Successful engagement of parents in early childhood education has significant implications for a growing child's well‐being and success. This qualitative study analyzes the perspectives of 14 North Carolina childcare providers on how providers communicate with parents, how communication is received by parents, and barriers to successful parent engagement. Results indicated that childcare providers used diverse, parent‐centered, and technology‐based communication strategies to connect with families. While successful communication was common, so were barriers to reaching many families. These barriers suggest the need for programs, training, and resources to help both parents and providers connect.

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Employing social media to engage youth in real-time learning is a growing trend. Although the use of social media by youth is increasing, barriers exist for Extension educators wanting to capitalize on youth interest in social media, including a lack of information on how best to employ social media in programming. This article highlights a teen parenting program's use of asynchronous learning through a variety of social media platforms.

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