Family Engagement Programs in Early Childhood Education: An Umbrella Review

Abstract

Abstract

Family engagement is a key determinant of success in early childhood education, yet evidence on family engagement programs is scattered across many systematic reviews with differing foci. This study aimed to synthesize systematic reviews of family engagement programs in early childhood education settings, covering program types, outcomes and the strength of their evidence, and the factors that facilitate and hinder engagement. An umbrella review design was used following JBI guidance, with reporting based on PRIOR. A Scopus search conducted on 29 September 2026 yielded 865 records; after deduplication, title and abstract screening, and full-text review, eight reviews were included. Screening was performed by a single reviewer, and no protocol was registered. Methodological quality was appraised with AMSTAR 2, and findings were synthesized narratively using Epstein's and Bronfenbrenner's frameworks. Programs were dominated by the learning-at-home type, particularly in STEM and literacy programs, while volunteering was not explicitly described in the included reviews. The only meta-analysis reported a small effect of family-based emergent literacy interventions (d = 0.33), which was smaller in low-income samples (d = 0.14); other reviews narratively reported associations with cognitive skills, school readiness, and social-emotional development. Facilitating factors included parental motivation, school and teacher support, and culturally responsive services, whereas barriers included financial constraints and social prejudice. Seven of the eight reviews were rated critically low in confidence; the findings therefore constitute a preliminary map of the available evidence and highlight the need for high-quality reviews in Indonesian early childhood and Raudhatul Athfal settings.

Keywords: AMSTAR 2, early childhood education, family engagement, overview of reviews, parental involvement, umbrella review