ABSTRACT
The official message about parental involvement in Head Start was one of encouragement. Parents were supposed to be welcomed into the centers, their input was to be sought, and their contribution to both their children and to the program was to be considered valuable. Yet, as has been illustrated in the preceding chapters, this policy of inclusion was tempered by the way in which staff actively discouraged parents’ participation. Because of the reality of mixed messages in the program, it is not surprising that parents were disturbed and upset, for as Blase (1987) has observed, contradictory, nonsupportive, or overly controlling behavior in organizations leads to conflictive relationships marked by distrust and alienation. He also found just the opposite to be true, however. Respectful, trusting, supportive relations lead to collaboration and positive interactions.
