Families and Schools Together
Last Revised: December 5, 2025
- Issue Areas
- Health and well-being
- Outcomes
- Elementary and middle school success
Program overview
Increasing family engagement: Families & Schools Together (FAST) is group-based family intervention for at-risk youth aimed at building family relationships, engaging parents in their child's education, and increasing child well-being and learning.
Administered by CBOs: Families are typically referred to FAST programs by students’ teachers. The programs are run by schools and other community based organizations, and meetings take place in the evenings, after the school day. Sessions are run by a team of at least four individuals, consisting of a local parent, teacher, and two community members who are chosen based on their expertise and the needs of the group (for example, mental health professionals or domestic violence prevention professionals). This team must be reflective of the ethnic, language, and cultural make-up of the families whose sessions they facilitate.
Strengthening relationships: Each session starts with a family meal and family activities. Then parents have the opportunity to meet separately and form relationships with their peers while their children play together. Sessions with end parent-child focused time in which parents are asked to play with their children without distraction or criticism.
Building social networks: Groups consist of nine to twelve families who meet weekly for two and a half hours, either in person or virtually, over the course of eight to ten weeks. After this time families graduate from the program and parents may participate in monthly follow up meetings for up to two years.
- Cost
-
$14,700 for a cohort of 40 families (for an elementary school implementation)
- Location
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48 U.S. states and 20 countries
Multiple studies with rigorous designs demonstrate that the FAST model is a well-supported strategy for improving youth behavior and social functioning.
A 2018 research synthesis found that Families and School Together improves youth behavior and social-emotional skills. The program was rated as likely to decrease health disparities.
A 2018 quasi-experimental study found that for students whose families attended at least three FAST sessions the program had a strong positive effect on reading performance and a positive effect on math achievement.
A 2009 quasi-experimental study found that FAST participation was associated with higher family-adaptability scores and reductions in parent-reported aggressive behavior among children.
A 2007 randomized controlled trial found that students who participated in FAST were ranked-higher in academic performance by teachers relative to the control group two years after treatment.
In a 2006 randomized controlled trial two years after treatment Latinx students who participated in FAST were rated higher on academic performance by teachers and rated as having better social skills and less aggressive behavior relative to students in the comparison group.
A 2001 randomized controlled trial found that a year after treatment children in FAST were reported by their parents as having significantly fewer behavioral problems relative to children in the control group.
Holding meetings in schools: One of the goals of FAST is to engage the whole family in learning and encourage positive attitudes surrounding school. Holding FAST sessions in children’s schools and classrooms helps them develop positive associations with the location, viewing it as a fun, safe place. This may improve students' learning and involvement in the classroom, helping to maximize the academic related benefits of FAST programming.
Collect data and evaluate program performance: FAST provides pre- and post-cycle surveys for participants and staff and uses those results to create site specific reports. Facilitators should ensure that all participants complete pre and post surveys to accurately collect data. And at the end of each cycle staff should meet to identify and implement changes based on feedback and outcomes of past sessions in order to make FAST more effective.