The Family Advisory Board (FAB) plays a vital role in The Texas A&M University Children’s Centers by deepening the partnership between families and the school community. Its importance extends far beyond parent involvement — it creates a shared leadership model that benefits children, families, and the program itself.
Families as Partners in Leadership: FAB gives families a formal voice in shaping the program’s direction. When parents and caregivers are invited to share insights, ideas, and feedback, they feel respected and valued as true partners in their children’s education. This collaboration builds trust and strengthens the relationship between home and school.
Celebrating Diverse Values: FAB allows for diverse perspectives and inclusive decision-making. Every family brings unique experiences, cultural backgrounds, and priorities. The Family Advisory Board helps ensure those diverse voices are represented in program planning and decision-making. This leads to more inclusive practices that better reflect the needs and values of the entire community.
Driving Program Improvements: FAB supports improvement in program quality and responsiveness. Families often notice things that educators might not — from communication preferences to daily routines that could be more family-friendly. The FAB provides an ongoing feedback loop that helps centers identify strengths and areas for improvement, leading to higher program quality and greater satisfaction among families.
BGCC Director
Families gather for Family Feast.
Aggieland Mariachi shares their music.
Building Community and Belonging: FAB helps strengthen community and belonging. When families work together on common goals — whether organizing events, supporting staff appreciation efforts, or contributing ideas for learning experiences — they develop a sense of ownership and community pride. This shared investment benefits everyone in the program.
Keeping Communication Open: Finally, FAB enhances communication and transparency. Regular meetings and updates from the FAB foster open, two-way communication between families and program leadership. This transparency helps build confidence in the program’s decisions and reinforces a shared commitment to continuous improvement.
Goals of the Texas A&M University Children’s Centers Family Advisory Board:
- Support the mission of the Texas A&M Children’s Centers:
The mission of the Texas A&M Children’s Centers is to cultivate a vibrant community of creative learners, driven by diversity and innovation by providing immersive experiences and supportive connections within nurturing surroundings to inspire fresh insights and discoveries.
- Promote a relationship in which family members and professionals work together to ensure the best services to children and families.
- Facilitate open communication for families.
- Respect confidentiality.
- Maintain realistic expectations.
- Work to enhance the Texas A&M Children’s Centers experience for all children and professionals.
The Family Advisory Board, representing all Texas A&M Children’s Center families, seeks to provide world class practice for child care, create positive family experience for all families, act as a sounding board for family concerns, and provide advice to Texas A&M Children’s Centers administration when requested.
Since the establishment of the Family Advisory Board, many action plans recommended by the board have resulted in long term improvements to our programs. A few of the highlights include:
- Enhanced Safety: Family discussions about building security led to a comprehensive safety assessment. As a result, new measures were added — including safety film on windows and additional security cameras — to better protect our children and staff.
- More Family Involvement: Increasing opportunities for parents to donate time and resources has resulted in an increase in parent participation in classrooms sharing special talents, reading and assisting with special explorations.
- Strengthen Teacher-Family Connections: To ensure family members feel comfortable talking with their child’s teacher, teachers will complete check-ins via phone call with each family within the first six weeks of enrollment.
A key element in early childhood quality assessment programs including Texas Rising Star, Cognia Accreditation and NAEYC Accreditation is to promote positive, ongoing partnerships with families that enhance children’s development in all settings. The Family Advisory Board continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families at the Texas A&M University Children’s Centers. We invite all families to get involved, share their ideas, and help us continue building a community where every voice matters.
In this way, the Children’s Centers truly act as a bridge between theory and practice. We prepare tomorrow’s leaders, support meaningful research, and provide a setting where every child can thrive today. Most importantly, we never lose sight of our mission: to provide continuity of care and an enriching environment where children feel safe, loved, and inspired to grow.
We are proud of the role we play in strengthening the Texas A&M community—supporting Aggie families, preparing future leaders, and contributing to the field of early childhood education. And we are especially proud to walk alongside you, our families, in this important work.