culturally sensitive engagement and conflict-resolution techniques
• Connection: practical guidance for meetings, conferences, and home visits
• Advocacy: navigating public policy and ethical approaches to support families
• Community: overview of local service systems and navigating family supports

Each chapter includes reflection prompts, case scenarios, and actionable learning tools to connect theory to practice.

🔓 Open, flexible, and free

Family & Community Relationships is published by WisTech Open (Chippewa Valley Technical College) and:

• Completely free for students, educators, and professionals
• Is openly licensed under CC BY 4.0 for adaptation and reuse
• Supports use across digital, hybrid, or in-person learning settings
• Mobile-friendly, accessible, and classroom/LMS ready

🚀 Explore or adopt the book today

Start reading here:
👉 https://wtcs.pressbooks.pub/familycommunityrelations/

Help students develop the knowledge, cultural competence, and confidence they need to foster strong partnerships—with Family & Community Relationships from WisTech Open.

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