family & child education (FACE)

The Family And Child Education (FACE) program is designed as a family literacy program—an early childhood/parent involvement program for American Indian families in schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Education. It provides culturally responsive education, resources, and support for American Indian families to better prepare American Indian children for school.

The FACE program is based on the three key concepts developed by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL):

• Parents As Teachers (PAT)
• High/Scope
• SpecialQuest

Of the 44 sites in the United States, the Chief Leschi Schools FACE program is the only one located in the Pacific Northwest.

Purpose

FACE serves children ages 0 to 8 and their parents/primary caregivers. The FACE program also addresses the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and the Indian America 2000+ Educational Goals in the areas of:

• School readiness
• High school completion
• Student achievement and citizenship
• Adult literacy and lifelong learning
• Safe, disciplined, and drug-free schools
• Tribal government, language, and culture

FACE supports the mission of the Office of Indian Education which is “…to provide quality education opportunities for American Indians and Alaska Natives from early childhood through life…”

The Office of Indian Education Programs provides for training to the selected sites for implementation of all components of FACE. Ongoing training and staff development is conducted for new and continuing programs.

FACE components

There are three components to the FACE program: home-based parent education, center-based preschool, and center-based adult education.

Component	Age Range	Location	Dates	Contact
Home-based parent education	For families with Native American children ages prenatal to five years	Your home	Monday through Thursday following the Chief Leschi Schools calendar	Angel Bean or Diana Palmer, home-based parent educators, (253) 445-6000 x3183
Center-based preschool	For Native American children ages 3-5 who are not yet eligible for kindergarten	Chief Leschi Schools: children are in the preschool classroom while parents are in the adult classroom	Monday through Thursday, all day	Alyssa Johnson or Azure Augkhopinee, early childhood teachers, (253) 445-6000 x3103
Center-based adult education	For adults with Native American children ages 3-8	Chief Leschi Schools	Monday through Thursday following the Chief Leschi Schools calendar	Carolyn Nielsen, adult education teacher, (253) 445-6000 x3069

The home-based and center-based components of the FACE program are determined by the age of the child.

Home-based education

The home-based program is for parents/guardians of children from birth to five years. After an assessment process of the child's developmental needs, home visits are scheduled and lessons are designed to meet each individual family's needs. During these visits, the caregiver is taught about child development, behavior modification, learning styles, and parenting skills.

Center-based education

The center-based program is for parents/guardians of children ages three to five years. The child attends the early childhood (preschool) classroom while the parent works on an individualized program in the adult classroom. Children in the preschool classroom focus on cultural education, literacy, hands-on mathematics and science concepts with preparation for kindergarten.

The primary goal of the FACE adult education program is to prepare parents and caregivers for future employment and provide educational opportunities such as receiving GEDs, learning computer skills, or preparing to attend college. Adult students also gain greater life skills, learn about child development, and increase parenting skills.

Those participating in the home-based and center-based components come together monthly to share an evening meal and discuss their successes and common concerns about their children’s behavior and development. They may also work on crafts projects or have guest speakers on topics chosen by the parents.

An important factor of the FACE program is the integration of Native American cultural values and teachings of the past as they relate to parenting. This is most relevant to Native American parents, as many of the historical teachings still apply today.

FACE qualification

To qualify to be in the FACE center-based or home-based program, the child must be registered in a federally recognized tribe or be able to prove 1/4 degree blood quantum in a federally recognized tribe.

History of FACE

The Office of Indian Education Programs developed an Early Childhood/Parental Involvement Pilot Program in 1990. The program was based on three distinct and proven early childhood models:

• Parents As Teachers (PAT)
• Parent And Child Education (PACE) as adapted by the National Center for Family Literacy
• High/Scope Curriculum for early childhood and K-3

Through this combination, a new paradigm in family literacy was created. This program is flexible and adaptable to the needs of the family participants, reflecting the cultural traditions and values of the community, and therefore each program is unique. The pilot projects were implemented in six sites at Bureau-funded schools. These sites were selected on the basis of the rating given to the applicant and tribal support for the project.

In 1992, the Early Childhood/Parental Involvement program was renamed and became Family And Child Education (FACE).

FACE contacts

The main phone number for Chief Leschi Schools is (253) 445-6000.

Brenda Johnson	FACE Director	x3117
Carolyn Nielsen	Adult Education Teacher	x3069
Alyssa Johnson	Early Childhood Teacher	x3103
Azure Augkhopinee	Early Childhood Co-teacher	x3103
Diana Palmer	Home-based Parent Educator	x3183
Angel Bean	Home-based Parent Educator	x3183