“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is Engagement with the service.
Element 6.1.1: Families are supported from enrolment to be involved in the service and contribute to service decisions.
How does your service intentionally maintain quality practices that support meaningful family engagement from the point of first contact, through enrolment and orientation, and as ongoing partnerships are strengthened over time?
Element 6.1.1 requires that families are supported from enrolment to be involved in the service and contribute to service decisions. This element recognises that respectful, collaborative partnerships with families are fundamental to achieving positive outcomes for children and are embedded across all aspects of service delivery.
The enrolment and orientation process is a critical opportunity to establish trust, continuity and a shared understanding between families and the service. As educators recognise families as children’s first and most influential educators, valuing their knowledge, experiences and perspectives from the outset. Engagement should therefore be intentional, inclusive and responsive, rather than procedural, one-off or sporadic. When services prioritise relationship based practices during enrolment, families are more likely to feel a sense of belonging, confidence in the service, and willingness to engage in ongoing decision-making.
Quality practices to support genuine family engagement from the first enrolment enquiry, orientation and settling in at the Service:
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- Prioritise first impressions by ensuring there is a clear procedure to guide all educators and staff during initial enrolment enquiries.
- Provide clear, accessible and transparent information about the service philosophy, operations, policies and expectations, ensuring families can make informed decisions.
- Offer opportunities for families to visit the service, observe practice, ask questions and build familiarity with educators and the learning environment prior to commencement.
- Use the enrolment and orientation processes to actively seek family knowledge about their child’s routines, interests, strengths, culture and individual needs, demonstrating respect for family expertise.
- Educators work in partnership with families to plan orientation and settling-in processes that are responsive to each child’s wellbeing, sense of security and family circumstances.
- Encourage families to spend time in the service during orientation and beyond, whilst supporting them develop and maintain a consistent routine for saying goodbye to their child.
- Ensure educators are available to engage in open, respectful conversations with families aboutcurriculum approaches, daily routines and expectations.
- Establish communication practices that support regular, meaningful and reciprocal information sharing between families and educators.
- Ensure communication methods are accessible, inclusive and culturally responsive, recognising diverse family backgrounds and identified communication preferences.
- Ensure families are aware of how/who to, contact at the Service, should they wish to receive updates on their child’s progress during the settling-in process.
- Request feedback from families about their experiences with the Service’s enrolment and orientation process, to support continual improvement.
Effective engagement under Element 6.1.1 is underpinned by critical reflection and meaningful family engagement/feedback that is actively considered and acted upon. Services should regularly reflect on how enrolment, orientation and everyday practices promote family confidence, participation and shared decision-making, while intentionally seeking family feedback to inform and drive continuous improvement.
Resources:
Guide to the NQF: Standard 6.1: Supportive relationships with families, Element 6.1.1: Engagement with the service, Exceeding guidance for Standard 6.1: Supportive relationships with families
ACECQA Information sheets: Quality Area 6: Enrolment and Orientation- Family Day Care, Enrolment and orientation, Building partnerships with families
Within System7 go to Quality Area 6/ Module 1 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 family engagement during the enrolment and orientation process. These include Enrolment Policy and Procedure, Orientation Policy and Procedure, Orientation Satisfaction Survey, Enrolment Checklist, Orientation Checklist, Enrolment Letter to Parents template, All About Me Form, Meet your Educator Form, and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
Childcare Centre Desktop – Childcare Centre Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA 6/ 6.1.1-Engagement with the service
National Regulations – 73, 155, 157
System7 Module – QA 6/ Module 1
If you have any questions, send us a note via the Contact page here!
