When families, communities and early childhood professionals work together, children-students are more successful- working together to build positive and goal oriented relationships. It is definitely a shared responsibility of families and staff requiring mutual respect for the roles that each member has to offer.
At Creative Care ELA family engagement and involvement focuses on cultural and family responsive relationship building honoring and supporting the parent-child relationship. Our families are the key element of our program, we work tirelessly to build relationships and partnerships with our families.
We have an active Parent Advisory Committee who has a very important part to play in our facility. The chairperson welcomes each family by email after enrollment and helps the parent become familiar with the policies and procedures as they adjust to the new environment.
At Creative Care ELA family engagement and involvement focuses on cultural and family responsive relationship building honoring and supporting the parent-child relationship. Our families are the key element of our program, we work tirelessly to build relationships and partnerships with our families.
We have an active Parent Advisory Committee who has a very important part to play in our facility. The chairperson welcomes each family by email after enrollment and helps the parent become familiar with the policies and procedures as they adjust to the new environment.
Throughout the year we plan several family engagement opportunities for our families such as family potluck gatherings, parent Christmas-Holiday breakfast, field trips, Parent's night out, ice cream socials, Muffins for Mom and our annual Donuts for Dad celebration. The list could go on and on....
The Ruiz family had a special visit earlier this year from Honduras. It was the grandparents- Abuela and Abuelo for Alex and Micheal...
What an exciting time for them to experience their culture first hand. I asked permission to post this photo of outdoor cooking on our facebook page and it generated quite a bit of interest and likes. It's a "wish I could be there" or smell-e-vision opportunity.
Diversity plays a key role in the childcare setting, finding ways to incorporate your families ethnic and cultural backgrounds adds so much to the learning environment. The addition of cultural backgrounds into the classroom by way of art activities, adding scarves and clothing into the housekeeping center and including diverse musical instruments to the music center aides in providing ways to enhance understanding and value to the center families. It also creates a supportive collaboration of inclusion of all families that make a center -a family.
Our Grandparent's Day celebration was a wonderful opportunity for Creative Care to honor the grandparents and great-grandparents of the children who attend our facility. Each classroom worked really hard to complete projects and gifts to present to their grandparents. I must say this was an absolute blessing to see the connections and love that the children have with their grandparents, I look forward to next year's celebration!
I felt so empowered by this event, it makes me even more excited about becoming a grandparent one day-
What an exciting time for them to experience their culture first hand. I asked permission to post this photo of outdoor cooking on our facebook page and it generated quite a bit of interest and likes. It's a "wish I could be there" or smell-e-vision opportunity.
Diversity plays a key role in the childcare setting, finding ways to incorporate your families ethnic and cultural backgrounds adds so much to the learning environment. The addition of cultural backgrounds into the classroom by way of art activities, adding scarves and clothing into the housekeeping center and including diverse musical instruments to the music center aides in providing ways to enhance understanding and value to the center families. It also creates a supportive collaboration of inclusion of all families that make a center -a family.
Our Grandparent's Day celebration was a wonderful opportunity for Creative Care to honor the grandparents and great-grandparents of the children who attend our facility. Each classroom worked really hard to complete projects and gifts to present to their grandparents. I must say this was an absolute blessing to see the connections and love that the children have with their grandparents, I look forward to next year's celebration!
I felt so empowered by this event, it makes me even more excited about becoming a grandparent one day-
TIP & TRICKS
Having a Parent Advisory Board for your facility will enhance parent involvement-offer you're parents the opportunity to be heard and feel more than just paying customers...they really are much-much more!
Until next time
Ms. Carolyn