7
Competency 7
Partner with families to support development and learning
Early childhood educators intentionally build strong relationships with families over time. Their partnerships are guided by a shared commitment to children’s safety and well-being and a shared goal of supporting children’s growth and learning. These relationships require educators to be aware of their own potential biases and understand how those biases can affect trust and respect. Early childhood educators work together with families and communities to support children’s development and learning.
Reflection questions
Ask yourself these as you read — there are no right answers.
- How do you learn about families’ priorities, hopes, and dreams for their child?
- How do you engage with families to learn more about children with individualized plans (IFSPs or IEPs)? What steps do you take to partner with families to address children’s development and learning goals and desired outcomes?
- In what ways do you ask for and respond to feedback from families?
- How do you build two-way relationships with families that support their child during challenging moments and consider their culture and past experiences?
There must be a profound recognition that parents are the first teachers and that education begins before formal schooling and is deeply rooted in the values, traditions, and norms of family and culture.
What educators need to be effective
Things to Know
- The influence of family and community context on children’s development.
- That child development and family well-being are shaped by interconnected systems.
- The primary influence of families and the value of family input and partnering with families as a protective factor in early childhood education.
Skills to Build
- Connecting and communicating with families in a mutually respectful and reciprocal way.
- Accessing and effectively using resource and referral systems.
- Reflecting on personal biases before making or communicating significant decisions.
Habits of Mind and Dispositions
- Demonstrates empathy and expresses social warmth.
- Takes an interest in others and senses their feelings and perspectives.
- Understands others and expresses a desire to build caring relationships.
- Understands and appreciates diversity and diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Respects families’ beliefs, values, and traditions; refrains from judging families.
Focus areas
7A
Relationships with Families
Initiate and maintain positive, reciprocal relationships with families.
Level 1
- Respects families’ beliefs, values, and traditions.
- Refrains from judging families.
- Initiates and maintains communication with families through active listening and reciprocal sharing of thoughts, feelings, and ideas.
Level 2
- Seeks to learn about families’ backgrounds, child-rearing practices, and hopes and dreams for their child so they can be responsive to each family’s unique circumstances.
- Regularly communicates with families using both informal (e.g., phone calls, emails, and written notes) and formal (e.g., conferences, team meetings, home visits) methods.
Level 3
- Intentionally looks for ways to include all families in the program, class, or group.
Level 4
- Reflects on personal biases before making or communicating significant decisions that might affect families.
- Continuously reflects on assumptions, common practices, and activities that may exclude families.
7B
Collaboration and Support
Collaborate with and support families to promote children’s development and learning.
Level 1
- Responds promptly to family concerns and priorities.
Level 2
- When planning curriculum and learning activities, takes time to learn from families about their child’s interests and hobbies.
Level 3
- Provides families with complete, unbiased information about their child’s development and learning.
- Works with families to identify opportunities to support and extend learning at home.
Level 4
- Collaborates with families to create goals and plans that reflect their concerns and priorities.
- Supports and guides families through the process of obtaining additional community resources and services, as appropriate.