When Parents and Providers Work Together

16 Sep When Parents and Providers Work Together

Childcare is a necessary part of life for many families. Childcare not only promotes growth and development in children, but it also helps to strengthen families and communities. Childcare providers are an important family resource for support and child development education.

Creating a Positive Relationship

Children benefit most when parents and providers work together to plan and provide care. In a partnership, childcare providers bring their knowledge of children’s educational and developmental needs and parents bring the knowledge of their children’s strengths, needs, and interests. Together, parents and providers develop goals that are best for each child within the childcare setting.

Positive relationships between parents and providers are created by two-way communication, a feeling of trust, sharing of goals and expectations, providing information and resources, and having opportunities to make joint decisions about the care children will receive. A successful partnership between parents and providers will have some of the following qualities:

• Parents and providers communicate on a daily or another regular basis.
• Parents trust and feel at ease with the childcare program.
• There are many opportunities for parents to be involved in activities in the childcare setting.
• Providers are always asking parents for input and feedback on the program.
• Children are doing well and happy within the childcare setting.

Ways to Communicate (What It May Look Like)

• Regular emails or notes are being sent between parents and providers.
• Parents and providers have regularly scheduled meetings to discuss the child’s progress and development in the program.
• A daily notebook goes back and forth from home to the program – providers and parents write notes to each other about the child or any other issues or concerns.
• Telephone calls are made when concerns arise or when there is an immediate issue that needs addressing.

We want every family and provider to be connected to each other and to their community. This is how we build our village. This is why we care.

Child Care Resources…Working Within Our Community To Put Children First!

United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties…Every child is successful, every family is financially stable, and every community we serve is stronger.