Assist with student support services

Preschool directors and staff should help families identify which supports their children will continue to receive in kindergarten. These may include

early intervention services, wraparound services( health and wellness; before- and after-school programs), and speech, occupational, or physical therapy supports that are offered through an Individualized Education Program or 504 Plan.

We’ re fortunate to have a health services team that partners with external organizations and agencies to provide early assessments and connect families with services they may need for their children. These include developmental screenings, behavioral supports, help finding health care providers, enrolling in insurance programs, or obtaining mental health and wellness support. We collaborate with these families and partners to ensure that services continue into kindergarten.

Empower families to find their voice

Sometimes, families need encouragement to ask questions, share insights about their children, or seek helpful resources. Other times, they may feel their voices aren’ t being heard. It’ s essential to find ways to support families to express their questions or concerns— especially if they speak a language other than English. When our team identifies a language barrier with a family, we use a translation service to ensure all families can communicate efficiently with our staff. After all, they are their children’ s best advocates.

When families are active partners with schools, it impacts their children’ s academic achievement, confidence, and well-being. By taking a proactive, strengths-based approach to the kindergarten transition, preschool educators and administrators can help families feel supported, capable, and ready to thrive.

Provide questions and talking points for conversations at home

The switch to kindergarten can disrupt a family’ s daily routine: Half-day programs, school holidays, and early dismissals may require new child care arrangements and create family scheduling challenges.

You can help families anticipate and navigate these changes by offering practical tools and talking about these scenarios. For example, our program helps families map out pickup plans by talking through how the kindergarten schedule aligns with older siblings’ schedules. You could help families identify backup child care, explore before- and after-school options, or connect them with programs that provide transportation. It’ s also helpful to share tip sheets on building a new morning routine.

52 Educating Young Children

Spring 2026