Family Participation and Communication Policy
“Families are the primary influence in their children’s lives and also have strong beliefs and values regarding the education and care of their children, and the experiences in which their children should be able to participate. Effective relationships between educators and families are fundamental to the quality of education and care that children receive.” Adapted from the Guide to the National Quality Framework, ACECQA (2020)
Parent involvement in a child’s early childhood education results in quality learning and care, leading to better social, emotional and learning outcomes for children. Parents play an integral role in a child’s early childhood education and care. Our educators create a welcoming, culturally safe, inclusive environment for everyone, supporting our Centre to be an integral part of the community.
Family participation at Styles Street is an important part of making our Centre a true part of the community and creating an environment that is welcoming and inclusive and supports a sense of belonging for children, families and educators.
We welcome and facilitate family participation and open communication in the Centre by encouraging families to engage with their children’s education and care and the upkeep of the service premises.
Families are invited to become part of the Committee of Management (COM) or one of the Sub-Committees, contribute to the upkeep of the Centre and related working bees, attend social gatherings, and/or make an additional voluntary contributions of at least $100. These contributions are crucial in enabling our Styles Street community to keep our Centre vibrant, well kept, and safe for all our children. These additional family contributions enable us to keep our fees below the market rate.
Families are invited to participate in their child’s learning through invitation to Centre events, spending time sharing stories or other learning experiences with their child’s class, invitation to share feedback on the program of learning, feedback through regular surveys and setting goals for their child in conjunction with their child’s focus educator. In turn, we value input of families, educators and the wider community to help create a Centre that meets the needs of the children who attend. We encourage open communication through the enrolment and orientation process, policy reviews, participation in Centre activities, feedback forms, participation in the COM or Sub-Committees, the curriculum, documentation, formal and informal meetings, emails and conversations.
