Parent Involvement at Day Care
By Fiona Lohrenz
Day care providers should grab every available opportunity to involve parents and
welcome their input. When parents participate in a child care service it makes for a very
rewarding and positive experience for all concerned including the children. You can share
insights that you have gleaned from observing the child at day care and in return parents
can provide a wealth of valuable information giving you a holistic picture of the child.
The opportunity to share ideas and methods about what works and otherwise regarding
individual children can be achieved by this mutual cooperation. Respecting, valuing and
listening by both parties enriches the day care experience for all concerned. Provider can
take into account family values and beliefs whilst parents can learn much about their
newly independent, interactive child from the carer. Information sharing should be ongoing
and opportunities for communication should be provided formally and informally.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of this sharing process assess your staff and
their abilities in the area of working and communicating with parents. Perhaps they need
training and guidelines in order that they communicate effectively and professionally. How
can staff be supported so that they don't feel constantly harangued and scrutinized?
Consider your current timetable and staffing levels - do these currently allow for time to
be spent with parents and any subsequent follow ups? Try to think of innovative ways for
parents to become more involved e.g. they could be a guest speaker and talk to the children
about a topic of expertise, they could offer to volunteer at the day care occasionally.
You should have a complaints procedure in place that allows parents to air their
grievances easily and without feeling judged. You should be seen as open, friendly and
professional and as such, should view complaints as constructive criticism and a means to
improving the quality of your day care service. Thank parents for bringing issues to your
attention and deal with the problem immediately. It is important to have a complaints
procedure in place so that staff are empowered to deal with certain issues whilst
management step in for more serious incidents. Perhaps have a suggestion box where parents
are welcome to offer suggestions/criticism anonymously.
Have parents involved from the outset by including them in an orientation visit and the
settling in procedure. Form a parent's committee so they have a collective voice thus
encouraging positive interaction. Integrate a key worker system into your day care so
parents have a daily point of contact regarding their child. Provide information about
weekly scheduling and activities either by posting details on the noticeboard or sending
out a newsletter. Share daily information both verbally and writing so that there is no
misunderstanding or confusion as to meaning. Have a website with a blog where you can post
comments about goings on at the day care and parents can, in turn, post comments. Include
a staff page with information and photos.
Parental involvement in your day care can potentially provide you with untold resources
heretofore untapped. If parents feel valued and supported they will in turn want to give
back. Opening up channels of communication and sharing can avoid many misunderstandings
and conflicts that are borne out of lack of information. So, make sure your day care is
friendly, welcoming and open. A relaxed parent is a happy parent.
Fiona Lohrenz has been running her own day care forthe past 10 years and is the founder
of a childcarewebsite that offers articles and resources for child care providers and
parents. She has also produced DVD at
Start a ChildCare Business
Fiona can be reached at her website here:
childcareonly.com
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