Acton Early Childhood Centre.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT & COMMUNICATION POLICY

AIM

• To maintain ongoing communication with parents about the day-to-day activities and development of their child.
• To encourage parents to be actively involved in developing policies and to contribute to the running of the Centre.

EXPLANATION

The relationship between parents and staff should be based on mutual respect, understanding and courtesy and a shared partnership in caring for the child.

Frequent communication between staff and parents about their child allows everyone to clearly understand the environment of each child, at home and at the Centre.

Encouraging parents to participate in the policy development, maintenance duties and running of the Centre allows parents to have a genuine role and choice in decision making. Parents will be involved and included in all areas of service delivery and development.

ACTIONS

Communication from the Centre to the family.

· Each family will have an information pigeon hole allocated to them. This should be checked regularly for new information.

· Each family will receive a Communication Plan for their child, which outlines avenues of communication available to families in their child’s room. These include verbal communication, programs displayed, the Day Book outlining the day’s activities, information available on routines, parent interviews available, Portfolios outlining children’s development over the year and so on. See sample Communication Plan attached.

· Parents are expected to read the Parent Noticeboard weekly and the information boards near their child’s room.

· A centre newsletter will be available monthly and newsletters for each room provided as required.

· The centre website will be kept up to date to allow parents to access relevant information on the centre and its policies.

· A brief evaluation of the day will be presented for parents through each room’s day book.

· Staff are expected to be sensitive to the work pressures that parents may experience and are expected to respect the integrity of the relationships between children and their parents.

Communication from the family to the Centre.

· Parents are encouraged to speak with staff regarding any difficulties they may have or suggestions they would like to have considered.

· Parents are expected to be sensitive to the work pressures that staff may be under and are expected to respect the integrity of the relationship between staff and children.

· In the event of a breakdown in the communication channels outlined above, the procedures set down in the Complaints Policy should be followed.

· Parents are welcome to attend management committee meetings and invitations to these meetings are placed in the Centre newsletter. Any parent who would like to have an item added to the agenda for a management committee meeting may put this in writing and place it in the fees box or hand it to the director up to one week before the next scheduled meeting.

· Parents may make suggestions in writing if they wish and these should be placed in an envelope clearly marked “suggestion” and placed in the fees box.

Parent involvement.

· Parents are encouraged to become actively involved in the Centre program by participating in events such as the parent participation month, by adding suggestions to the comments section of the day book, by participating in the lunch time roster in the Kanookas’ room, by assisting on excursions or by contributing items to resource the program.

· Parent evenings and other social events will be provided and invitations to these events will be placed in parent pigeon holes.

· The Centre’s Parent Handbook outlines for parents how the Centre operates. Parents can then choose to become involved in whichever way best suits their personal situation - from taking on management roles to offering support in maintenance duties.

· Working bees will be held at least once a year or as necessary. Parents are welcome to participate in these if they wish.

· Parents coming into the Centre as parent helpers or volunteers need to be aware that the Centre policies apply to them whilst they are filling these roles.

Reviewed by Policy Review Committee 2-9-03. Reviewed 24-5-05. Reviewed 8-5-07.

Re-written and approved by Policy Review Committee 30-6-09.