DOP 8
8. Educators should provide opportunities for parents/guardians and, where appropriate, whānau to:
(a) feel welcome to spend time at the service, discuss concerns and participate in decision-making concerning their child;
(b) discuss, both informally and formally, their child's progress, interests, abilities and areas for development on a regular basis, sharing specific observation-based evidence;
(c) have access to information concerning their child, the operation of the service and Education Review Office reports regarding the service.
Partnerships with parents, guardians, and whānau are a crucial part of quality early childhood education. Educators and management use a range of strategies to promote genuine partnerships built on mutual trust and respect, the sharing of information and responsibility, and the implementation of agreed practices and policies.
8. Educators should provide opportunities for parents/guardians and, where appropriate, whānau to:
(a) feel welcome to spend time at the service, discuss concerns and participate in decision-making concerning their child;
Management and educators can provide such opportunities by:
- recognising the rights of all parents/whānau and their aspirations for their children;
- listening, valuing, and respecting the perspectives of parents/whānau;
- inviting parents/whānau to contribute through their involvement in the service;
- consulting with parents/whānau about decisions that concern their children;
- ensuring that information on routines, procedures, and practices is clear and accessible for parents/whānau;
- ensuring that interactions with parents/whānau are culturally appropriate;
- discussing the service’s rituals, protocols, and routines with parents/whānau and seeking their approval for their child to participate;
- making it easy for parents/whānau to express concerns, either formally or informally.
Bicultural Approaches
Ētahi Ara Tikanga Rua
For many Māori, protocols are an important part of welcoming. Services can consult parents/whānau and local Māori about rituals and protocols that will enable all to feel welcome and, where possible, incorporate these in the service’s routines. Participation by all parents/whànau is then likely to increase as mutual trust, understanding, and respect develop
Scenarios
Ētahi Take
A service has a high number of children from sole-parent families. The service provides a comfortable place for parents to meet and talk over a cup of tea. Children are able to access their parents without disrupting the programme, and parents can join the children’s programme if they wish.
Whānau members are visiting an early childhood service for the first time. Educators ensure that they make time to introduce themselves and to establish links between the service and whānau.
Signposts
Ētahi Tohu
- Parents/whānau report feeling welcome at the service and well informed about their children.
- Parents/whānau are visible at the service and appear relaxed and at ease.
Reflective Questions
He Pātai hei Whakaaro iho
- How does our service support and involve parents/whānau?
- How do parents/whānau support our educators? In what other ways could we support each other?
- How do we ensure that there are clear channels of communication between our service and parents/whānau?
- What do we understand about the specific Māori rituals and protocols of our area? How does this influence practice at our service?
- What processes at our service empower parents/whānau to actively participate in decisions that affect the education of their children? How do we ensure that these processes are effective?
8. Educators should provide opportunities for parents/guardians and, where appropriate, whānau to:
(b) discuss, both informally and formally, their child’s progress, interests, abilities and areas for development on a regular basis, sharing specific observation-based evidence;
Management and educators can provide such opportunities by:
- maintaining ongoing, observation-based records and other relevant material for each child;
- developing policies on sharing this information in a professional and confidential manner;
- accepting parents/whānau as partners in observing and evaluating their children’s learning and development;
- ensuring that information shared is objective and makes a positive contribution to children’s ongoing learning and development;
- consulting with parents/whānau to ensure that information about their children is shared in culturally appropriate ways.
Bicultural Approaches
Ētahi Ara Tikanga Rua
For many Māori, the ways in which information is shared with whānau can be just as important as the information itself.
Management and educators can consult parents/whānau about the process to be used when sharing information and making decisions on their children. The service and parents/whānau can then identify and implement processes that are culturally appropriate, comfortable, and effective for all.
Scenarios
Ētahi Take
A service has a high number of children from families without income from paid employment. The service runs a programme where selected parents are encouraged to help with the children’s programme. Later, it develops a scheme that enables suitable parents to gain a qualification in a quality, service-based training programme.
When deciding on a time to meet with parents to discuss their child’s learning and development, educators ask them, “What time suits you?” At the meeting, educators allow parents to lead the discussion and raise the issues.
Signposts
Ētahi Tohu
- Parents/whānau see and contribute to portfolios, observation booklets, and children’s records.
- Parents/whānau feel free to discuss their children’s abilities and learning challenges openly and comfortably with educators.
- Management and educators respect the confidentiality of records and information on children.
Reflective Questions
He Pātai hei Whakaaro iho
- How does our service promote a regular, two-way flow of information between educators and parents/whānau?
- How effective are the records we maintain on each child? How often do we use them? Does our record-keeping inform our practice?
- How do we ensure that our assessment methods are culturally appropriate?
8. Educators should provide opportunities for parents/guardians and, where appropriate, whānau to:
(c) have access to information concerning their child, the operation of the service and Education Review Office reports regarding the service.
Management and educators can provide such opportunities by:
- ensuring that the service’s policies and procedures recognise that parents/whānau have a right to information about their children and the operation of the service;
- promoting procedures and practices that make this information accessible to parents/ whānau;
- acknowledging and responding to requests for information, whether formal or informal.
Bicultural Approaches
Ētahi Ara Tikanga Rua
Ensuring that all parents/whānau have access to information about the service may require a range of approaches. Management and educators can consult with parents/ whānau and local Māori to ensure that relevant information is readily accessible in culturally appropriate ways.
Scenarios
Ētahi Take
A service has a portfolio on each child that is readily accessible to the child and his or her parents or whānau. The front page has a photograph of the child and a memento, such as a drawing, collage, or positive comment about the child’s first day at the centre. Educators, the child, parents, and whānau all contribute to the portfolio. They write observations, note milestones, and paste in the child’s work, making sure that the date of each entry is recorded. Each child is encouraged to share their portfolio with others.
A reviewer from the Education Review Office spends several days at a busy, urban service. Parents and whānau are invited to attend the resulting report to the service. The reviewer, educators, and parents and whānau sit down together and discuss the findings. Later, management informs parents and whānau of the steps taken to implement the report’s recommendations.
Educators at a service arrange individual meetings with parents to discuss their children’s learning and development. At these meetings, educators share their records on the children and discuss relevant issues with parents. The emphasis is on what each child is learning and how educators and parents can work together for the benefit of the child.
Educators hold a play workshop for parents and whānau. Adults have an opportunity to work with the service’s equipment and to share the learning experiences of their children. The workshop ends with a discussion on how children learn and the effectiveness of learning by doing.
Signposts
Ētahi Tohu
Education Review Office reports are readily accessible to all parents.
Parents/whānau are aware that reports from ERO are free and available from the local office on request.
Reflective Questions
He Pātai hei Whakaaro iho
- How do we ensure that parents/whānau have ready access to information concerning their children and the operation of the service?
- How do we ensure that parents/whānau understand the practices and procedures of our service?
- How do we encourage parents/whānau to enquire about their children’s learning and development, especially those who initially don’t show much interest?
- What does our service do with ERO reports? How do we inform parents of changes made as a result of them?