Promotes Program Partnerships with Families

The professional working with young children implements policies that promote partnerships with families and allow the program to be responsive to families' preferences and styles

Resources & Media for Understanding Competency 7.5

Behaviors & Skills

• a
  Maintains a physical environment that is accessible to all children and families
  
  
• b
  Uses information from families to adapt the program structure or curriculum
  
  
• c
  Ensures that the program communicates parents' rights in a format and language that is most comfortable for families
  
  
• d
  Provides families with a variety of choices for participating in the program (i.e., volunteer opportunities, advisory groups, helping with repairs, etc.)
  
  
• e
  Implements procedures that allow families to visit at any time during the program day
  
  
• f
  Sponsors activities that meet the parenting needs of the program's families
  
  
• g
  Considers families' schedules and availability and provides child care when planning events, and offers evening and weekend options so that families are able to participate in meetings and activities
  
  
• h
  Makes available a current list of resources for families
  
  
• i
  Provides families with updates on children's progress on a regular (at least quarterly) basis
  
  
• j
  Makes sure that professionals can speak privately with families on a regular basis
  
  
• k
  Helps families manage their child's transition between groups, teachers, classrooms, and programs
  
  
• l
  Provides opportunities for families to meet together to work on projects or provide support for each other
  
  
• m
  Provides families with choices to use technology to access information or communicate with the program and other families
  
  
• n
  Supports breastfeeding by accepting, storing and feeding children breast milk, coordinating feedings with the infant's mother, and providing a comfortable place for mothers to nurse (if applicable)