Engaging Families

You want your Girl Scouts to have fun, be inspired, take healthy risks, and learn about themselves and the world—that’s why you’re a Girl Scout volunteer! Parents and caregivers want the same thing for their children, but getting families to pitch in and play an active role in the troop while enhancing the experience for their Girl Scout and themselves can be tricky for many volunteers. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Kick the Year Off Right by Engaging Parents and Caregivers toggle arrow

Parents and caregivers will feel most connected to the troop when you are proactive in engaging them early on. Express your desire for them to play an active role in troop life, and how that can contribute to the connection, joy, and sense of pride the Girl Scouts feel. At the same time, recognize that not all families have the same capacity to be involved for various reasons (don’t take it personally!). Be open with parents about your hopes for their involvement and listen to what can work for them.

What Is a Parent and Caregiver Meeting? toggle arrow

It’s the first meeting you have to start each troop year—whether you are a new or returning troop, it’s valuable for all troops.

Why Hold a Meeting? Kicking off each year with a parent and caregiver meeting sets the troop up for success. Outlining clear expectations, building a team, and engaging parents in the Girl Scout experience is a great way to start off on the right foot. When parents are involved, leaders have support, the troop has a plan, and girls’ benefit! The meeting helps:

Families understand what Girl Scouting can do for their girl.
Families and leaders identify ways they will work as a team to support the troop.
Families and leaders agree about what the troop pays for and what families pay for individually.
You fill key troop positions—you never know which parent will make an awesome assistant leader or troop cookie manager.

Families know how the troop will communicate things like upcoming events or schedule changes.
Families learn about uniforms, books, and other important basics.

Check out our step-by-step guide and “Parents & Caregivers Meeting Outline” on the Volunteer Toolkit. This 60–90-minute meeting will make all the difference in the year ahead.

Another meeting you don’t want to miss is the Cookie Program Girl & Family Meeting in the Volunteer Toolkit. Just like the parent and caregiver meeting at the beginning of the year, this meeting is your chance to share what girls gain through the cookie program, outline expectations, and find the support you need for a successful cookie season. The cookie program is a team effort and you’ll want to get families on board!

For even more tips on working with troop families, check out Girl Scouts’ Tips for Troop Leaders hub.

Kick the Year Off Right by Engaging Parents and Caregivers toggle arrow

Girl Scouting provides the best opportunities for girls when families step up and play an active part in the troop. Without meaningful support from parents and caregivers, it’s difficult for a troop to be all it can be. Plus, girls feel a special sense of pride when their families take part and show interest in the things they’re doing!

What Is a Parent and Caregiver Meeting?
It’s the first meeting you have to start each troop year—whether you’re a new or returning troop. It’s valuable for all troops.

Why Hold a Meeting?
Kicking off each year with a parent and caregiver meeting sets the troop up for success. Outlining clear expectations, building a team, and engaging parents in the Girl Scout experience is a great way to start off on the right foot. When parents are involved, leaders have support, the troop has a plan, and girls benefit!  The meeting helps:

Families understand what Girl Scouting can do for their girl.
Families and leaders identify ways they’ll work as a team to support the troop.
Families and leaders agree about what the troop pays for and what families pay for individually.
You fill key troop positions—you never know which parent will make an awesome assistant leader or troop cookie manager.
Families know how the troop will communicate things like upcoming events or schedule changes.
Families learn about uniforms, books, and other important basics.

Check out our step-by-step guide and “Parents & Caregivers Meeting Outline” on the Volunteer Toolkit. This 60–90-minute meeting will make all the difference in the year ahead.

For even more tips on working with troop families, check out Girl Scouts’ Tips for Troop Leaders hub.

How to Keep Parents and Caregivers Engaged toggle arrow

Make the Ask(s).
The main reason people don’t take action is because they were never asked to in the first place. One out of three Girl Scout parents say no one had communicated expectations around involvement with their child’s troop—this is troubling! Parents may have many talents, but they’re certainly not mind readers. Ask for what you need. If you’re nervous about getting turned down, don’t be. Sure, a few parents might be unable to offer assistance, but the helpers you do get will be worth their weight in gold. And just because someone wasn’t available a month or two ago doesn’t mean they won’t be free to help now. Loop back, follow up, and ask again!

Make Sense of “Why.”
Explain that not only does the whole troop benefit with extra help from parents and other caregivers, but also that many Girl Scouts feel a special sense of pride in seeing their own family member take a leadership role. Getting involved can strengthen the caregiver/child bond and is a meaningful way to show them that they are a priority in their adults’ lives.

Find out What People Want to Do.
Start with asking what people enjoy doing and what they are good at. Does someone love coordinating events, making flyers, etc., or managing money? Does someone love using social media and could help promote cookie sales? Get a sense of the desires in the room that will energize people. Then talk about time commitment because it will really depend on what they are doing. It's easier to make time for something you find fun.

Make it Quick and Easy.
Continue the conversation by asking how much time each week they might be able to dedicate to the troop, then go from there. For instance, if a troop caregiver has 15 minutes each week to spare, they could organize and manage the calendar for troop snacks and carpools. If a grandparent has one to two hours, they could assist with leading the troop through a specific badge on a topic they’re already comfortable with. Be time conscious and consider the commitment.

Make Family Part of the Formula.
While Girl Scout programming is always focused on the Girl Scouts, it’s important and helpful to open up a few events to their families throughout the year. Inviting the whole crew to celebrate their accomplishments in Girl Scouting—whether at a holiday open house, a bridging ceremony, or a fun “reverse meeting” where Girl Scouts take the role of leaders and guide the adults, including caregivers, through an activity—will help parents and caregivers better understand the value of Girl Scouts and they’ll be more likely to invest their time and talents to the troop.

That said, there’s no need to wait for a special event to engage families in their Girl Scout’s life. Keep communication lines open throughout the year—whether it’s through your troop’s social media page, personal emails, or in-person chats—to keep parents in the loop on what the troop is doing and learning during each meeting. The first meeting is a great time to ask how they prefer to receive updates!

Encourage them to let their Girl Scouts “be the experts” at home, explaining or teaching the new skills they’ve learned.

How to Keep Parents and Caregivers on Board toggle arrow

Make the Ask(s)
The main reason people don’t take action is because they were never asked to in the first place. That’s why hearing one out of three Girl Scout parents say no one communicated expectations around involvement with their girl’s troop is so troubling. Parents may have many talents, but they’re certainly not mind readers! If you’re nervous about getting turned down, don’t be. Sure, a few parents might be unable to lend a hand, but the helpers you do get will be worth their weight in gold. And just because someone wasn’t available a month or two ago doesn’t mean they won’t be free to help now. Loop back, follow up, and ask again!

Make Sense of “Why"
Explain that not only does the whole troop benefit with extra help from parents and other caregivers, but also that girls feel a special sense of pride in seeing their own family member step up and take a leadership role. Getting involved can strengthen the caregiver/girl bond and is a meaningful way to show daughters that they are a priority in their parents’ lives.

Make It Quick and Easy
Everybody’s got a full plate these days, so instead of starting conversations with a list of tasks or responsibilities that parents and other caregivers could take on (which can be intimidating!), ask how much time each week they might be able to dedicate to the troop, then go from there. For instance, if a troop mom or dad has 15 minutes each week to spare, they could organize and manage the calendar for troop snacks and carpools. If a grandparent has one to two hours, they could assist with leading the troop through a specific badge on a topic they’re already comfortable with. For more ways parents and other caregivers can help out when faced with a tricky schedule, check out the Family Resources tab in the Volunteer Toolkit.

Make Family Part of the Formula
While Girl Scout programming is always focused on the girls themselves, it’s important and helpful to open up a few events to their families throughout the year. Inviting the whole crew to celebrate her accomplishments in Girl Scouting—whether at a holiday open house, a bridging ceremony, or a fun “reverse meeting” where girls take the role of leaders and guide the adults, including caregivers, through an activity—will help parents better understand the value of Girl Scouts and they’ll be more likely to invest their time and talents in the troop.

That said, there’s no need to wait for one of these special events to engage families in their girls’ Girl Scout lives! Keep communication lines open throughout the year—either through your troop’s social media page, personal emails, or in-person chats—to keep parents in the loop on what the girls are doing and learning during each meeting. Encourage them to let their daughters “be the experts” at home, explaining or teaching the new skills they’ve learned. You can get everyone in on the fun and keep Girl Scouts strong at home by sharing the family badge guides in the Volunteer Toolkit.

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