Family Integration System

BELONG

Transform new family orientation from a single event into a sustained journey, delivered through trained room parent leaders at every grade level.

The Challenge

New families are slipping through the cracks.

You've invested thousands to recruit each new family. But after enrollment, they're often left to figure out the community on their own: navigating cliques, unwritten rules, and inconsistent communication.

The result? First-year attrition, disengaged parents, and missed opportunities for lasting connection.

68%

of families who leave cite "lack of community connection"

$15K+

average cost to recruit one new family

90

days to make or break the new family experience

5x

more expensive to recruit than retain

The Framework

Bridge. Engage. Link. Onboard. Nurture. Grow.

A six-stage methodology that systematizes family integration and transforms room parents into community builders.

B

Bridge

Connect new families to buddy families before school starts

E

Engage

Targeted events that break cliques and build relationships

L

Link

Room parents create class-level community touchpoints

O

Onboard

Structured communication at 30/60/90 day milestones

N

Nurture

Early warning systems catch struggling families

G

Grow

Convert integrated families into ambassadors and leaders

Trusted By

Schools That Chose to Build Belonging

"Our first-year retention jumped from 81% to 94% in one year. BELONG gave us the system we didn't know we needed."

Dr. Sarah Mitchell

Head of School, Westbrook Academy

"The room parent training alone was worth the investment. We finally have consistency across all grade levels."

Michael Chen

Director of Enrollment, Lakeview Day School

"New parents now tell us they felt welcomed from day one. That never happened before BELONG."

Jennifer Torres

Parent Association President, St. Andrew's Prep

50+

Schools Served

12%

Avg. Retention Increase

4.9

Satisfaction Rating

8,000+

Families Integrated

Partnered with leading independent schools nationwide

Westbrook Academy
Lakeview Day School
St. Andrew's Prep
Hillside Country School
The Harbor School

The Timeline

The 90-Day Journey

APR

Enrollment → Welcome Sequence

Personalized welcome, buddy family matching, summer communication begins

JUN

Summer Social

New families meet each other and buddy families before returning family events

AUG

Orientation + First Week

New family breakfast, room parent introductions, week-one check-in

SEP

30-Day Milestone

Formal check-in, class-level coffee hosted by room parent, early warning review

OCT

60-Day Milestone

Coffee with Head of School, satisfaction pulse, intervention for flagged families

NOV

90-Day Integration Complete

Reflection event, feedback survey, transition to general community programming

The Backbone

Room Parent Transformation

Your room parents become trained, supported, and accountable leaders, not just "whoever volunteers."

Selection

Application process with clear criteria

Training

90-minute workshop on communication & inclusion

Role Clarity

Defined scope with documented expectations

New Family Focus

Explicit responsibility to integrate newcomers

Teacher Coordination

Clear protocols and feedback loops

Accountability

Oversight structure for early problem-solving

Templates

Pre-written communications & event guides

Succession

End-of-year handoff for lasting quality

Mid-Year Solution

It's January. How Are Your Room Parents Doing?

Some are thriving. Some are overwhelmed. Some have gone silent. And some have created more drama than community.

RESET is a 90-minute workshop that gets your room parent team back on track and set up to finish the year strong.

R
Roles
E
Expectations
S
Support
E
Engagement
T
Thrive
Learn About RESET

What You Get

  • 90-minute live workshop (virtual or on-site)
  • Quick-reference guide for room parents
  • 3 ready-to-use email templates
  • Inclusion checklist
  • Spring event planning guide
  • 30-minute admin debrief call

Best timing: January through March

Contact us for pricing

Ideal Fit

Is This Right for Your School?

BELONG is ideal if you:

  • Lose families after year one and aren't sure why
  • Hear new parents say they "never felt connected"
  • Have inconsistent room parent quality across grades
  • Want community to be a competitive advantage
  • Believe retention is cheaper than recruitment
  • Are ready to systematize what's been ad hoc

This may not be the fit if:

  • You're satisfied with current retention rates
  • You prefer to let community develop organically
  • No staff bandwidth to implement new systems
  • Room parents aren't a part of your model
  • You're in crisis mode (this is proactive, not reactive)

Not Sure Where to Start?

Before You Build, Understand

Every school's community is different. Different culture, different families, different pain points. A cookie-cutter solution won't work.

INSIGHT is a diagnostic assessment that uncovers exactly where your family integration and room parent systems are strong, where they're broken, and what to prioritize first.

I
Intake
N
Needs
S
Systems
I
Integration
G
Gaps
H
Health
T
Targets
Learn About INSIGHT

What You Get

  • Stakeholder interviews with key leaders
  • Room parent pulse survey
  • New family retention analysis
  • Materials and communications audit
  • Comprehensive written report with recommendations
  • 45-minute debrief call

Typical turnaround: 2-3 weeks

Contact us for pricing

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does implementation take?

Most schools launch within 6-8 weeks. We recommend starting in spring to be ready for summer communications with newly enrolled families.

Who needs to be involved internally?

One point person (often admission, advancement, or division head) plus buy-in from Head of School. Teachers attend a brief orientation; room parents attend training.

What if we already have room parents?

Great! We work with your existing structure. BELONG elevates and systematizes what you're already doing, filling gaps and adding accountability.

How do you measure success?

First-year retention rate, new family satisfaction scores, time-to-connection metrics, and annual fund participation among first-year families.

The Process

Getting Started

1

Discovery Call

30 min to understand your needs

2

Proposal

Customized scope and pricing

3

Kickoff

Team alignment and timeline

4

Build

Customize and train

5

Launch

Go live with support

Ready to Start?

Let's Build Belonging Together

Schedule a 30-minute discovery call to learn how BELONG can transform your school's approach to family integration.

Typically respond within 24 hours