POLICY CONTENT

We value and pride ourselves on our partnership with families. We believe families are children’s first teachers and therefore we embrace parents, guardians and family involvement within our School. Participation by parents, guardians and other family members, conveys a positive impression to children. Children feel supported and a sense of belonging and well-being is promoted.  
We believe in offering an open-door policy welcoming family to visit the School when it is convenient for them.  
 

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS) 

QUALITY AREA 7: Governance and Leadership

6.1	Supportive relationships with families	Respectful relationships with families are developed and maintained and families are supported in their parenting role.
6.1.1	Engagement with the school	Families are supported from enrolment to be involved in their school and contribute to school decisions.
6.1.2	Parent views are respected	The expertise, culture, values and beliefs of families are respected and families share in decision-making about their child’s learning and wellbeing.
6.1.3	Families are supported	Current information is available to families about the school and relevant community services and resources to support parenting and family wellbeing.
6.2	Collaborative partnerships	Collaborative partnerships enhance children’s inclusion, learning and wellbeing.
6.2.3	Community engagement	The school builds relationships and engages with its community.

 

PURPOSE 

To ensure the best care for children and families, we believe it is important to provide families with the opportunity to visit our facilities and participate in our program at a time that is convenient for them. We acknowledge that families provide a wealth of valuable information and understanding about their child and we foster strong, respectful partnerships between our staff and educators and families. We encourage families to join in on our learning activities and celebrate events and special  
days with us.  

SCOPE

This policy applies to children, families, staff, management and visitors of the School. 
 

IMPLEMENTATION 

We operate with an open-door policy, where families are welcome to visit our School anytime during operating hours. There are many opportunities for family involvement, and we communicate these through regular newsletters, our family notice board, and our digital communication app Early Works. We recognise that time is valuable to all families, which is why we accommodate many forms of participation and contribution. Our School is committed to creating and maintaining a child safe environment and embeds the Child Safe Standards.  

“Children thrive when families and educators work together in partnership to support young children’s learning.”  

(Early Years Learning Framework, p.9) 
 
Management and Educators will ensure: 

• families are always welcome to spend time in the School and share special moments with their children provided recommendations from the Public Health Unit or other Government authority suggests families and visitors do not enter Early Childhood Education and Care Services (ECEC) due to an outbreak of an infectious diseases 
• families are aware of our open-door policy and are welcome to join in learning activities and celebrate events and special days held at the School 
• families and visitors to our School are required to abide by our Code of Conduct 
• families are provided with information about special days and events they may want to participate in. For example: 
  • Disco 
  • Easter Hat Parade 
  • Mother’s Day 
  • Father’s Day  
  • Open Day 
  • Grandparents Day  
  • Graduation Ceremonies and events 
  • Christmas Celebrations  
  • Excursions/Incursions 
  • Cultural visits  
  • Story Time  
  • Cooking Experiences 
  • Parent-lead learning experiences  
• the School is flexible and works with the family to accommodate involvement by family members  
• a variety of activities within the School are organised at different times of day and week to include as many parents as possible 
• to prioritise children’s safety and provide a child safe environment 
• that reasonable steps are taken to ensure any parent, family member or visitor that may pose a risk to the safety of the children and staff of the School are not permitted entry.

Families can:

• visit the School at all times. This may include visiting their child who is already enrolled, or as an enquiry prior to enrolment- subject to any Public Health Orders or Government recommendations for families or visitors not entering ECEC (e.g., during an outbreak of an infectious disease) 
• participate in our program by sharing their skills with the children. This may include playing an instrument, telling a story, sharing cultural traditions, cooking experiences, workshops etc.   
• make an appointment with management to discuss their child. This may include evaluating their child’s program and providing feedback, raising concerns or setting new goals 
• donate recyclable material that can be used within our early childhood program 
• discuss any changes that have occurred in the child’s life, for example, changes in family circumstances, moving to a new house, death of a family member or friend in order for educators to best support all children through difficult times 
• attend any School events and celebrations that are organised throughout the year 
• share feedback, ideas and thoughts about the School including policies and procedures 
• remain informed about what is happening within the School through discussions, newsletters, social media etc. 
• assist our School provide a child safe environment by notifying management of any change to current court orders or parenting orders

 

SOURCE

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014)  
Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. (2009). Belonging, Being & Becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia.  
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016). 
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).      
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017).  
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (Amended 2020). 
Revised National Quality Standards. (2018).