About

The Statewide Family Engagement Center (SFEC) Network is comprised of 12 Statewide Family Engagement Centers in 13 states across the country and works to advance family engagement partnerships to impact educational success.

The U.S. Department of Education established the SFEC program as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which was signed into law in December 2015. Competitive federal grants were awarded in 2018 to the 12 statewide organizations to promote and implement systemic evidenced-based family engagement strategies over five years.

The SFEC Network fosters the sharing of best practices and other forms of collaboration between the SFECs while showcasing its resources and results to stakeholders across the country. It was launched with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is currently led by the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) and the National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement (NAFSCE).

Alaska

Alaska Family Engagement Center (AFEC), is part of a national effort of Statewide Family Engagement Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This is a 5-year project that started in 2022 and aims to improve school-family partnerships across the state by working to develop training, resources, and activities for schools and families in thirteen districts that are built on the Stronger Together Framework and that promote family engagement. 

Arizona

The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) led the work of the Arizona SFEC which was federally funded from 2018-2023. NCFL continues to work with local and regional partners to develop and implement a systematic, high-impact infrastructure of family engagement that improves student academic achievement, empowers parents, and increases the capacity of state agencies and organizations to provide high-quality family engagement supports for both parents and practitioners.

Arkansas

The mission of the Arkansas Statewide Family Engagement Center (AR-SFEC) is to improve student outcomes by working collaboratively with families, schools, and the community to unlock the potential of ALL children, and open doors to opportunities from cradle to career for families statewide.

California

The California Statewide Family Engagement Center (CA-SFEC), led by the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE), is committed to equipping parents with the critical tools and knowledge necessary for guiding their children’s educational journeys. The CA-SFEC, in partnership with an SFEC Consortium that includes the California Department of Education, will be enhancing the service delivery of local education agencies, organizations, and schools by advancing their family engagement capabilities. Through PIQE’s leadership, this initiative will launch a series of statewide family engagement programs, all designed to empower households, support educators, and build a robust, educational infrastructure for lasting impact.

Colorado

The CO-SFEC has united national, state, and local partners to work alongside urban, suburban, and rural school districts and community agencies. Led by the National Center for Families Learning and accompanied by Colorado Education Initiative, Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition, and the Black Parent Network, this collective effort embraces a dual-capacity informed approach honoring the diversity of the communities in the mountain region.

Families are supported with programs that promote self-efficacy, skill building, and leadership among parenting adults in tandem with systems level work that supports meaningful family engagement to improve student outcomes. Initiatives are guided by Colorado Department of Education Office of Family, School, and Community Partnership Standards and PK-12th grade Framework. Offerings are designed to support families and practitioners with high impact activities, professional learning, and technical assistance that span from cradle to career.

Connecticut

The Connecticut SFEC, led by the Capitol Region Education Center (CREC), serves as a comprehensive system of direct service provision to families, including parent education programs. It also acts as a dual-capacity building infrastructure, designed to ensure a network of support for both families and professionals working in school settings to implement effective, evidence-based family engagement strategies. Finally, it functions as a virtual resource repository that includes practice guides, training modules, and other supports and services accessible to all stakeholders (families, educators, advocates, students, policymakers, and training and technical assistance providers) involved in family engagement work throughout the state of Connecticut.

Hawai’i

The Hawai‘i SFEC believes that family engagement is an equity and learning strategy to support student academic success and school improvement. The Center’s mission is to implement high impact family engagement strategies, programming and policies that build powerful partnerships among family, school, and community, leading to enhanced child development and student achievement.

Indiana

The Indiana EFECT (Engaging Families, Educators & Communities Together), led by the statewide parent training information center IN*SOURCE, aims to demonstrate improved educational outcomes by students in targeted, underserved communities through a systemic approach to family engagement. Exemplary policies and practices will be developed at selected sites through the provision of research-based supports; resources for families will be organized in a statewide asset map; and cross-state and national collaborations will be fostered to sustain the effort.

Kentucky

The Prichard Committee continues to lead the work of the KY SFEC which was federally funded from 2018-2023. They continue to support the work through the Kentucky Collaborative for Families and Schools which is a network of families, schools, districts and community partners focused on increasing open communication, learning opportunities and shared decision-making power across the Kentucky education system. The Collaborative believes that high-quality, equitable, and inclusive education is the shared responsibility of families, schools, and communities, and shares a unified voice in advocating for family leadership and effective family-school-community partnerships.

Louisiana

The LA-SFEC is led by The Center for Literacy & Learning and will focus on the implementation and expansion of family engagement best practices in the K-12 education systems. The Center works in close partnership with the Louisiana Department of Education and Louisiana State University. The LA-SFEC is part of The Center for Literacy & Learning’s “Louisiana Model” of wraparound services to transform literacy and learning outcomes in Louisiana. The Louisiana Model includes professional development in the science of reading for educators (Growing Reading Brains), literacy coach support, and parent engagement (Louisiana Reads!).

Maine

CEFAM helps Maine students and families grow and thrive. As a Statewide Family Engagement Center, we work directly with communities at the ground-level and with the Maine Department of Education and key partner organizations to implement educational excellence, culturally-responsive family engagement, and equity.

Maryland

The Collaborative Action for Family Engagement (CAFÉ) works to build educator-family partnerships to support student well-being and achievement in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Together, these states have the opportunity to learn from one another and establish a network of shared leadership and peer support.

Massachussetts

The Federation for Children with Special Needs continues to lead the work of the Massachusetts SFEC (MASFEC) which was federally funded from 2018-2023. This organization continues to build an equity-driven culture of family engagement, seeking family-led and co-created solutions to the challenges faced by historically marginalized children and youth. Its programs strengthen the capacities of families, educators, healthcare providers and child development professionals to build layers of support that help young people thrive.

Minnesota

The Pacer Center continues to lead the work of the Minnesota SFEC which was federally funded from 2018-2023. They provides services to families and professionals by working collaboratively with 22 partners, including the state agency, school districts, charter schools and community organizations, and outreaching to diverse communities throughout the state.

Nebraska

The Nebraska SFEC, led by the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL), works to improve academic achievement for disadvantaged students; empower parents of disadvantaged students with information and tools to make good choices for their child’s education; and increase the capacity of SEA, LEAs, and community-based organizations to provide high-quality family literacy and family engagement services.

New Hampshire

The mission of the New Hampshire Statewide Family Engagement Center (NH-SFEC) is to improve the educational outcomes of NH students and their families by connecting families, schools, and communities as partners in the academic success and social-emotional wellbeing of our children statewide. The NH-SFEC convenes, supports, and provides the infrastructure for state and local education agencies and community organizations to work alongside caregivers in building programs, goals, and opportunities to ensure all families are involved as partners in their student’s education.

New Jersey

The New Jersey Family Engagement Hub (NJFEH) provides direct services to New Jersey families, especially families with the greatest need – families of color, low-income families, families with limited English proficiency, families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs, and families in struggling schools and districts – on how to effectively work with their children’s schools and teachers in order to improve their children’s academic outcomes and overall well-being. The Hub also provides technical assistance and training to the New Jersey state educational agency (SEA) and local educational agencies (LEAs), educators, administrators, family organizations, family leaders, families, and community-based organizations (CBO) in the implementation and enhancement of systemic and effective family engagement (FE) policies, programs, and activities that lead to improvements in student development and academic achievement.

North Carolina

The North Carolina SFEC is led by the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Book Harvest, North Carolina Parents as Teachers, University of North Carolina Greensboro, and local education agencies. Together, they will work on family engagement strategies through cross-agency collaboration to enhance existing family engagement efforts.

Ohio

The Ohio SFEC at The Ohio State University works to inspire and equip schools, community organizations, and families to work together to support children’s learning and development from preschool through graduation and beyond. It works for the engagement of every child, from every family, in every school, so all children have the opportunity to succeed in school and in life.

Pennsylvania

The Collaborative Action for Family Engagement (CAFÉ) works to build educator-family partnerships to support student well-being and achievement in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Together, these states have the opportunity to learn from one another and establish a network of shared leadership and peer support.

South Carolina

The Carolina Family Engagement Center pledge is to deliver high-quality parent education for family engagement by providing training and technical assistance in family engagement to districts and schools, and working with partners to develop the reach of family engagement services across South Carolina. We do this by offering high-quality parent education for family engagement, supplying training and technical assistance in family engagement to districts and schools, and collaborating with partners to develop the reach of family engagement services across our state. We aim to boost student achievement, foster school improvement, and build the ability of all stakeholders to develop robust partnerships through stronger family engagement.

South Dakota

We know that children do better when schools, communities, and families are connected. SDSFEC strives to ensure that all learners have the supports they need to achieve academic, career, and life goals. West River Foundation is the fiscal agent in partnership with Black Hills Special Services Cooperative (BHSSC), the SD Department of Education, and the SD Parent Connection.

Through the Washington Statewide Family Engagement Center, Education Northwest in partnership with Roots of Inclusion, Community Center for Education Results, Washington Family Engagement and OSPI, will establish a statewide collaborative infrastructure for family engagement across Washington state; build educator and family capacity for effective and equitable family-school-community partnerships; and develop district and school capacity to identify, implement, and sustain evidence-based family engagement practices. District and school capacity-building efforts will include online resources; opportunities to convene educators, families, and community partners; and intensive training and technical assistance. We will take a comprehensive, collaborative, multi-system approach informed by the Washington State Family Engagement Framework and the Dual Capacity-Building Framework (Mapp & Kuttner, 2013) to develop statewide capacity for effective family-school-community partnerships.

West Virginia

The West Virginia Family Engagement Center (WVFEC) supports enhanced family engagement in 100 schools in West Virginia. The family-inclusive tenets of this program support the idea that an inclusive family-school environment creates a culture of learners that involve families and the school’s community in meaningful contributions to improve the educational results of its students.