Announce parent-teacher meetings and other events so that parents can plan in advance and request time off of work. Send out reminders about these meetings via email or sned fliers home with students.
Arrange for translators to come to meetings if you have a large population of parents who do not speak English. Translate important fliers and announcements into common foreign languages in which the parents are fluent, such as Russian or Spanish.
Create teen, custodial, single and working parent support groups that take place weekly at your school. Let your school give parents the message that you don't expect them to be perfect and that you know what sort of stresses and challenges they face.
Organize a breakfast for parents that begins a couple of hours before school begins and ends at the start of the school day. This gives parents the opportunity to mingle with other parents and meet the teachers while enjoying free bagels, donuts, coffee and juice.
Create a home visit program. Make it a requirement that each teacher visit the home and meet the parents of each student in his class before the school year begins. That way, when it comes time for the first round of parent-teacher conferences, teachers and parents already have a foundational relationship.
Ask parents for help in school fundraising activities such as car washes or bake sales. While many low-income parents may not have money to contribute to the school, some might be able to donate their time to help and may be happy to do so.