Issuing WarningsWrite a paper that identifies a disaster and dis

Issuing Warnings
Write a paper that identifies a disaster and discuss the various
warning systems that could be used to notify the public and
provide instructions.
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each type of warning
system.
Your well-written paper should be 3-4 pages in length and
formatted
Collaborating With
Families 8
David Young-Wolff/Photographer’s Choice/Getty Images
Pre-Test
1. Once the enrollment process is complete,
communication between administrators and
families takes place only if there is a problem or
an emergency. T/F
2. Families may initially learn about a program
through a website, but need to visit the program
in person to make a decision about whether to
enroll. T/F
3. Administrators should let the teachers handle
all communication between school and family,
including the administrator in a conversation only
if there is a serious problem. T/F

4. Family support services, such as referrals to a
food pantry, should be offered at every parent
meeting. T/F
5. The specific words early childhood professionals
use to talk with families are not important as long
as they are spoken with warmth and kindness. T/F
Answers can be found at the end of the chapter.
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Explain how collaboration with families benefits children,
families, and programs.
2. Identify strategies for successful collaboration with families,
and explain the administrator’s role in implementing
the strategies.
3. Summarize the ways programs communicate with families
during the enrollment process, and explain how these
experiences influence the quality of the relationships that
follow after the child is enrolled.
4. List strategies for ongoing communication with currently
enrolled families, both informal and formal.
5. Compare and contrast three models of parent participation:
parent education, family support, and parent
involvement.
6. Explain the importance of staff training on the topic of
working with families, and summarize the administrator’s
role in supporting professional development in this area.

7. Describe the unique challenges and stresses that parents of
children with special needs face, and describe the
administrator’s role in ensuring that staff members develop
collaborative relationships with this group of families.
8. Identify actions administrators can take to connect families to
the community at large.
© 2019 Bridgepoint Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Not for
resale or redistribution.
CHAPTER 8Section 8.1 Why Working With Families Is So
Important
It’s parent meeting night at the YMCA child care center. Since
starting in the director job, Lindsay
has continued the system put in place by the former director: On
the first Wednesday of each month
families are invited to stay at the center for a potluck dinner
followed by a parent meeting. While the
parents meet, the children are entertained with an art project or
movie in one of the classrooms. For
each meeting Lindsay selects a topic she thinks will be of
interest to the parents and finds a speaker to
lead the meeting. This month she has a nurse practitioner from
the local hospital who will talk with
families about how to stay healthy during cold and flu season.
Lindsay welcomes the families as they gather in the meeting
room with their potluck dishes. About
10 parents and a dozen children have arrived. Everyone is
eating and socializing, and Lindsay is
pleased that the group is so friendly and comfortable. But she

also notices that these are the same
10 parents who have been coming to every parent meeting she
has offered over the past few months,
and she was hoping that some additional parents would attend.
There seems to be a small core group
of families who enjoy attending these meetings, parents who
seem to already know each other from
their neighborhood.
Lindsay wonders how she can reach more families through the
parent meetings. Should she offer
different topics? Should she change the night of the meeting?
Or maybe she should add some other
activities that might draw broader participation? Maybe a
morning coffee hour with a facilitated
discussion during drop-off time?
Lindsay decides she needs to gather more information about the
needs and interests of the parents
and families. She makes a plan to have one-on-one
conversations with as many parents as she can
over the next two weeks, asking them about what kinds of
events and activities they might enjoy and
value. She will also send around a short parent survey via email .
Also, she makes a note to talk with
teachers about this topic at the next staff meeting and ask for
their input.
Lindsay knows the value of parent participation from her years
of working as a classroom teacher,
and she’s determined to find ways to develop and implement a
structure that will support families
in her new administrative role.
Introduction

In this chapter we will look at the issues and challenges early
childhood administrators like Lindsay may face as they work to
build strong partnerships between home and school. This
chapter will present plans, strategies, and practices that
administrators develop and implement regarding
communication, parent participation, and staff training.
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, start-ing 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.
CHAPTER 8Section 8.1 Why Working With Families Is So
Important
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 admin-
istrators, 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 inter-
actions 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 posi-
tive word of mouth generated by

happy families. From marketing
to fee collection, strong collabor-
ative 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 com-
municate frequently, teachers
learn more about the traditions,
values, and culture of the fami-
lies, and can use this informa-
tion to shape the curriculum and
activities (Gonzales-Mena, 2008).
iStockphoto/Thinkstock
For many parents, the first day of enrollment is also the first
time they have trusted someone outside of their own family to
care for their child.
CHAPTER 8Section 8.2 Strategies for Successful Partnerships
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 representa-
tives 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 empa-
thetic without judgment (Carter, 1992).
Questions to Think About
1. Think about your own experience growing up. In what ways
was your family involved
with your school? Do you feel that had any impact on your
school experience?
2. What are some of the challenges to forming successful and
supportive teacher-parent
relationships?
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 bro-
chure, 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).

CHAPTER 8Section 8.2 Strategies for Successful Partnerships
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 web-
sites 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 pay-

ing 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 admin-
istrator 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 form-
ing positive partnerships with families, such as socioeconomic
factors that might affect a family’s
CHAPTER 8Section 8.3 Communicating With Families as Part
of the Enrollment Process
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 administra-
tor’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 confer-
ences 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 oppor-
tunities for staff members to attend a workshop on
effective communication. In this case, staff members
might learn techniques for asking questions and lis-
tening 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 com-
munication techniques as well as opportunities to
apply those concepts to specific situations.
1. Suppose the mom of an 18-month-old enrolled in a child care
center has a question
about when her child will be ready to start toilet training. She
forgets to ask the teacher
at drop-off time, so when she gets to work, she calls the center
but gets a busy signal.
She tries again in the afternoon and gets an answering machine.
How might the par-
ent feel about this difficulty reaching someone at the center by
phone? What could the
administrator do to address this issue?
2. Parents with demanding work schedules may not be able to
take advantage of a school’s
open-door policy. What can administrators do to help these
parents feel connected and
involved even when they are not available to spend time in the
classrooms?
8.3 Communicating With Families as Part of the
Enrollment Process
Communication between an early childhood program and a
family begins before enroll-ment. 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 administra-
tors 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.
Comstock Images/Thinkstock
Administrators model active listening
skills when they listen carefully to teachers
and restate what they have heard in their
own words.
Websites
Most parents do not make decisions about where to enroll their
children based on a website. Nev-
ertheless, 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 (Figure 8.1).
Early childhood administrators must commit time and resources
to creating and updating a web-
site. The work may require volunteer or contracted services
from a web designer or other technol-
ogy specialists. Images of children and families included online
must be authorized by parents in
writing, and the administrator is responsible for collecting these
releases.

Figure 8.1: Sample Website
This web page provides information for both prospective and
current parents.
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, par-
ents will likely ask questions about what and how children will
learn in order to deter-
mine 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 some-
one 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 sepa-
rate handout. An information packet for prospective families
would include all of this documenta-
tion, 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 fam-
ilies, 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 tempera-
ment, food preferences and sleep schedule, favorite activities,
and any other important informa-
tion, 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 infor-
mation 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.
What Would You Do?
Wendy Austen is the director of a child care center. Wendy has
made sure that the policies regarding
the transition of new children into the program are clearly
described in the family handbook. At Wen-
dy’s center the first day is always a half-day with one of the
parents staying with the child throughout
the morning. They’ve found the children adjust well when the
first day is a short one. The children can
focus on learning the classroom routines and making friends,
without having to worry about taking a
nap at school or having to say good-bye and separate from their

parents.
One day Wendy is talking with a mom, Kim, whose son, Elijah,
is about to start in the 2-year-old room.
Kim mentions that her sister will be picking up Elijah on the
first day of school. It seems that Kim has
either not read the policy or she misunderstood it, because she
tells Wendy that she can’t stay with
Elijah on the first day of school because she has an important
meeting at work.
If you were in Wendy’s position, what would you do?
a. Make an exception for Elijah. He seems like a secure and
confident child, and he will probably be
fine even if his mother can’t stay with him.
b. See if another family member, such as Kim’s sister, can stay
with Elijah for his first day.
c. Ask Kim to reschedule Elijah’s first day to a day when she is
available to be there with him for the
whole morning.
d. Insist that Kim commit to the plan for Elijah and be there
with him at school, regardless of her
work schedule.
Explanation: Wendy knows that the policy at the center—that a
parent accompany the child for the
first half-day of school—is based on years of experience
successfully welcoming new families to the
program. Having the parent there gives the child a chance to get
familiar with the environment and
get to know the teachers and other children a bit while still
feeling the security of the parent’s pres-

ence. Even if Elijah is a confident, outgoing child, Wendy still
wants him to have the experience of hav-
ing his parent there with him on his first day. At the same time,
she doesn’t want to alienate Elijah’s
mom by engaging in a difficult conflict at the very start of the
program’s relationship with this family.
There is no single correct answer. Wendy needs to respond
sympathetically to Kim and work out some
kind of plan that will allow for Elijah to have time with a parent
at school and also allow for Kim to
meet her obligations at work.
1. If you were a parent researching child care options online,
what would you most like to
see on the program’s website?
2. What are benefits of having an enrollment process defined in
writing, rather than dealing
with each family on a case-by-case basis?
If having parents spend time with children is part of the
program’s written policies and these poli-
cies 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 cre-
ating 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.

CHAPTER 8Section 8.4 Ongoing Communication With Families
8.4 Ongoing Communication With Families
Once a child has settled in, communication between staff and
families may be less fre-quent 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
situa-
tions, 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 expecta-
tions 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 com-
mitment to making connections with families by learning how to

greet parents in their home lan-
guage. 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 devel-
ops 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. Chil-
dren’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.
Figure 8.2: Sample Newsletter
This monthly newsletter is written by the preschool director and
consists of announcements and reminders
of policies and schedules.
Focus On: Web Cams
Administrators frequently make decisions regarding what
kinds of technology to use in the operation of the early child-
hood program. Increasingly, they are choosing to equip their

facilities with web cams that allow parents to view a live feed
of the classroom where their child is enrolled. To view the
feed, parents must log in to a password protected website.
Parents who value this service enjoy being able to see their
child and know what is happening throughout the day. It helps
them assure them that their child is safe, and they feel better
informed about their child’s experience in child care or school.
The use of web cams in early childhood programs is some-
what controversial, and administrators must weigh different
factors in making decisions regarding their use. Cost is one
factor. But some early childhood professionals are against using
web cams, because they see it as a
violation of privacy for the other children in the group. Parents
certainly have a right to know about
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 becom-
ing 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 symp-
tom 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.
Used by permission of WatchMeGrow
(www.watchmegrow.com).
Many early childhood programs
consider a web cam an essential
component in their “open door policy.”
(continued)

Focus On: Web Cams (continued)
what happens to their own child, but should they be able to view
all the details of the other chil-
dren’s day? Also, there are some concerns that parents may
misinterpret the activities and behav-
iors they see on camera.
Programs that use web cams must be prepared to educate
parents about what they are seeing and
the value of the routines and practices.
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 admin-
istrators 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 administra-
tor 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 sup-
port 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 posi-
tive 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 fam-
ily 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.
CHAPTER 8Section 8.5 Parent Participation
1. If an administrator wants to remind families about upcoming
events, such as parent
meetings, what are some of the options for communicating this
information? List at least
three. What are benefits of each option?
2. What factors would an administrator consider when deciding
whether or not to partici-
pate in parent-teacher conferences?

8.5 Parent Participation
Although parents and families are important in every early
childhood program, the oppor-tunities 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 vol-
unteers, 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 child-
hood programs, however, such as a child care center in a
hospital that serves the children of hos-
pital 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 participa-
tion 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 avail-
able 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 activi-
ties, or assisting children with washing hands or putting on
coats. Parents may also be invited to

CHAPTER 8Section 8.5 Parent Participation
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 mem-
bers 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 volun-
teers, 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 vol-
unteer 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 preenroll-
ment visit takes place in the child’s home. In other pro-
grams, 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,
During home visits, many children enjoy
showing their teachers their pets and toys.
CHAPTER 8Section 8.6 Responding to Difficult Situations With
Families
planning the structure of the visit, training staff to listen and to
respond to families, and support-
ing staff with whatever questions or concerns they may have
about conducting the visits. Admin-
istrators 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 agen-
cies require that staff members always make home visits in
pairs, not alone, for safety reasons.
1. Suppose an administrator initiates a new parent volunteer
program in order to increase
parent involvement in the program, but one of the teachers is
reluctant to have parents
working in her classroom. What could the administrator do to
help that teacher feel
more at ease about the new program?

2. What are some examples of parent education and family
support activities?
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 par-
ents 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 reso-
lution 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 mak-
ing 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 administra-
tors face additional ethical challenges. Conflicts often surface
in the areas of enrollment policies;
dealings with personnel; and relationships with families,
licensors, governing boards, sponsoring
http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/ file/positions/Ethics%20Positi
on%20Statement2011.pdf
Families
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 keep-
ing 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 pro-
gram policies, procedures, and handbooks. These are important
and useful tools in making consis-
tent 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

Families
two-hour period, but it does require that children have the
opportunity to rest. Another docu-
ment 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 refer-
ence 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 hand-
book. 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 meet-
ings, 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 disenroll-
ment 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).
Families
What Would You Do?
Margie Brown is the director of a new infant-toddler child care
center. After just six months in operation, the program is fully
enrolled. Margie was feeling really pleased about the success
of the center, but a recent issue in the toddler room is caus-
ing her some concern. One of the 2-year-olds has been biting.
There have been five incidents when the child has bitten other
children in the class.
Margie knows that biting is not unusual for toddlers, but i n this
case her toddler teachers have tried every possible strategy
to help prevent the biting, and the child is still hurting other
children. Other toddler families have complained, and several
are threatening to pull their children out of the program if the
biting doesn’t stop.
Margie consults the family handbook, which includes a
biting policy.
The policy describe the specific steps the staff will take to
prevent biting, such as monitoring children’s
play to reduce crowding and disputes over toys that may tend to
lead to biting. The policy describes
how teachers will respond when a biting incident occurs, such

as immediately separating the biter
Figure 8.3: Sample Disenrollment Policy
Green Lake Preschool seeks to welcome every child and develop
positive partnerships with every family.
On very rare occasions a child’s or a family’s behavior may
warrant the need for disenrollment. The following
are reasons why we would have to disenroll a child from our
school:
• Child’s ongoing physical or verbal abuse to staff or other
children
• Child’s ongoing uncontrollable tantrums or angry outbursts
• Parent or guardian fails to abide by school policies
• Non-payment of tuition
The decision to disenroll a child is a very difficult one. Our
goal is to actively work with families to
address issues and seek options to resolve them successfully
before disenrollment occurs. When a teacher or
the director has a concern, we will document the concern and
inform the child’s parent by notes, phone calls,
and/or meetings, as necessary, to collaboratively resolve the
issue.
Whenever possible, alternative options will be considered, such
as adapting the child’s daily schedule or initiating
a payment plan. If the issue involves a child’s behavior, we may
suggest an evaluation by a professional consultant
to come in and observe the child in the classroom environment.
If the behavior has not resolved after all options
have been exhausted, a conference will be held with the child’s

parent/guardian to communicate the school’s
decision to disenroll. A follow-up letter will be provided which
will include the reasons for the disenrollment.
Disenrollment Policy
Most state licensing agencies require that a disenrollment policy
be included in the family handbook.
In quality early childhood programs
staffed with trained professionals,
issues such as biting are usually
resolved over time and disenrollment
is rare.
(continued)
CHAPTER 8Section 8.7 Staff Training for Sensitivity and
Responsiveness to Families
What Would You Do? (continued)
from the victim and giving medical care and attention to the
victim. The policy states that if frequent
biting continues after the staff members have exhausted every
intervention strategy, the biter may be
asked to leave the program.
If you were in Margie’s position, what would you do?
a. Disenroll the child who has been biting. The policy is clear

that this is an appropriate action.
b. Warn the family of the child who has been biting that they
have only one more week. If the bit-
ing continues, the child will be disenrolled at the end of the
week.
c. Continue to monitor the situation. The teachers are doing
their best, and eventually the child will
outgrow the behavior
d. Bring in a consultant with expertise in toddler behavior and
development to observe the class-
room and advise the staff in whether or not any additional
interventions could be tried.
Explanation: Based on the biting policy, Maggie has grounds for
disenrollment. The teachers tell her
they have tried every possible solution and intervention. But
before she makes the final decision, she
may want to make absolutely sure that there are no other
interventions. Option d, bringing in a con-
sultant, may be a wise choice if Maggie can act quickly and get
someone to come right away.
1. The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct refers to creating a
“climate of trust and candor.”
What does that mean? What steps could an administrator take to
create that kind of
climate?
2. Think of an example of a conflict or issue involving parents
and families that an adminis-
trator might have to address. What documents might serve as

tools in the resolution of
the issue?
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, admin-
istrators, 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 sup-
porting 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 communi-
cation. 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 anti-
bias 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 regard-
ing 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 commu-
nication 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 class-
room 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 “par-
ent” instead of “mother” or
“father” and by providing materi-
als 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 sig-
nificant obstacle in communi-
cating 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 edu-
cation, communication with families can be significantly
improved and enhanced when materi-
als are available in the home language and when interpretation
services are available. If staff
Tim Boyle/Getty Images News/Getty Images
Early childhood professionals can learn more about the families
in their programs by spending time in the neighborhoods and
communities where families live.
Training, experience, and mentoring help early childhood
professionals develop an understanding and accepting attitude
to all families.
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, administra-
tors 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 Edu-
cation Act (IDEA) of 1975—which
requires that all children with
disabilities receive appropriate
education in the “least restric-
tive environment”—and partly
due to the commitment of many
early childhood organizations to
provide a welcoming and inclu-

sive environment for all children.
Sometimes a child’s special need
is not identified until after the
child is enrolled. The early child-
hood administrator and the staff
can play a role in providing refer-
rals 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 ser-
vices 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
CHAPTER 8Section 8.8 Collaborating With the Community
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 appropri-
ate 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.
1. Is training teachers to be culturally sensitive something an
administrator can delegate to
someone else? Why or why not?
2. What are some examples of person-first language? How
might using person-first language
benefit children?
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 commu-
nity 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 rec-
ognizes 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 orga-
nizations, 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,
CHAPTER 8Chapter Summary
Creatas/Thinkstock
Administrators connect families to the
community at large by sharing information
about neighborhood events and
celebrations.
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, usu-
ally 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 kin-
dergarten. The program could also host a kinder-
garten 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 tran-
sition 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.
1. When making a referral for mental health services, why
would an administrator likely
meet with the parents alone, without the child present?
2. Suppose an administrator has invited three local kindergarten
teachers to speak to a
group of parents of preschoolers. What topics might the
administrator ask the kindergar-
ten teachers to address in their presentation?
Chapter Summary
• Because children benefit when their parents are actively
involved in school, building
supportive and collaborative relationships with families is one
of the most important pri-

orities 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.
• The first contacts between a family and the early childhood
program set the tone for the
relationship that follows. Methods of communication with
families during the enroll-
ment process include websites, center tours, and preenrollment
visits.
• Ongoing communication between program staff and currently
enrolled families should
be regular, open, and varied. Methods of communication include
classroom conversa-
tions, phone calls, and parent-teacher conferences.
CHAPTER 8Post-Test
• Three models for parent participation in their child’s early
childhood program include
parent education, family support, and parent involvement.
Parent education involves
classes and workshops for parents. Family support usually
includes specialized referrals
for mental health or economic support services. Parent
involvement might range from
volunteering in the classroom to serving on the board of
directors. The extent that each
of these models is implemented depends on the program
structure and mission.

• Administrators lead the resolution of difficult situations when
families are in crisis or
there is a conflict between a parent and a staff member.
Administrators resolve these
situations by listening and communicating with patience and
sensitivity, by following a
code of ethics, and by utilizing clearly written policies and
handbooks.
• Teachers and caregivers need training in techniques and
concepts related to working
with parents and families. Administrators provide training
opportunities and model
best practice. Developing skills in sensitivity to diversity and in
working with parents of
children with special needs require targeted training and
coaching, such as instruction in
how to implement antibias practices and how to follow an IEP.
• Administrators connect families to the community at large by
making referrals for spe-
cific services, by disseminating information about community
events and opportunities,
and by supporting families in the child’s transition from the
early childhood program to
kindergarten or elementary school.
Post-Test
1. Challenges in collaboration with families often occur when
there are differences between
a. the age of the mother and the age of the father.
b. a community’s general socioeconomic status and the
program’s tuition rates.
c. the time a family signs up for the waiting list and the day of

actual enrollment.
d. a family’s values and the values of program staff members.
2. An “open door” policy means that parents are welcome to
a. pick up their children at any time during the day.
b. come to the office to complain about a teacher.
c. visit their child’s classroom at any time during the day.
d. drop off their children at the front door of the program.
3. During a family’s first contacts with a program, through
emails, phone calls, and visits,
the administrator should
a. save time by scheduling multiple families for the same tour at
the same time.
b. introduce the family to every employee who works at the
program.
c. have the same person consistently available for the family’s
inquiries and visits.
d. give the family enrollment paperwork so they can get started
right away.
4. The purpose of the preenrollment or intake visit is to
a. interview the parents about the child’s health, personality,
and preferences.
b. help the parents decide which teacher they want their child to
have.
c. assess the child’s development to determine if he or she has
any special needs.
d. listen to the parents’ complaints about the previous early
childhood program.

CHAPTER 8Discussion Questions
5. Program websites typically do NOT include a
a. tuition rates and a payment schedule.
b. list of children currently enrolled in the program.
c. calendar showing the days the program is open.
d. map showing the location of the facility.
6. Administrators are responsible for ensuring that parent
volunteers have
a. a degree in early childhood education.
b. received a volunteer orientation.
c. proven they can set clear limits with children.
d. paid all their tuition on time.
7. One of the best ways for teachers or caregivers to get to
know a child and family is to
a. watch the child play.
b. interview the grandparents.
c. make a home visit.
d. have them draw a picture.
8. When responding to a parent who is unhappy about some
aspect of the program, a useful
tool for administrators is the
a. program’s website.
b. family handbook.
c. classroom web cam.
d. ADA legislation.
9. When administrators use an antibias approach, it helps
teachers to
a. identify children who have special needs.
b. decide which dolls children should play with.
c. understand families’ values and beliefs.
d. prevent children from biting and pushing.

10. Information about opportunities available in the broader
community, such as art classes
for young children, should be shared with families
a. only if they have the money to pay for them.
b. who live nearby the local art center.
c. on a regular basis, through bulletin boards and newsletters.
d. when the program is running low on art supplies.
Answers: 1 (d); 2 (c); 3 (c); 4 (a); 5 (b); 6 (b); 7 (c); 8 (b); 9
(c); 10 (c)
Discussion Questions
1. For administrators, what do you think is the most difficult
aspect about forming collab-
orative relationships with families? What do you think would be
the easiest? Why?
2. Suppose an administrator leads an early childhood program
that serves a very diverse
population. In fact, among the current population of families
there are 15 different
home languages. How might the linguistic diversity of this
program influence the work of
this administrator?
3. How is the role of the administrator different from the role of
the teacher when it comes
to building collaborative relationships with families?

CHAPTER 8Key Terms
Answers and Rejoinders to Pre-Test
1. False. Even after enrollment the administrator should have
regular contact with families
and serve as a support and role model for other staff members in
their collaboration
with families.
2. True. A visit to a website is not enough. Families need direct
contact with staff, and they
need to visit the actual facility in order to make a decision
about enrollment.
3. False. While teachers should handle routine daily
communication, the administrator can
play a supportive role as facilitator, such as sitting in on parent-
teacher conferences.
4. False. Family support services for families in need or in
crisis, such as referrals to a food
pantry, should usually be offered one-on-one in a private
conversation with parents.
5. False. While tone and intent are important, early childhood
professionals should be
intentional about using inclusive and respectful language with
families.
Additional Resources
Web sites
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/
The U.S. Department of Education’s Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) website
brings together IDEA information and resources from the
Department of Education and grantees.
Watch Me Grow Web Cams
https://www.watchmegrow.com
An example of a commercial web cam service for child care
centers.
Further Reading
Diffily, D., & Morrison, K. (1996). Family-friendly
communication for early childhood programs.
Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of
Young Children.
This resource offers sample messages for parents on topics
ranging from biting to lit-
eracy. Each message can also be adapted for newsletters,
parent-teacher conferences,
bulletin boards, or parent handouts.
Koralek, D., Ed. (2006). Spotlight on young children and
families. Washington, DC: National As-
sociation for the Education of Young Children.
A collection of articles from Young Children and Beyond the
Journal that address topics
such as sharing the care of infants and toddlers, acknowledging
culture and promoting
inclusion, conferencing with families, and helping to support
learning at home. A list of
key resources as well as questions and activities designed to aid
readers in reflecting on
the articles are included.
Key Terms

antibias education An active, problem-solv-
ing approach that incorporates a multicultural
perspective; also addresses other forms of
bias, such as gender, language, religion, physi-
cal and mental abilities, and economic class.
disenrollment The process that is followed to
ask a family to leave a program.
ethical conduct Professional behavior that
is in accordance with accepted standards for
what is right and wrong.
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/
https://www.watchmegrow.com/
https://www.watchmegrow.com/
CHAPTER 8References
home visit A visit to a child’s home con-
ducted by one or more program staff mem-
bers in order to get to know a child and his or
her family, ease the child’s transition to a new
program, or strengthen the bond between
home and school.
Individual Education Plan (IEP) The docu-
mentation of learning objectives for a child
with special needs, age four and above, as
mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act

Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) A plan
for special services for a very young child
(birth through age 3) with special needs, as
mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act
intake visit An opportunity to ask one or both
parents questions about their child’s health
history, personality and temperament, food
preferences and sleep schedule, favorite activi-
ties, and other important information, includ-
ing any specific needs the child may have.
parent education Activities intended to
improve parenting skills, to increase parents’
understanding of their individual child as well
as child development in general, and to pro-
vide resources to parents.
parent involvement Opportunities for par-
ents to assist in classrooms or to help support
the program, such as fundraising or serving on
an advisory board.
parent support Services and activities
designed to support families such as individ-
ual meetings with a social worker or a fam-
ily caseworker or referrals to human service
agencies and health services.
person-first language Language that uses the
disability as a descriptor, not as the noun.
special need A disability that limits the child’s
mobility, learning, or communication.

staffing A gathering of an interdisciplinary
team of staff members to devote all of the
program’s available resources to supporting
one child and the child’s family.
References
Barbour, A. (2007). Supporting families: Children are the
winners. Early Childhood News.
Retrieved from
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_vie
w
.aspx?ArticleID=644
Callender, S., & Hansen, A. (n.d.). Family-school partnerships:
Information and approaches for
educators. National Association of School Psychologists.
Retrieved from http://www
.nasponline.org/educators/HCHSIIFamily-
SchoolPartnerships.pdf
Carter, M. (1992, November). Sensitizing teachers to the
concerns of parents. Child Care Infor-
mation Exchange.
Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S., Eds. (2009). Developmentally
appropriate practice in early child-
hood programs. Washington, DC: National Association for the
Education of Young
Children.
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias
education for young children and ourselves.
Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of
Young Children.

w.aspx?ArticleID=644
w.aspx?ArticleID=644
http://www.nasponline.org/educators/HCHSIIFamily-
http://www.nasponline.org/educators/HCHSIIFamily-
CHAPTER 8References
Family Development Services: A Head Start Organization.
(2012). Head Start parent handbook.
Indianapolis, IN. Retrieved from http://www.fds.org/wp-
content/uploads/2011/03
/Parent-Handbook.pdf
Folkins, J. (1992, December). Resource on person-first
language: The language used to describe
individuals with disabilities. American Speech-Language-
Hearing Association. Retrieved
from
http://www.asha.org/publications/journals/submissions/person_ f
irst/
Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2008). Diversity in early care and
education: Honoring differences. New York,
NY: McGraw-Hill.
Gonzalez-Mena, J., & Pulido-Tobiassen, D. (1999, November).
Teaching “diversity”: A place to
begin. Early Childhood Today. Retrieved from

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers
/article/teaching-quotdiversityquot-place-begin
Henrich, C. C., & Blackman-Jones, R. (2006). Parent
involvement in preschool. In E. Zigler, W. S.
Gilliam, & S. M. Jones (Eds.), A vision for universal preschool
education (pp. 149–168).
New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Keyser, J. (2006). From parents to partners: Building a family-
centered early childhood program.
St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Pena, D. C. (2000). Parent involvement: Influencing factors and
implications. The Journal of Edu-
cational Research, 94(1), 42–54. EJ615791.
Ray, J. A., Pewitt-Kinder, J., & George, S. (2009, September).
Partnering with families of children
with special needs. Young Children, 64(5), 16–22. Washington,
DC: National Association
for the Education of Young Children.
Stephens, K. (2004, May/June). Reaching out to parents with
technology. Child Care Information
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Wen, X., Bulotsky-Sheaer, R. J., Hahs-Vaughn, D., &
Korfmacher, J. (2012). Head Start program
quality: Examination of classroom quality and parent
involvement in predicting chil-
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http://www.fds.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Parent-
Handbook.pdf
http://www.fds.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Parent-
Handbook.pdf
http://www.asha.org/publications/journals/submissions/person_f
irst/
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/teaching-
quotdiversityquot-place-begin
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/teaching-
quotdiversityquot-place-begin
· Prior to beginning work on this discussion, review Standard #5
in the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards
document (Links to an external site.). You did such a fabulous
job helping your facility get into tip top shape! Now it is time
to take this a step further and help your parents become active
members of their child’s education.
· For Toddlers (1-3 years) create or find a game or activity that
can be played at your Parents Night. This game or activity
should teach your families about the importance of one task or
skill such as hand washing, cleaning toys, or snacks and meals,
etc. Your activity should reflect NAEYC Standard # 5. In your
discussion post, include the age level of your classroom, title of
the activity, the ways in which you will present this to the
parents, and why you think this is important.
· Your activity must involve both your parents and their child.
You must also include music to compliment or enhance your
activity.

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