Involucramiento, implicación y participación de las familias:explorando enfoques, niveles y ámbitos de acción en políticas de cuatro países latinoamericanos

The suspension of on-site school activities due to the global COVID-19 pandemic placed the participation of families in a central place in the reflections and decision-making processes of governments, schools, and families. The uncertainty regarding its referral outlines a complex scenario for the definition of long-term family participation policies. The need to advance in guidelines for the work of schools and families invites us to ask about the approaches, levels, and areas of family participation promoted from the policies. The results of a qualitative exploratory documentary study of the policies of four Latin American countries are presented. It is concluded that the policies do not address a single participation model. These tend to address approaches with different purposes, levels, and fields of action, the translation of which can be confusing or contradictory for school professionals and the families. This information can serve as a reference for the decisions on policies, plans, and programs that governments, schools, teachers, and initial training institutions for education professionals take after the pandemic.