The development of a child of whatever age is impacted on by where and how they grow up. Family engagement is thought to have a positive impact on youth development in different societies in the world ( Elliott & Nahas, 2020) . This is so because parents not only act as caregivers to children but also as role models who influence their thinking and how they perceive different aspects of the world ( Petersen, Koller, Motti-Stefanidi & Varma, 2017) . Parental involvement is hence not only crucial in shaping a child academically but also in other aspects such as economically and socially ( Morgan, 2017). Family engagement strategies have been seen to influence decisions around children and youth including but not limited to education systems, juvenile issues, control of content on the internet, child rights, child welfare, behavioral theories and mental problems in children arising from different factors such as drug abuse and depression.
In terms of engagement and according to youth and child servicing systems, a family is defined as a body that includes parents and other caregivers around a child or a youth ( Oregon, 2017) . Modern-day families have significantly changed from the traditional family setups, and this is acknowledged by the youth and child servicing systems ( Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2016) . A family is hence looked at as the people who create an environment for the growth of a child and who are entitled to making decisions for juveniles (United States & Development Services Group, Inc., 2018) . Family engagements vary across servicing systems, but the nutshell and the implication remain the same across.
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In education and juvenile programs, for example, a family may be defined as including biological parents, caregivers, adoptive parents, grandparents and even guardians (both legal and informal such as adult siblings) ( Grant & Ray, 2019) . The goal is to have someone whose interests for the child are right and genuine to get involved in the development of the child at different stages ( Kehm, Davey & Nanney, 2015) . It is essential that family members understand their role in youth development and how that impacts a young child to create a conducive environment for them to grow or make sound decisions, to enable them develop a different set-up.
For the youth of a certain age, especially those above the age of a "child" and depending on the program or the agency, a family may include people around the youth who impact the young person positively ( Lerner, 2015) . This can consist of relatives and non-relatives. Foster youth, for example, are required to identify their families with the inclusion of members, peers and service providers whom they can trust and can get support from.
Family engagement happens when families are tasked with the role of being the primary decision-makers on matters that affect young people and their families. The essence of having meaningful family engagement is to improve the outcome for all youths and their families through decision making that offers them the best and mentorship ( Kiyama, 2015) . Family engagement happens at the service level and at the system level with the main aim being to improve the experience of the youth at different levels and to ensure effective collaborations that result in positive outcomes for the child or teenager, their families and the society at large.
At the service level, engagement happens where the family and the agency partners collaborate in making decisions that address the child's issues and strengths. Participation at this level is aimed at considering the family as a resource in the development of the youth and using that resource for the benefit of the youth ( Mat, Peter & Christopher, 2016) . Such mutual engagement partnerships between families and relevant agencies are built on shared authority, open communication, commitment to a shared mission and vision and the primary goal of improving outcomes for young people and their families ( Mapp, Carver & Lander, 2017) . At the systems level, parents engage as equal partners with local and state governments in planning and designing services and programs for the youth. Other roles at this level include evaluating and monitoring services, policies and programs to ensure that they remain within the stipulated frameworks and that they meet the purpose intended of impacting children, the youth and their families positively.
One of the most common outcomes of family engagement in education is improved child and youth achievements both academically and in co-curricular activities. At the same time, there are decreased indiscipline cases from parents who are fully engaged in their child's development. Efficient communication between teachers and parents leads to stronger teacher-parent, parent-student and teacher-student relationships, which in turn leads to a conducive school and home environment, which impacts child growth positively ( Zaff, 2016) . In health care, family engagement leads to improved coordination of activities hence leading to better health outcomes for the patient ( Hoffman, 2016), and their families.
In juvenile systems, adequate support by families and engagement between all stakeholders leads to the improved justice system, reduced crime rates and better outcomes for the youths ( Chavkin, 2017). Children and young people are affected by current issues such as social media bullying, bullying and physical abuse in school and at home, drug addiction, crimes and broken family systems which affect a child's mental health in different ways including depression ( Cené, Johnson, Wells, Baker, Davis, & Turchi, 2016) . Addressing such psychological issues requires collaborations between relevant teams and the child's or youth's family ( Waltman-Spreha, Harris, Fader, Mulvey, Belenko, Steven, Harris, Philip, Fader, Jamie, Mulvey, Edward, 2018) . Family engagement in the mental health system leads to improved emotional and behavioral strengths for the victim as well as enhanced relationships with peers and families ( Bowers, Geldhof, Johnson, Hilliard, Hershberg, Lerner, & Carlson, 2015) . As such, families that are active in youth juvenile justice help improve the experience for their child through articulation and advocating for the child's needs and treatment. Such support to the youth leads to a smooth transition back home from a juvenile facility at the end of the term ( O'Neill, 2018) . This makes it easier for the youth to get incorporated into the community quickly.
When parents are involved at the systems level, the goal is to have the interests of the child or the youth articulated and represented in the development of policies that affect the child and the family with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for individual children and their families. Parents at this level are hence involved in policy-making, decision-making and modelling of appropriate approaches to help solve problems faced by children and the youth as well as improve their experiences in different areas ( Routt & Anderson, 2015) . In child welfare committees, education committees or even health committees relating to a child or a youth, parents play the role of ensuring that the child's needs are well represented to ensure that children get the best quality education, and also get excellent health care service.
The development of a child or a youth and how they perceive the environment around them as well as how they behave towards people and the challenges, they face is greatly affected by the families they live in. In cases where family members are involved in different aspects of a child's or youth's development and their various aspects of life, the outcome is that the child is more likely going to be confident, daring and most likely a successful person in what they do. Such can be attributed to the fact that families act as a building block for a person's beliefs and in a way, affect how people think and behave. Positive contribution and support from one's family impacts hugely on how the person turns out to be. This explains why children who grow in divided families with little love and support end up being frustrated, perform poorly in school and may even end up as criminals in society.
References
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