“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is Information for families.
Element 1.3.3: Families are informed about the program and their child’s progress.
How does your service work collaboratively with each family to share information about children’s learning, development and participation in the program?
Have you recently reflected on current practice to determine new, innovative and meaningful ways to share relevant information with families about each child’s participation and progress?
Regulation 76 and element 1.3.3 of the NQS focus on the requirement to provide families with meaningful information about their child’s participation in the educational program. Educators must consistently work in partnership with families in collecting information and planning for each child’s learning and development and seek to keep families informed about the program and their child’s participation and progress. Children’s views, feedback and opinions about program planning and evaluation also inform this process.
There are a range of ways in which we can request and encourage feedback from families about the educational program and about their child’s individual progress. To support this, it’s important that consistent and meaningful communication between the service and families is maintained. This includes every day, informal interactions with families, providing them with feedback about their child’s day and participation in the program. Ensure educators provide information and context to children’s participation and learning when communicating with families, for example, rather than simply explaining what their child engaged in, also outline the developmental benefits gained from the experience/s. These interactions establish and foster trusting relationships, building a foundation for an ongoing dialog about children’s wellbeing and progress.
When reviewing and reflecting on your methods of communication with families about the educational program:
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- Consider the varying needs of the families at your service and their preferred methods of communication.
- Consider any barriers to consistent communication, including language barriers, time constraints or access to information online.
- Obtain feedback from families about their preferred methods of communication and how they would like to receive updates about their child’s participation and progress.
- Ensure families are aware of the methods of communication used and how they can provide feedback. Promote these in your parent handbook, regular posts via your online platforms & in your service Newsletter.
- Consider if the information clear and comprehensible, i.e., learning outcomes and any codes/acronyms are clearly detailed.
- Consider if the information easily accessible to all families, including families with diverse needs and how these barriers are addressed.
Services that consistently work in partnership with families nurture strong, reciprocal and trusting relationships that contribute to the child’s development, wellbeing and support continuity of care. Informed families can actively participate in their child’s learning and development and better equip them with knowledge and information to reinforce learning outcomes at home and engage in meaningful conversations with their child about their experiences at the Service.
Resources:
We Hear You: Settling into a new year
Digital documentation for families- quality or quantity?
Communicating with families about children’s learning
Reviewing Practice- Reflection Tool
Within System7 go to Quality Area 1/Modules 9, 13, 14 & 15 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Childcare Centre Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with educational program and practice. These include Educational Program Policy and Procedure, All About Me- Child Introduction form, Observation Record, Learning and Development Register, Family Communication Policy, Communication Audit, Newsletter templates and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
Childcare Centre Desktop – Childcare Centre Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA 1/ 1.3.3- Information for families
National Regulations – 74, 75, 76 & 155
System7 Module – QA1/Modules 9, 13, 14 & 15
If you have any questions send us a note via the Contact page here!
