Template consent forms, consent process overview, and tips from LENA Grow partners.
As an implementer of LENA Grow, your organization is responsible for managing your consent process and for retaining copies of the consent.
Family Consent Basics
- LENA provides a consent form template. Click the link to download it in editable Word document format:
📄 English consent form template
📄 Spanish consent form template
- The consent form template is opt-out: it assumes all children will participate in LENA Grow unless a family returns the consent stating they do NOT want their child to participate.
- If you use the template, you must insert your organization’s name in the template prior to distribution.
- It’s your responsibility to modify the template or create your own consent form to ensure you are following any legal requirements your organization may have or be subject to.
- Completed consent forms DO NOT need to be shared with LENA.
Each child’s first name, last name, and date of birth are required to enroll them in the program and add them to LENA Online. The consent form template does NOT ask families to provide this information, so you may need to make plans to gather the information from each site.
How and When to Enroll Families
Teachers, center directors, and coaches should all work together to make family enrollment as easy as possible. Teachers learn about enrollment in Orientation and can read more in the Teacher Guide.
Here are some tips from successful LENA Grow programs to make enrollment easier:
- Include the consent in your program’s beginning-of-year paperwork for a smoother start to the sequence later in the year.
- Encourage providers to introduce families to the program during back-to-school night or parent-teacher conferences using the slide deck Introducing LENA Grow to Families (English Deck) (Spanish Deck).
- Encourage teachers to take time at pick-up or drop-off to discuss the program with families.
- Ask center directors to provide you with a spreadsheet of children in each classroom with first name, last name, and date of birth to make LENA Online entry easier.
💡Need a template for an opt-in consent where families sign and return? Interested in collecting demographic information directly from families? Download the opt-in consent form template:
📄 English opt-in consent form template
📄 Spanish opt-in consent form template
What's next?
Once you have a list of children to participate, add children to the group in LENA Online.