+ What factors do you think might hinder good partnerships with families?
+ Barriers to Partnerships “Things I have heard”.
n Language barriers
n The family has needs that require a lot of extra support and we don’t have the staffing for their needs n Social economic
n A child or children with additional needs
n Single family
n Parent has additional or special needs
n My lack of experience and training working with families who need extra support
n Our program is already stretched meeting the needs of other families
+Embracing Partnerships with Families
n Embrace means: to make use of something or to adopt something.
n Partnerships means: a group of people working together; cooperation; partners.
+Embracing Partnerships with Families
Family
Child
Child Care Team
Child
Family Childcare Team
+ Embracing Partnerships with Families Building a partnership with your child care service - a NCAC Factsheet for Families . By Merise Bickley. Page 1
n A partnership between families and the child care team involves sharing information, ideas, concerns and questions about the child.
n This partnership is strengthened when each party is supportive and appreciative of each other’s role and influence in the child’s life.
n “Families are the most important influence in their child’s life, and they have a deep knowledge of their child as well as a lifelong commitment to their child’s wellbeing.”
n Child care professionals have experience and training in working with children in child care education settings.
+Embracing Partnerships: Starting Point
Group 1: The Families List points that you would like the childcare team to do in order to help you and your child feel welcomed in the centre.
Group 2: The Child Care Team List things you already do or would like to do so you might help families and their children feel welcomed in the centre.
+ Embracing Partnerships Requires Us to Consider Another’s Viewpoints
n Perspective means: a particular evaluation of something or measured assessment of a situation.
n To gain a better perspective about families’ concerns, let’s review some of their questions regarding childcare.
+ Families’ Questions About Childcare. Building a partnership with your child care service - a NCAC Factsheet for Families . By Merise Bickley page 3
n Do I feel welcome to contribute to my child’s care and experiences?
n Do I believe that the child care professionals listen to and understand my concerns or ideas?
n Do I feel that I can visit the service at any time?
n What opportunities do I have to provide the child care professionals with information about my child?
n How do I find out about my child’s day, relationship and unusual circumstances/events?
+
n Does the service ask for my opinions or feedback about its operations and decisions that affect my child
n Have I been given information about the service’s philosophy, policies and procedures?
n Does the service provide me with timely, clear information about events and operations?
n How does the service support communication with families who have specific communication needs, for example speak English as a second language, or have literacy difficulties?
Families’ Questions About Childcare. Building a partnership with your child care service - a NCAC Factsheet for Families . By Merise Bickley page 3
+ Embracing Partnerships by Considering The Families’ Viewpoints
Do I embrace partnerships in my program /curriculum?
Does our centre’s policies & environment
embrace partnerships?
Do I embrace partnerships through my
interactions with families?
+Does our centre’s policies & environment embrace partnerships?
n Are there family social events that provide opportunities for families and the child care team to meet and socialize?
n Do our family/parent boards, reflect the needs & interests of our families?
n Do we have a family resource library with books that can be borrowed; current articles & community resources; clothing & food items if needed?
+
n Does your centre have regular family information nights and workshops: behaviour guidance or nutrition?
n Does your centre have newsletters about what’s happening at the centre?
n Is there information in highly visible areas letting families know who they can go to if they have concerns or questions?
n Is our center's physical environment welcoming and has representation of the families we serve [photos, celebrations]?
Does our centre’s policies & environment embrace partnerships?
+Do I embrace partnerships through my interactions with families?
n Do I encourage families to to discuss any ideas, issues or concerns that they have?
n Do I make time for daily discussions, formal or informal meetings or encourage families to phone and share information about their child?.
n Do I greet families at pick-up and drop-off?
+
n Do I encourage families to visit their child at the program at any time of day[open door’ policy]?
n Do I encourage the families to be involved in the program: guest speakers, helping out on field trips, sharing their cultural celebrations with all of us?
Do I embrace partnerships through my interactions with families?
+Do I embrace partnerships in my program / curriculum?
n Do I encourage families to contribute to the program curriculum, allowing them to share items from home or be guest speakers?
n Do I provide ongoing information about their child’s experiences and achievements [through discussions, photos and examples of the child’s accomplishments]?
n To gain a greater understanding of the child’s abilities, do I encourage families to share information about their child’s experiences and interests outside of the centre?
+Embracing Partnerships, Going Forward!
n Name 1-2 strategies you will implement to embrace partnerships with the families at your childcare centre?
n Questions & Comments
+Resources
n Building a partnership with your child care service - a NCAC Factsheet for Families . By Merise Bickley
n Building partnerships between families and early childhood staff. KidsMatter Early Childhood – www.kidsmatter.edu.au
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