“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is: Promoting Family Involvement
Element 6.1.1: Engagement with the Service
Families are supported from enrolment to be involved in the service and contribute to service decisions.
- Does your service struggle to engage families and encourage family input and involvement?
- Have you reviewed your strategies for inviting family feedback and encouraging involvement?
- Are the strategies that your Service implements suited to your family’s current needs, commitments, availability, and skills?
- How does your Service ensure that families feel comfortable and supported to provide feedback on Service operations, policies, procedures, routines, and their child’s education?
Services should aim to meet the varying needs of their families by implementing a range of methods and opportunities for families to engage with your Service.
Provide evidence of how your Service develops a culture of engagement by inviting parents, families, and extended family members to participate in the program and a variety of events and build connections within the community. This should start at the point of enrolment which could include an Orientation Evaluation/Survey and then extend into more routine strategies such as:
- Online or paper-based surveys that focus on specific aspects of Service delivery
- Regular newsletters
- Regular online posts/questions inviting feedback
- Suggestion box
- Communication books
- Parent information sessions
- Invitations to engage in activities and events (Grandparents Day, fundraising events)
- Policy and procedure review and feedback
- Visual displays inviting feedback
Take advantage of the online platform (whether it be an information sharing app or social media), post a daily question to families that allows them to easily reply by comment. This will assist with encouraging a regular pathway of communication and engagement with families.
Document feedback that is obtained informally through regular discussions and conversations with families. Educators should request the parent/family member’s permission to document these conversations.
Resources:
Research Snapshot- Actively Engaging Families
Build Strong Relationships with Families
Within System7 go to Quality Are 6/Module 5 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 family engagement. These include the monthly Newsletter template, Orientation Satisfaction Survey, General Satisfaction Survey, Family Handbook (LDC, OSHC, FDC), Family Exit Survey template and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
Childcare Centre Desktop – Childcare Centre Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA6 / Element 6.1.1- Engagement with the service
National Regulations – 157, 160, 171, 172
System7 Module – QA 6/ Module 5
If you have any questions send us a note via the Contact page here!
