8.1 Why Working With Families Is So ImportantBuilding supportive.docx

8.1 Why Working With Families Is So Important
Building supportive and collaborative relationships with
families is one of the most important priorities in early
childhood education. Trust between home and school is built
over time, starting with the very first phone call or visit to the
program. Positive relationships between program staff and
family members are supported in small ways, such as the
friendly tone of voice a teacher uses at pickup time, or in big
ways, such as the welcoming policies described in the family
handbook.
Benefits to Children
Just as infants and young children must learn how to trust others
in order to learn and grow, an early childhood program must
earn a family's trust before the child can fully participate in
what the program has to offer. Children benefit when families
and teachers communicate and work closely together, forming
trusting relationships and sharing expectations and ideas
(Barbour, 2007).
Strong parent-school relationships create positive outcomes for
children both cognitively and emotionally (Callender & Hansen,
n.d.). For example, studies of Head Start children reveal a
positive correlation between parent involvement and children's
academic growth in the areas of vocabulary, literacy, and
mathematics (Wen, Bulotsky-Shearer, Hahs-Vaughn, &
Korfmacher, 2012). Other studies indicate that parental
involvement in school improves children's behavior and self-
esteem, and it also decreases the chances children will be
referred for special education services (Callender & Hansen,
n.d.; Henrich & Blackman-Jones, 2006; Pena, 2000).
Benefits to Families
Parents and other family members, such as grandparents, also

benefit from family involvement in early childhood programs.
The staff members of the early childhood programs, including
administrators, teachers, and caregivers, serve as role models
for parents, demonstrating nurturing and learning relationships
and interactions. Parents who spend time in their children's
early childhood classrooms learn strategies for supporting
children's learning that they can use in their own interactions
with their children (Keyser, 2006).
Benefits to the Program
For the early childhood administrator, building a strong
collaborative partnership with families is good for business.
Whether your organization is nonprofit or for-profit, your
program's success and reputation are built on the positive word
of mouth generated by happy families. From marketing to fee
collection, strong collaborative relationships with families will
help make every part of the administrator's job easier and more
productive.
Parent involvement also helps inform and enhance the work of
teachers and administrators. When parents and teachers
communicate frequently, teachers learn more about the
traditions, values, and culture of the families, and can use this
information to shape the curriculum and activities (Gonzales-
Mena, 2008).
For administrators, parent involvement can sometimes help the
program comply with regulations and requirements. For
example, every Head Start program is required to have parent
representatives serve on an advisory board (Family
Development Services, 2012).
Challenges
Working with parents can be challenging. Parents of young
children are busy and often stressed. Any time there are
differences between a family's beliefs and values and the beliefs

and values of program staff members, there is the potential for
conflict and misunderstanding. Linguistic and cultural diversity
can create obstacles to good communication.
There is an intensity to the relationships teachers and caregivers
form with children, and this intensity sometimes results in a
tendency to judge parents and the decisions that they make.
Early childhood professionals at all levels need training and
guidance to form successful partnerships with parents. Teachers
and caregivers also need the support of their supervisors,
mentors, and role models to learn to be open and sensitive to
parents and families, to be supportive and empathetic without
judgment (Carter, 1992).
8.2 Strategies for Successful Partnerships
A program's commitment to families begins with the
organization's mission. As described in Chapter 1, a good
mission statement explains the purpose of the organization and
what it hopes to achieve. For most early childhood programs,
that mission will include specific references to working with
and supporting families. All of the program's materials, in both
the text and the images, from the organization's logo to the
philosophy statement that's printed in the brochure, should
consistently communicate that working with and respecting
families is a top priority.
Helping families feel welcome and respected in an early
childhood program may begin with the warm smile and greeting
they receive as they enter the doors, but there are several key
practices that are essential for supporting these connections
between the early childhood program and the families it serves.
These practices include effective communication, establishing
policies that are welcoming to families, and incorporating
adequate staff training.
Effective Communication
The administrator establishes, supports, and maintains systems

for ongoing communication with families, both formally and
informally. Regular and ongoing communication between staff
and families is the primary method for building the relationship
between home and school (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009).
Communications begin with the family handbook and the
conversations that take place during the enrollment and
orientation process. Administrators ensure that communication
systems are also in place for ongoing daily communication
between classroom staff and families, both verbally at drop-off
and pickup times, as well as in writing, such as daily logs in
which caregivers note when infants were fed and diapered.
During the day, systems must be in place to receive and respond
to phone calls and email messages. Other systems of
communication involve newsletters and websites used to convey
announcements, reminders, and classroom news to families.
Communication systems should include opportunities for
extended dialogue between staff and families, such as parent-
teacher conferences, and also communication between families,
such as parent meetings or family events, where parents can get
to know each other, socialize, and share parenting information.
Administrators ensure that all these systems are in place and
running well, and that the communication is expressed to
families in culturally and linguistically relevant ways, such as
having the monthly newsletter translated into Spanish.
Policies and Documentation
Program policies should be clearly communicated to families.
Written policies, such as one for posting menus and lesson plans
on a parent-directed bulletin board, describe what families can
expect of the program. They also communicate the expectations
families must meet, such as paying tuition on time every month,
to participate in the program.
The policies that describe parent expectations should not all be

restrictive or demanding, and they should demonstrate respect
and a spirit of collaboration in both tone and content. For
example, many programs explicitly welcome families with an
"open door" policy that allows them to visit their child's
classroom at any time. Another way to demonstrate openness to
collaboration is to invite parents to serve in an advisory role
when policies are created or updated.
Staff Training
Staff members at every level, from teachers to custodians,
should be trained to communicate respectfully with families and
respond appropriately to their questions and concerns. The
administrator leads this training process by making sure the
expectations for working are clearly stated in program policies
and materials. The administrator also serves as a role model,
demonstrating warm, welcoming, and respectful interactions
with families.
Training staff is an ongoing process, as new challenges may
develop each time a new family enrolls, or a new issue develops
in the classroom or at home. Training teachers takes time,
commitment, and reflection. Administrators may lead some of
this training themselves, devoting time at staff meetings or in
one-on-one supervision meetings to practice communication
skills or to discuss specific family situations and brainstorm the
best ways to respond.
Teachers need training and guidance in order to learn more
about the families they serve, the general characteristics of the
population and community, as well as the details specific to
each family. They also need to be able to anticipate the
obstacles that might prevent them from forming positive
partnerships with families, such as socioeconomic factors that
might affect a family's ability to participate in school events,
and identify possible strategies to overcome the obstacles, such
as conducting a parent-teacher conference at the child's home
instead of at school. The administrator's role is to develop and

implement training plans that give teachers both the information
and the skills to respond to these situations.
Some training may take place off-site, at conferences or classes.
For example, over the course of a year, training in parent
communication at one early childhood program might include a
combination of monthly staff meeting discussions to address
specific issues with current families, as well as two
opportunities for staff members to attend a workshop on
effective communication. In this case, staff members might
learn techniques for asking questions and listening at the
workshops, and then have a chance to practice those skills in
the context of the family issues currently at play in their
program, such as a family going through a difficult divorce. In
this example the administrator has provided training in general
communication techniques as well as opportunities to apply
those concepts to specific situations.
8.3 Communicating With Families as Part of the Enrollment
Process
Communication between an early childhood program and a
family begins before enrollment. Typically, the first contact is
likely to be a visit to the program's web site. The words and
images families view on a web page is just one of the many
opportunities administrators have to communicate about the
quality of their program as well as to inform families of the
program's philosophy, mission, vision, policies, and procedures.
Websites
Most parents do not make decisions about where to enroll their
children based on a website. Nevertheless, the website plays a
very important role in communicating a first impression
(Stephens, 2004). Many prospective parents use the Internet to
help them identify possible early childhood programs in their
geographic area, and then choose which programs they would
like to visit or learn more about, based on the information they
find online.

An attractive and well-designed website should be easy to read.
Visitors to the site should be able to find the information they
need quickly, with just a few clicks of a mouse.
Most prospective parents want to find the following types of
information online:
Location. Is the program near their home or workplace? Is it
easy to get to from a major road or highway? Is it located in a
safe area? Including a map on the website can help a
prospective parent determine this.
Scope of services. What are the ages of children served? What
are the hours the program is open? When is drop off and
pickup? Are meals provided? Do the children take naps?
Tuition or fees. How much is tuition? How often are parents
charged—weekly? monthly? Are there any discounts for
siblings?
Enrollment procedures. How do families sign up? Is there a
waiting list? Can families visit the classroom before the first
day? What paperwork must be filled out before the first day?
Philosophy or focus. Is the program play-based? What
curriculum do they use? How strict are the teachers? How
important is socialization and friendship? How important is
creative expression? How important is outdoor play?
Prospective parents also may enjoy viewing other information:
Testimonials from satisfied parents, such as a photo of a current
parent with a quote saying, "My son looks forward to going to
preschool each day. He loves his teacher and can't wait to play
with his friends. I'm so glad we enrolled at ABC Preschool."
Sample curriculum plans, such as a lesson plan describing the
learning objectives for the week and what activities will be
available in each interest area.
Photos of classrooms and playgrounds that demonstrate to
families the condition of the facility, the kinds of materials and

equipment available to children, and that give a sense of how
well the children are engaged in program activities.
Lunch and snack menus, such as a daily plan for what might be
served in a classroom at each age level, demonstrating the
variety and types of foods.
History of the program, such as a brief summary of how the
program began and any key developments that demonstrate
growth and success, such as an expansion to a new building.
Credentials or biographies of the staff.
Many websites feature a virtual tour of the facility in the form
of a video clip or slide show. This demonstrates what a parent
might see if he or she walked through the center or school. The
images might be accompanied by text or an audio narration to
point out the key features of the program and facility
Early childhood administrators must commit time and resources
to creating and updating a website. The work may require
volunteer or contracted services from a web designer or other
technology specialists. Images of children and families included
online must be authorized by parents in writing, and the
administrator is responsible for collecting these releases.
The First Visit
The first opportunity to build rapport between staff and families
is the first time a parent calls or visits the program. From the
very first contact, staff members should take care to respond to
families warmly and openly.
The first visit is often the parent attending an open house or
individual tour. Who will lead the tour depends on the size of
the program and the number of different administrative roles.
Usually one of the administrators, such as the director, is in
charge of welcoming and enrolling new families. Parents and
children tend to feel more secure and gain a better impression of
the program when the leader of this entire process is consistent,
from the first tour or visit to the first day of school, and they
see the same face each time they have contact with the program.

The written materials families receive during these initial visits
are also important. Whether they speak up with their questions
or not, most parents making a decision about whether to enroll
their child will likely want to know the following:
When do I drop off my child? When do I pick up my child?
Parents need to know if the hours of the program are compatible
with their work schedule or other family commitments.
Which classroom would my child be in? Parents usually want to
be able to see the actual space where their child will be, so they
can get a sense of how comfortable and inviting it will be.
What is the age range of the other children in the group?
Parents may want to verify that their child is the right age to
enroll, and they may also be concerned that the other children
will be considerably younger or older than their child.
What will my child learn? Parents will have different
preferences and priorities around issues of learning and
curriculum. Some may be looking for a very structured, rigorous
curriculum, while others will want to make sure their children
have plenty of time for child-directed, open-ended play.
Regardless of where they fall on this continuum, parents will
likely ask questions about what and how children will learn in
order to determine if the program is a good fit for their child
and their family.
What happens if my child breaks a rule? Parents generally want
assurance that the teachers will not be overly harsh or strict. At
the same time, most parents also want to be sure that order is
maintained in the classroom.
How much do I have to pay? When do I have to pay it? Parents
want to know if they can afford to enroll their child and if the
payment schedule will be manageable and convenient.
What is a typical day like? Parents want to get a sense of the
flow of the day so they can determine how well the daily
schedule, activities, and routines will meet their child's needs,
interests, and preferences.
What are the backgrounds of the teachers? How do I know if

they will take good care of my child? Most parents have a
difficult time turning the care of their child over to someone
who is initially a stranger. They want to make sure they are
making a good choice for their child. Parents want to know if
the teachers have experience and credentials that demonstrate
they are capable and competent.
Much of this information must be conveyed in individual
conversations. Other information can be in print and given to
parents to take home. General information that is fixed and does
not change, such as the program hours or program philosophy,
can be included in a brochure. Some other information, such as
an annual calendar, will be regularly updated and can be
provided as a separate handout. An information packet for
prospective families would include all of this documentation, as
well as an enrollment application and instructions for
submitting it.
For many parents, the decision to enroll their child in an early
childhood program is one of the first important decisions they
will make as parents. As part of establishing a positive
relationship with families, administrators need to take care not
to rush or pressure families as they make these decisions.
Preenrollment Visits
When the decision has been made, the enrollment paperwork has
been completed, and a start date has been set, the next step is
often a preenrollment or intake visit. This visit is an
opportunity to ask one or both parents questions about their
child's health history, personality and temperament, food
preferences and sleep schedule, favorite activities, and any
other important information, including any special needs the
child may have.
The administrator may conduct the intake interview or it may be
conducted by a social worker or family caseworker, depending
on the structure of the program. For infant child care programs,

at least part of the interview should be conducted by the teacher
or caregiver who will be providing direct care to the baby, so
that the caregiver and the parent can build rapport and have a
chance to ask questions of each other. Usually the baby is
present during the interview, and the parent has an opportunity
to demonstrate how the baby likes to be held or fed.
With older children who are able to understand the adult
conversation, parents may be more open and candid about
sensitive family issues, such as a recent death or illness, if the
child is not present during the interview.
In some early childhood programs, the intake interview with the
parents and the director in the office takes place at the same
time that the child has his or her first visit to the classroom
under the supervision of the teachers. In this case, two goals are
met at the same time: The intake information is collected from
the parent, and the child has an opportunity to begin to get to
know the teacher and become accustomed to the classroom
environment.
A Smooth Transition
Separation anxiety is a normal part of child development, and
one of the roles of early childhood administrators is to create
and implement enrollment practices that are sensitive to
children's feelings during the first few weeks in a new program.
Parents, too, can feel a variety of complex emotions, from
anxiety to excitement, about saying good-bye to children as
they drop them off at a new preschool or daycare.
Generally, children benefit from a gradual transition that
includes an opportunity for the child to spend some time with
the parent in the classroom. In many early childhood programs,
parents are required to stay with their child in the classroom for
at least part of the day. Busy parents with demanding work
schedules may be reluctant to devote so much time to the
transition. Providing a little information about separation and

child development can be helpful.
If having parents spend time with children is part of the
program's written policies and these policies have been fully
communicated to families prior and during enrollment, parents
will be much more willing to follow the policies.
Administrators set the stage for a successful transition by
creating an enrollment process that includes a gradual
transition, documenting that process in the family handbook and
enrollment materials, and training staff to welcome families and
work with both parents and children during the transition.
8.4 Ongoing Communication With Families
Once a child has settled in, communication between staff and
families may be less frequent and detailed, but regular contact
is still very important. Parent communication is not one-size-
fits-all; to meet the needs of a variety of families in a variety of
situations, multiple methods of communication must be
employed. Through ongoing communication, administrators are
responsible for ensuring that the connections between families,
like invisible threads, are maintained each day.
Direct (Face-to-Face) Conversation
Each time parents drop off or pick up their children is an
opportunity for building rapport through informal, friendly
conversation. Warmly greeting each family member by name
goes a long way in establishing trusting relationships between
staff and families. Administrators communicate expectations to
staff regarding how to greet and talk with parents both in
writing, through staff handbooks and training materials, and
verbally, through supervision, training and modeling. Some
programs make it a standard practice that every parent is
greeted by name each time he or she enters the classroom.
For parents whom English is not the home language, staff
members can demonstrate their commitment to making
connections with families by learning how to greet parents in

their home language. Again, the administrator sets the tone and
expectations for staff interactions with parents.
Notes and Reports
Many early childhood programs have teachers provide daily
notes or reports to families that include information about the
child's mood, what he or she ate, how he or she slept, and what
activities the child enjoyed that day. These kinds of notes are
especially important for infants and young toddlers who are still
on an individualized eating and sleeping schedule. The notes
help the parents plan the evening and understand what their
child needs during the transition from program to home.
Other forms of written communication are more general, such as
newsletters and bulletin boards (Figure 8.2). Posting online
newsletters and maintaining virtual bulletin boards are another
option, though most parents also appreciate having hard copies
available onsite. The administrator develops the plans and
expectations for the program's written communications and
either implements the plan or delegates the tasks to other staff
members. For example, the administrator may set up a rotation
by which each lead teacher takes a turn updating the parent
bulletin boards once a month. For online postings, the
administrator may need to seek a volunteer, such as a parent or
board member, or a paid contractor with specific expertise in
setting up and editing web pages. The administrator must ensure
that whatever content is posted, the text of the web page or the
notices on the bulletin board are well written and accurate.
Often the role of the administrator is to solicit input from
teachers for newsletters or web pages, and then the
administrator writes and edits the final document.
Respecting confidentiality is always a consideration when
materials are distributed widely. Children's photos, full names,
and other identifying information should not be used in
newsletters or web pages unless the access to the materials is

restricted to currently enrolled families and the parents have
given written permission.
Phone Calls
Phone calls to and from parents take place for many reasons.
Parents may call just to check on how their children are doing,
especially if they have a concern that the child might not be
feeling well. Administrators may screen these calls through a
central, general line or, depending on the phone system in the
facility and the staff member's availability to answer the phone,
the calls may be received directly in the classroom.
As email communication becomes more widely used, phone
calls to and from parents are becoming more rare. However, if a
child is not feeling well or is upset and the staff members
(usually in consultation with the administrator) decide that the
parent should be contacted, a phone call is still the most direct
way to reach them. Many early childhood programs make it a
policy to call a parent any time a child is hurt, even with a very
minor injury, or any time a child shows any symptom of illness.
In some programs the teacher or caregiver makes the call. In
other programs the administrator or director makes the call. In
either case, the administrator is responsible for making sure that
accurate contact information is on file for parents and family
members.
Email and Text Messages
Many parents and family members prefer communication by
email or text because they are not able to take phone calls at
work. Early childhood administrators are responsible for
supervising and screening the email and text correspondences
between staff and families to ensure that the content and style
of these messages are professional, accurate, and appropriate.
Emailing and texting are quick and convenient ways to
communicate but are not the best ways to convey sensitive
information. Many administrators reserve email for general

announcements, such as news about field trips schedules or
menu changes. Texting is used rarely by early childhood
professionals and usually only when a parent has requested it,
such as for a quick reminder about an upcoming parent meeting.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
In an ordinary day there is just not enough time for teachers and
caregivers to talk with parents at length about their children. A
parent-teacher conference is an opportunity for staff and parents
to meet and talk together, to review the child's progress, to
listen and respond to parents' questions and concerns, and to
plan together for how to continue to support the child's growth
and development.
Administrators are responsible for creating a structure for
parent conferences and ensuring that the conference schedule
works for everyone involved—parents, children, and staff.
Ideally, the conferences are scheduled on a regular basis, not
just when issues arise. Early childhood administrators are
responsible for regularly scheduling these meetings and for
developing a plan to make teachers or caregivers available for
conferences. Sometimes this may mean the administrator must
schedule substitutes to cover classrooms while staff members
conduct the conferences.
In some early childhood programs, the administrator attends the
conferences. In others the teachers lead them independently.
Whether the administrator attends the conference is usually
determined by the teacher's level of skill in communicating with
parents about curriculum and assessment, and in the complexity
and sensitivity of the issues to be discussed. For example, an
administrator may lead a conference when a teacher is new,
modeling for the teacher how to structure the conference and
build rapport. Or an administrator may sit in on a conference to
support a more skilled and experienced teacher because the
teacher has concerns about a child, and wants to refer the family
for additional screening and assessment.

Many parents are nervous about attending a formal conference.
They may associate these kinds of meetings with negative
childhood experiences and worry that their child or their
parenting is going to be held up to judgment. Administrators
should train the staff to develop strategies for setting the
parents at ease. Sharing photos or work samples that
demonstrate the child's positive experiences in the program is
often an effective technique for opening a conference. Parents
should be invited to share their impressions and questions.
Ideally, conferences are a two-way conversation. When a
specific concern must be communicated, it should be done with
sensitivity and clarity. For example, if the program staff have a
concern that a child's speech and language is delayed, the
teacher might begin the conference by describing the child's
strengths, demonstrating that the program staff know and
respect the child and family before sharing their concern. When
the teacher (or administrator, depending on who attends and
leads the conference) states his or her concern about the child's
speech and language, the teacher should be direct and specific,
using details and examples to demonstrate the reasons for the
concern. The parents should leave the conference with a sense
that their child is valued and understood by the program staff.
8.5 Parent Participation
Although parents and families are important in every early
childhood program, the opportunities for parents to participate
will vary depending on the mission, philosophy, and structure of
the program. For example, a nursery school that was founded by
parent volunteers, sometimes known as a parent co-op, would
likely have a very strong tradition of hands-on parent
involvement in classroom activities. Programs with mandates
that require participation, such as Head Start, would have very
structured systems for parent participation. Some early
childhood programs, however, such as a child care center in a
hospital that serves the children of hospital employees, may not

require any structured parent participation, because the mission
of the program is to provide child care in order to free the
parents to focus on their work.
The early childhood administrator is responsible for creating
and maintaining parent participation options and structures that
best serve the philosophy, mission, and structure of the
program. These options and structures will fall in one or more
of the three overlapping categories of parent participation:
parent education, parent support, and parent involvement.
Parent Education and Family Support
The parent education component in an early childhood program
often involves formal meetings and classes. Administrators plan
and implement these services according to various needs and
preferences of the families, the resources available, and the
structure or mission of the program. Activities might teach
specific skills, such as cooking as demonstrated in a special
cooking class, or concepts, such as child development, as
discussed in a workshop that teaches parents how to help
recognize their children's developmental milestones. The goal
of parent education is to improve parenting skills, to increase
parents' understanding of their individual child, as well as child
development in general, and to provide resources to parents.
Support services are usually much more individualized and
open-ended than parent education programming; they may be
conducted in small groups or even individually. Support
services may include discussion groups that are facilitated by a
social worker, in which parents can talk about issues of
concern, such as how to discipline a child or how to make good
decisions about television or computer use. Or they might
involve meetings with a social worker or a family caseworker.
Services may be available on-site, or families might be referred
to human service agencies and health services.
Parent Involvement

Parents offer an extra set of hands, and their contributions—
especially on field trips and during other demanding activities
such as cooking projects—can be very valuable. Parents may
also be invited to assist in ordinary classroom routines, helping
to set up before or clean up after activities, or assisting children
with washing hands or putting on coats. Parents may also be
invited to help with tasks outside of the classroom, such as
supporting the program's fundraising efforts by participating in
gift wrap sales, contributing items to an auction, or selling
tickets to a fundraising event. In some programs, parents serve
in advisory boards or even on the board of directors.
Administrators support the success of a volunteer program by
creating a structure that includes defining the roles of the
volunteers, providing an orientation for them, and training the
staff members who will be working with the volunteers. The
structure need not be complex, but some clarity of roles and
expectations is usually very helpful. Defining the roles of
volunteers, usually in the form of a brief written job
description, is important so that each parent volunteer will
know what is expected of him or her.
The description should make clear what the volunteer will be
asked to do in the classroom, such as assisting with art projects
and reading stories, as well as what the volunteer should not do,
such as supervise children alone during toileting. If the state
licensing code requires that volunteers meet certain
requirements, such as completing a health or background check,
those expectations should also be clearly stated in the
description.
Administrators will also need to train the staff members who
work with parent volunteers in order to make sure they know
what parent volunteers are allowed to do and not do. Staff
members need to understand that they, the professional teachers
and caregivers, are still responsible for the safe supervision of
the children even when there are other adults in the room. Staff

members may also need some guidance and suggestions for how
to appropriately interact with parent volunteers, taking care to
express appreciation for their assistance while still taking the
lead in directing them to assist at the tasks that will be most
useful in the classroom.
Administrators should also develop systems for creating,
maintaining, and communicating volunteer schedules so
teachers will know when they can count on the extra help and
the parent volunteers will know exactly when they should make
themselves available.
Home Visits
One of the best ways for teachers and caregivers to get to know
a child and his or her family is to conduct a home visit. In some
programs, the intake or preenrollment visit takes place in the
child's home. In other programs, a home visit is another type of
parent-teacher conference, a way to talk and listen with
families.
While some families may be initially uneasy about welcoming
staff members into their homes, most parents respond very
positively to home visits and appreciate staff members who
have taken the time and effort to make the visit. Home visits
also help ease feelings of separation for children; seeing their
teacher in their own home helps children develop trust and make
the transition to school.
Early childhood administrators are responsible for preparing
teachers and caregivers to make home visits. Preparations
include scheduling the visits, planning the structure of the visit,
training staff to listen and to respond to families, and
supporting staff with whatever questions or concerns they may
have about conducting the visits. Administrators are also
responsible for the safety of staff members during visits,
especially when visiting homes in high crime areas where staff
members are not familiar with the community. Many agencies

require that staff members always make home visits in pairs, not
alone, for safety reasons.
8.6 Responding to Difficult Situations With Families
In any early childhood program, there are inevitably difficult
situations and conflicts that arise. Families may experience a
crisis, such as a divorce or an illness. A child may struggle with
a challenging behavior, such as biting or toileting accidents, at
home or at school, and the parents and staff may have
conflicting ideas about how the issue should be addressed.
Parents may become unhappy or dissatisfied with some aspect
of the program and bring their complaints to staff members.
Early childhood administrators must provide leadership and
guidance in the resolution of these issues.
The resolution of problems and issues begins with listening
carefully to each person involved and gathering as much
information as possible in order to determine the best response.
Documents such as program policies, procedures, and
handbooks are important and useful tools in making consistent
and fair administrative decisions. Administrators should also be
intentional about making decisions that are grounded in best
practice regarding ethical and professional conduct.
NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct
The everyday actions and decisions of early childhood
professionals have significant impact on the lives of children
and families. The importance of this work is a source of
satisfaction for many early childhood professionals, but it also
creates a burden of responsibility to act with ethical conduct, in
accordance with accepted professional standards for what is
right and wrong. To support early childhood professionals in
this responsibility, the National Association for the Education
of Young Children (NAEYC) has published a Code of Ethical
Conduct that offers guidelines for responsible behavior and sets
forth a common basis for resolving the principal ethical
dilemmas encountered in early childhood care and education.

In 2011, the Code of Ethical Conduct was updated to include a
supplement specific to the work of early childhood
administrators. This supplement was created in recognition that
administrators face additional ethical challenges. Conflicts
often surface in the areas of enrollment policies; dealings with
personnel; and relationships with families, licensors, governing
boards, sponsoring agencies, and others in the community. The
supplement offers additional core values, ideals, and principles
related to the frequently recurring ethical issues encountered by
administrators.
The supplement for early childhood administrators includes the
following ethical responsibilities to families:
The administrator sets the tone for the program in establishing
and supporting an understanding of the family's role in their
children's development. Administrators strive to promote
communication, cooperation, and collaboration between the
home and the program in ways that enhance each child's
development. Because administrators provide the link between
the family and direct services for children, they often encounter
ethical issues in this area of responsibility.
Ideals
I-2.1 To design programs and policies inclusive of and
responsive to diverse families.
I-2.2 To serve as a resource for families by providing
information and referrals to services in the larger community.
I-2.3 To advocate for the needs and rights of families in the
program and the larger community.
I-2.4 To support families in their role as advocate for their

children and themselves.
I-2.5 To create and maintain a climate of trust and candor that
fosters two-way communication and enables parents/guardians
to speak and act in the best interest of their children.
Policies and Documentation
When responding to a difficult situation with a family,
administrators often need to align their response with the
program's written policies. For example, a parent might
complain that the program's nap time is too long because her
daughter isn't sleepy at night and the child is keeping everyone
awake with her restlessness. The parent asks the staff to wake
up her daughter early each day, before the full nap period is
over, in the hope that this will help her daughter sleep better at
night.
The administrator can begin by offering her empathy and
understanding to the parent, who might be exhausted and
frustrated by her daughter's behavior. To help determine
whether the parent's request can be accommodated, the
administrator must look to program documents such as program
policies, procedures, and handbooks. These are important and
useful tools in making consistent and fair administrative
decisions and in communicating those decisions to families.
In the example of the parent who wants her daughter to be
woken up early from nap, the administrator has access to
several documents related to nap time policies and procedures.
One is the state licensing code, which requires that all full-day
early childhood program provide a full two-hour nap time for
children. The code does not require that children sleep during
the two-hour period, but it does require that children have the
opportunity to rest. Another document related to nap-time
policy is the family handbook, which states, in alignment with
the licensing code, that the program offers a two-hour nap

period for children.
Based on these documents, it is clear that the program will not
be able to agree to the parent's request to shorten the child's nap
time. The administrator can use the family handbook as a
reference to explain this to the parent, demonstrating that this is
a policy that applies to all families and is based on the
requirements of the state licensing code. However, the
administrator also knows the procedures that staff use to help
children get up from nap, as documented in the staff handbook.
Children are tucked in and woken up from nap one at a time, as
teachers rotate through the room, not all at once. The option the
administrator can offer the parent is that her daughter could be
the last child tucked in and the first child woken up, a
compromise that would still be consistent with all the program
policies and procedures.
When speaking with families about the contents of the family
handbook, administrators should be aware that many families
may not remember every detail included in the handbooks they
received at the time of enrollment. All families will benefit
from regular reminders and reviews of program practices and
policies. These can come in the form of newsletters, flyers,
parent meetings, emails, bulletin boards, and conversations.
There is no single method of communication that will be
effective and successful with every family. Experienced early
childhood administrators know that important information must
be conveyed multiple times using a variety of methods of
documentation. Policies related to issues that tend to come up
frequently, such as late fee payments, should be reviewed often,
such as once-a-month reminders in newsletters and emails.
Policies related to issues that come up less frequently, such as
the policy for weather-related school closings, would be
reviewed only once or twice a year.

Disenrollment Policies
On the rare occasion that a conflict or issue with a family can't
be resolved, an administrator may be in the difficult position of
having to disenroll a child. Most program policies include
information about disenrollment, a description of the
circumstances and process followed if a family is asked to leave
a program. Many state licensing codes require programs to
provide this written policy to families before enrollment.
A disenrollment policy usually includes a statement of
commitment to families that disenrollment would occur only as
a last resort, the circumstances in which a disenrollment would
be considered (such as a child repeatedly hurting other children
or the nonpayment of tuition), and the methods that would be
used to communicate the disenrollment decision to families
(Figure 8.3).
Figure 8.3: Sample Disenrollment Policy
8.7 Staff Training for Sensitivity and Responsiveness to
Families
In some ways, working with families is an art; it takes an
intangible ability to empathize and understand parents and
families. Using this analogy, administrators are the artists and
the staff members are their apprentices. Specifically, teachers
and caregivers need to know and follow practices and policies
that relate to working with parents and families, and they also
need to know and value the reasons behind the practices and
policies.
One effective practice that helps teachers and caregivers
understand and support families is taking time at staff meetings
to discuss an individual child and family. This is sometimes
called staffing a child, which means gathering an
interdisciplinary team of staff members—including teachers,
administrators, and, if possible, social workers or case

workers—together to devote all of the program's available
resources to supporting one child and his or her family. A
staffing session can be facilitated by an administrator, such as
the center director, or another professional, such as a social
worker or family service worker. Devoting time and attention to
gathering and sharing information about one family can be
helpful in generating empathy with the family and creating
specific strategies for supporting a family and helping a child
be more successful or comfortable at school or in child care.
Sensitivity to Diversity
Often the most challenging aspects of working with parents and
families is cross-cultural communication. For many early
childhood professionals, forming a collaborative relationship
with parents and families can be especially difficult when a
family is from a different cultural background or another
language as their primary mode of communication. One well-
regarded strategy for promoting cross-cultural understanding,
both in and out of the classroom, is antibias education.
Antibias education incorporates a multicultural perspective yet
also includes other forms of bias, such as gender, religion,
physical and mental abilities, and economic class. For example,
an antibias approach in an early childhood program resists
promoted gender bias by ensuring that girls have opportunities
to play with blocks, and boys have opportunities to play with
dolls. Bias regarding religion is countered by, for example,
taking steps to ensure the curriculum covers a broad range of
winter holidays, not just Christmas. Antibias education takes an
active, problem-solving approach that is integrated into both the
curriculum and the ways staff work with parents and families
(Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).
Administrators model and train teachers to use an antibias
approach in working with families by focusing efforts on
effective communication that ensures that every family feels
welcome and understood (Gonzalez-Mena & Pulido-Tobiassen,

1999). Administrators promote effective communication by
training teachers to be available and open to talking with
parents and by demonstrating that openness with a calm and
relaxed tone of voice and body language. Administrators guide
classroom staff to avoid making assumptions about what parents
may be thinking or intending by the things they say or with the
choices they make for their children. Asking questions to clarify
meaning and taking time to listen carefully to parents' responses
are effective communication strategies.
Other helpful strategies include using open-ended and inclusive
language in conversation and in written materials, such as using
enrollment forms that list "parent" instead of "mother" or
"father" and by providing materials in the child's home
language.
Another strategy is learning about the family and the family's
culture through home visits or, if home visits are not possible,
by visiting the neighborhood where the family lives.
Language barriers can be a significant obstacle in
communicating with parents and family members. For many
families, early childhood programs function as a bridge between
the home culture and the dominant culture. Although programs
differ in their approach to bilingual education, communication
with families can be significantly improved and enhanced when
materials are available in the home language and when
interpretation services are available. If staff members do not
know the family's home language, they can learn key phrases,
such as greetings. Whenever possible, administrators can
prioritize the hiring of staff members who speak the home
languages of the families served.
Working With Parents of Children With Special Needs
Early childhood administrators can support the families of
children with special needs by creating and implementing

policies that help identify and include children with special
needs; by modeling supportive relationships and effective
communication; and by training and guiding teachers and
caregivers to work with children with special needs. Similar to
an antibias approach, administrators lead the staff in using
inclusive and respectful language to describe children and to
talk with families. For example, administrators can train staff to
use person-first language, which uses the disability as a
descriptor, not as the noun (Folkins, 1992). For example,
instead of saying a child is "a stutterer," one would say, "a child
who stutters."
The definitions of special needs can vary, but in the context of
early childhood education, the term generally describes a
disability that limits the child's mobility, learning, or
communication. The child's special need may be identified
during pregnancy, at birth, or during the child's first years of
life. For some children, the special need may have been
identified before the child enrolls in the early childhood
program.
The inclusion of children with special needs in early childhood
classrooms is partly due to the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) of 1975—which requires that all children
with disabilities receive appropriate education in the "least
restrictive environment"—and partly due to the commitment of
many early childhood organizations to provide a welcoming and
inclusive environment for all children.
Sometimes a child's special need is not identified until after the
child is enrolled. The early childhood administrator and the
staff can play a role in providing referrals and supports to
families during this process. Whether the special need is
identified before or after enrollment, administrators can ensure
that teachers and caregivers are responsive to the questions and
concerns of each family by training teachers to identify the

special education services and practices that are relevant and
appropriate for each family. For example, educators need to
understand how their relationship with the child and family fits
into a child's Individual Family Service Plans (IFSPs) and
Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Both plans are part of IDEA
legislation.
An IFSP describes early intervention services for a child
younger than age 3. An IEP is developed by the local school
system for a child age 3 and older. Both plans state the goals
and objectives for the child's developmental and educational
progress and describe who will deliver the specialized services,
such as speech therapy, and how the child's progress will be
assessed.
An essential part of these plans is the parent's participation and
agreement. Often the role of the early childhood administrator
is to help the parents understand the plan, to advocate for
appropriate changes or improvements in services, and to assist
in the coordination of services from various agencies (Ray,
Pewitt-Kinder & George, 2009).
Parents of children with special needs often face a complex
variety of emotional, logistical, and financial challenges.
Administrators, as well as teachers and caregivers, can best
support families by being open to understanding and learning
about the child's disability and the impact it has on the life of
the family.
8.8 Collaborating With the Community
Each early childhood program is, in itself, a small community.
The administrator is the leader, working to ensure that all
members, including parents, feel included and valued. In most
early childhood programs the administrator can also helps
connect families to the community at large—the neighborhood,
town, or city in which the families live. Administrators do this
by referring some families to specific services, by keeping all
families informed about opportunities in the community, and by

supporting each family in its transition from the early childhood
program to the child's next step, usually enrollment in a
kindergarten or elementary school.
Administrators make referrals when a family has a specific
issue where the administrator recognizes the need for supports
that are beyond the scope of the early childhood program. One
example is a referral to a family for screening and evaluation
services when there is a possibility a child might have a
developmental delay or disability. Another example would be a
referral for counseling services if a family member is
experiencing mental health issues.
If the program serves low-income families, referrals could be
made to food banks and other community services that provide
economic supports. These kinds of referrals should be made
one-on-one, in private, with respect for the sensitive nature of
the issues. Administrators must have access to current
information about these resources so they can be responsive to
families' needs. Local government agencies, such as a city's
human services department, as well as local public school
systems, are often good resources for early childhood directors.
Early childhood administrators can also help connect families to
resources and opportunities in the community that might be of
interest to any family with young children, such as recreational
activities at parks, sporting events, enrichment classes offered
by public or commercial arts organizations, or family events
offered by other educational organizations. A community
bulletin board located in a central hallway is one way to post
these kinds of opportunities. Email, websites, and social media
are other options for distributing this information to families.
Administrators can also invite families to share this kind of
information with each other as they discover new opportunities
in the community.
Administrators can also help connect families to the community

by helping them transition a child from the early childhood
program to the next step, usually enrollment in kindergarten or
an elementary school. Administrators and teachers can provide
information and advice to families in print, such as preparing
and distributing an FAQ (frequently asked questions) form
about making the transition to kindergarten. The program could
also host a kindergarten information night when teachers and
other representatives from local schools could be invited to
speak to families and respond to their questions.
Administrators can also meet one-on-one with parents, listening
to parents' questions, concerns, and hopes, and offering
information and guidance about how children usually
experience the transition and what their needs might be. Some
early childhood programs host "reunion" events after children
make the transition, to welcome the families back for a visit and
to hear about the children's progress and experiences. An event
like this that maintains the connections between the program
and the family even after the child has left the program
emphasizes the depth of the connection and the strength of the
community the administrator has created.
Gadzikowski, A. (2013). Administration of early childhood
education programs (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site.. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
1. Because the first week of school is crucial for setting good
habits with parents, I would email each child’s parents with an
update on what is happening in the classroom by the end of the
first week. I have found that many parents prefer email over
other forms of communication, and communicating from the
beginning in neutral and positive ways will help parents avoid
the negative stigma of being contacted by their child’s teacher.

2. Monthly communication:
1. September: As mentioned, I will make an effort to contact all
parents by the end of the first week of school.
2. October: Since October is still near the beginning of the
school year, it is a good month to continue making a positive
early impression with parents. In October, I will contact each
parent about something specific that each child is doing
particularly well. This can include anything from scoring
especially high on a test to being particularly kind to another
student.
3. November: In November, I will send an email asking parents
for any specific questions they have about what their child is
learning. This shows parents that I want to keep them engaged
in the classroom.
4. December: In December, I will make an effort to speak to as
many parents individually as possible while they are attending
their child’s Christmas concert. Again, this will be focused on
positive communication.
5. January: As January is the beginning of the new semester, I
will send parents a newsletter that both summarizes what
students learned in the fall and describes what they will learn in
the spring.
6. February: Parents are often less involved in school in the
winter months than they are at the beginning of the year, so I
will contact parents to ask for volunteers in the classroom and
other activities in February.
7. March: Again, many parents will be at school for their
child’s spring concert in march, so it is an appropriate time to
strategically speak to parents in person.
8. April: In April, I will ask parents about any concerns they
may have as their child prepares to move to the next grade.
9. May: Because students are often less engaged during the last
month of school, I will implement a similar strategy to October
and contact each child’s parents with something positive. In the
spring, this can also include something I have seen the student
improve in significantly over the year.

10. June: In June, I will send parents a final newsletter
wrapping up what students have learned over this school year.
3. By increasing communication with parents, I expect to see
parents more engaged in what is happening in the classroom and
more interested in what their children are learning.

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