Partnering with parents

PARTNERING WITH PARENTS IN EARLY LEARNING

Take a look inside any children’s service and you will see children actively playing, interacting, exploring and learning, guided by qualified educators. Children’s services plan and provide play-based programs to support children’s development and learning. The educators draw on a range of information including essential documents such as The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) and the National

Quality Framework (NQF) to provide stimulating programs that extend each child’s learning. However, their first and most important source of information is each child’s family.

Families hold crucial knowledge about their children, their culture and community. This wisdom is acknowledged in the guiding principles of the NQF which states “…families are children’s first and most influential teachers” (ACECQA 2020). Children’s services are motivated to collaborate with families to gain a richer understanding of each child and their family context and to effectively support children’s learning and development.

Children’s services strive to develop strong partnerships with families, recognising that parents are valued partners in their child’s learning and within the service. Each family is welcomed into the service and information sharing already begins with the enrolment enquiry. It continues during the child’s and family’s orientation and commencement and develops throughout their time with the service. The collaboration methods will change and grow along with the child’s development and the family’s expectations and involvement.

Collaboration and conversations

Any time is a great time for parents to share information with the service about their child. This often happens through informal conversations such as during drop off and pick up times, where information is exchanged about the child’s home life, interests, learning, sleep patterns and routines. Face to face meetings with educators can be opportunities to discuss goals for the child, developmental progress and strategies to support learning.

Every service appreciates parents’ ideas and will have different ways for families to contribute feedback and be connected with the service. For example, parents can add suggestions to the learning program through digital platforms or writing in the program document or a feedback book in their child’s room. There are opportunities to be part of philosophy and policy reviews. Involvement in the children’s program by parents and extended family can range from joining in on excursions to sharing skills such as gardening, languages, cooking, carpentry, cultural traditions, etc.

When parents partner with their child’s service and share insights about their child and family there are significant benefits for children, families and the service.

Getting to know you

Partnerships with parents helps educators gain a deeper understanding of the child, their family relationships, their routines, development, behaviour patterns, key settling strategies, home language, culture and play preferences. The educators use this information to provide learning programs that build on children’s individual interests and abilities.

Belonging and identity

Really knowing each child is crucial for educators to create programs that continue to respond to children’s needs and nurture their sense of belonging and identity. This reflects the intent of the EYLF in fostering children’s identity, wellbeing and confidence as learners, now and into the future.

Consistency works

Information sharing supports parents and educators to work together on consistent approaches for children, including for example calming strategies, established routines and behaviour support. Consistency helps children navigate the expectations of home and child care and feel a sense of trust and security in the familiar practices. Building a trusting partnership with the service can help parents to feel confident in sharing information about any changes to family circumstances. The service can tailor the education and care strategies to meet the child’s and family’s changing needs, whether short or long term.

Quality matters

All children’s services have a quality improvement plan which guides continuous improvement for the whole service. The quality improvement plan relies on different voices to assess the service and prioritise improvements. Parents can offer feedback and ideas which will bring unique insights and perspectives to the quality improvement plan, leading to higher quality programs for children.

The saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ becomes a reality through meaningful partnerships between families and early years services. Take up opportunities to connect and collaborate with your children’s service – you will be welcomed!

By Sabina Klepp – Education Practice Partner Story House Early Learning www.shel.edu.au