Families
Learn More
Welcome to the Carolina Family Engagement Center!
Thank you for visiting the Carolina Family Engagement Center (CFEC). The work of CFEC is focused primarily on underserved families and their students (low income, English learners, those with disabilities, those in foster care, migrants, homeless, and marginalized communities). Housed within the SC School Improvement Council (SC-SIC) at the University of South Carolina College of Education, CFEC seeks to engage stakeholders statewide through our website, social media platforms, and other venues.
The CFEC Teacher Partner Program Application is now open!
The CFEC Teacher Partner Program aims to enhance the capacities of teachers to design, plan, implement, and evaluate family engagement initiatives for their classrooms, using evidence-based and practice-supported strategies to strengthen parent-teacher partnerships to improve student learning and development. Participants will receive:
- Ongoing technical assistance and coaching in all aspects of family engagement planning, implementation, and evaluation from a highly qualified CFEC liaison using evidence-based and practice-supported approaches, tools, and other resources.
- Enhanced parent-teacher partnerships that help meet academic goals and improve classroom climate.
- Knowledge, skills, and competencies in evidence-based and practice-supported family engagement strategies that help improve student learning and development.
- Certificate of Completion and letters of recognition to school and district administrators.
- Renewal credits toward teacher recertification.
- Access to Additional Professional Development opportunities for family engagement in education (e.g., guided book studies, training sessions and workshops)
CFEC School Partner Program
Carolina Family Engagement Center is proud to announce it is accepting applications for schools interested in partnering for our 2-year program beginning Fall 2024. Any South Carolina public school with a poverty index of 60% or higher who shares our commitment to enhance family engagement in education for all students, especially underserved students and their families, is eligible and invited to apply. The program focuses on family engagement as a key strategy to support recovery from the impacts of the pandemic on reading, math, behavior and mental health, and attendance.
Participating schools and their districts will receive high quality training and technical assistance in family engagement from CFEC over a two-year period beginning Fall 2024 with the opportunity to renew their participation for an additional two years. As CFEC is a federally funded Statewide Family Engagement Center under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), we can provide these services at no charge.
Student Success Toolkits for Families
The Carolina Family Engagement Center (CFEC) Student Success Toolkit for Families helps the family plan for their student’s success and has worksheets to guide them in the process of plan development and implementation.
Professional Development Opportunities
CFEC has a diverse selection of professional development sessions and workshops on family engagement. All are available at no cost and can be scheduled by emailing the contact person listed in the session description or CFEC Project Director Karen Utter at utter@email.edu. Most sessions can be delivered virtually or in person and are available statewide!
Working to Heal: CFEC liaison uses special training to help children with developmental trauma
Julia Price Beaty knows the power of story, particularly as it affects children who’ve experienced complex developmental trauma. In her work as a clinically licensed social worker, she’s seen how understanding someone’s history – as early as in utero and up through adulthood – can explain challenging behavior. Read the full story here.
Community Family Resource Centers
Co-sponsored by the Carolina Family Engagement Center (CFEC) and the SC Department of Education (SCDE) and in concert with local businesses and school districts, Community Family Resource Centers (CFRC’s) were established across South Carolina. The CFRC's are physical displays stocked with high quality information and resources for families to support their children’s learning and development. They are sited in locations where families already travel to access essential goods and services.
CFEC hosted a Q&A event with South Carolina Department of Education attendance experts. They provided specific attendance-related answers for parents and families in South Carolina. View the event here.
Everything You Wanted to Know about School Attendance 
CFEC hosted a Q&A event with South Carolina Department of Education attendance experts. They provided specific attendance-related answers for parents and families in South Carolina. View the event here.
Are you an Educator or School personnel? We did a special event just for you. You can view that event here. And, we have created a resource just for you. Access it here.
Pediatric Vaccine Virtual Town Hall
CFEC, SC DHEC, South Carolina Department of Education, SC School Improvement Council, and American Academy of Pediatrics, held a town hall to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 and up. Guests were able to ask questions and hear from experts about the safety of the vaccine, the approval process and where the pediatric vaccine is available. Speakers included Dr. Jane Kelly, MD, Assistant State Epidemiologist for DHEC and Dr. Martha Edwards, Pediatric Doctor, and Secretary – Treasurer for the SC-AAP.
SC Parents
scParents.org, powered by Aunt Bertha, is a website that allows families to easily find and connect with parenting resources, and local free and reduced-cost social service programs to address social care needs. These programs are localized and can be found by zip code. This social care network makes it easy for people to find social services in their communities and for nonprofits to coordinate their efforts. An outreach initiative of Children’s Trust of South Carolina, we aim to support them in engaging families and community partners through this network. Can access them also through scparents.org. Looking to promote SCParents with your organization, we have resources for you in English and Spanish.
Ready, Set - Kindergarten! Booklets now available in Spanish!
There are six areas of growth and experience that research tells us are involved in helping a child progress and succeed. These guides offer a brief introduction to each area and provide samples of the experiences and skills children need in order to be prepared to move through preschool at three, four, and five years of age.
Family Engagement Kits
The Carolina Family Engagement Center (CFEC) in partnership with the South Carolina State Library have developed a series of three family engagement kits (e.g., self, family, community), each of which is designed to help give parents and caregivers ideas on how they can use fun activities at home to support their children's social, emotional, and academic development (SEAD).
Family and Community Voice & COVID Relief for Education
As a part of the Coronavirus Relief Funds passed by the federal government, South Carolina Schools will receive $3,052,472,269 in ESSER funds at least 90% of which will flow through to school districts according to a need-based formula. These funds can be used to improve school buildings, provide needed programs, and help develop needed educational programming. You can be a part of shaping where those funds go. Visit our ESSER funds page to see how you can direct where over $3 billion will be spent in South Carolina.