🤝 How to Prepare for a Parent Partnership Meeting

"At Woodlands we are committed to open relationships and communication with families to support the development of their child."

The National Quality Framework and the national Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) ask educators to go beyond traditional parent involvement activities to form ‘respectful supportive relationships’ with families (NQS Standard 6.1). Standard 6.2 requires educators to support families in their parenting role and to respect families’ beliefs and values about child rearing. These requirements are based mainly on Principle 2: Partnerships in the EYLF. 

The Nominated supervisor and the Educational Leader will consider:

• When and how do you establish a positive relationship?
• How is collaboration with families valued and reflected in your service’s philosophy, policies and everyday practice?
• Do educators show respect for the lifestyle and traditions of families?
• Do educators understand the requirements of the National Quality Framework?
• How do educators use and share resources and information for families on ACECQA’s family focused website, Starting Blocks? 

As the EYLF makes clear, partnerships between educators and families matter because:

•  knowing that you respect their family strengthens a child’s identity and sense of belonging and enhances their learning
•  knowing children well also includes knowing the family and the cultural and community contexts of their lives
•  families bring insights that offer a richer picture about their child. 

When and how are Parent partnership meetings conducted at Woodlands?

Woodlands offers Parent Partnership meetings every Fridays. Parents can book in a meeting with their child's educators via an online booking system available on the centre's online website. This can also be shared by the leadership team.

How to prepare for a Parent partnership meeting?

When meeting or engaging with parents and carers you may consider:

• Projecting a positive attitude in order to strengthen your relationship with the family.
• Respect differences in views and ideas
• Find out about parents' needs, goals and concerns.
• Empower families with shared decision making.
• providing them with accessible information about the purpose of the meeting. This includes advance copies of documents to be discussed and a list of who will be present
• make sure that parents/carers are informed about the roles of meeting attendees, including those who have not been involved before.
• make accommodations for cultural needs, sensitivities and protocols
• make a record of the meeting and distribute it to participants. This may include key discussion points and areas for action

Reflective questions to consider?

• Do we really know what families value?
• Do we really question our own practices?
• How can we ensure our parent partnerships embrace opportunities and as we do with children how can we ensure we approach each family as an individual?
• We encourage you to question your practices and think of one family that you have found harder to engage. Try a different strategy and see if it changes the relationship.

When might a parent book in for a Partnership meeting? Can a Room Leader/Educator request a Parent partnership meeting?

A parent may book in for a Parent partnership meeting for various reasons. These may include:

• To gain an insight into the curriculum/ room routine/ planning & programming.
• To gain insight into child's progress and development.
• To discuss concerns relating to an educator or a complaint that has been made.

Room leaders/Educators and the Leadership team may request a parent partnership meeting in instances where:

• A parent has made a complaint or has expressed a concern.
• To discuss developmental/educational concerns and/or challenging behaviours.
• To gain insight into parent's goals, culture and home routine.
• To implement a behavioural guidance plan.