Strategies
for Overcoming Barriers to Parent Involvement
The Illinois Parent and School Initiative (n.d., p. 44) describes barriers to involvement and ways for schools to overcome those barriers:
| "Parent Involvement Barriers: | Keys to Overcome Barriers: |
| Lack of transportation, child care. | Provide transportation, child care. |
| Lack of 'teaching skills.' | Provide daily routine (home) activities. |
| Overwhelmed by basic needs with limited resources available. | Provide information about services; make referral if appropriate. |
| Language difficulties (e.g., non-English-speaking, non-reading). | Provide information about language difficulties (e.g., non-English-speaking, non-reading). |
| Employment schedules make involvement difficult. | Schedule breakfast meeting, evening meeting; set up meeting at place of employment. |
| Feelings of alienation toward schools, teachers, and adminstrators. | Ask involved parent to initiate contact; involve community or church leader as intermediary." |
