As a room leader, families will often come to you for information about their child. You will have a sound knowledge of each child and their care needs. Your team may also look to you to approach families when there is an issue or concern that needs to be discussed.

Working with families is not always easy. Sometimes we may not understand their perspective or their decisions about care for their child, however, the National Quality Framework is clear that we are to respect families as the child’s first and most influential teacher and to aim to develop a partnership with EACH family.

The Approved Learning Frameworks tell us that learning outcomes are most likely to be achieved when early childhood educators work in partnership with families.

When families and educators are partners in their day-to-day activities, children thrive. This theory can be researched further through the findings of theorist Urie Bronfenbrenner. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory | Simply Psychology

You and the team should ensure that every child and family feel genuinely respected and welcome within your room. If you are struggling with this, take some time to reflect. Discover the reasons why this is difficult and discover some ways you can overcome any barriers.

Here are some reflection questions to support you:

• What are your honest views of the family?
• What are your expectations of each family?
• Are they a valuable resource?
• Are they a hindrance, getting in the way of your practice and interrupting your day?
• Are they your friends? Should they be? Where have you drawn the boundary?
• Do all families receive the same level of attention, support and engagement or are some valued over others? If so, why do you feel this is happening and how can it be improved?

Early Childhood Australia’s Code of Ethics is another good tool to use for reflection regarding partnerships with families.

How do you learn about each family?

How do you build a sense of belonging for each family?

Ask yourself how your room meets each of the points of this area of the Code of Ethics.

The Early Years Learning Framework states that, Partnerships are based on the foundations of understanding each other’s expectations and attitudes and build on the strength of each others’ knowledge.