Creating and maintaining a give and take relationship with family members.
My goal is to give a lasting first impression by giving unforgettable tours and intake meetings to form a relationship with families. It is important to make a everlasting first impression so that the parents feel the connection that you care about them and the child. Whenever I do a tour the first thing I do is welcome them, introduce myself and allow them to do the same. Next I listen to the type of care they are looking for. Based on that I go over all of the center information, the curriculum. I allow them to tour the center, ask questions, and meet the teachers. By giving families unlimited time on tours I can ensure that I leave a lasting first impression. After the tour I call just to follow up. When a family enrolls at the center we schedule them a intake meeting 1 on 1 with the teacher to go over the daily routines in the classroom and how tailor it to meet their child's needs. This meeting allows the teacher to build a relationship with families.
Encourage family involvement in the teaching program.
One of my goals is to invite families to teach about their culture, invite them to be mystery reader, or to volunteer. The center that I work at is very diverse. I like to invite families into the classroom to teach the children a little about their culture by reading a book or by doing an arts and crafts activity. (We have to get a sign off from all families to approve the activity.) For Dr. Seuss' birthday we had parents volunteer as a mystery reader. The expressions on the children's faces are unforgettable. Parents are always welcome to volunteer in the classrooms to help out for a hour or two. We always encourage family involvement in the center and we also have a a open door policy.
Supporting the child's relationship with his/her family.
My goal is to maintain great communication, support, and to respect cultural backgrounds. This goal is important because communication, support, and respect are the ingredients needed to keep management, teachers, children, and family lies happy and to ensure a well run center. Whenever there is an illness, parent teacher conferences, or events going on in the center we send out emails to communicate with families. I provide many different ways of communicating such as emailing, phone calls, posting flyers, or communicating in person. I support families by communicating with them. If there is a conflict I set time aside for a conference with families to solve the matter and most of all to "listen" to the concerns. Also, by respecting cultural backgrounds families feel supported. I have had children from India who are vegetarians. The food that we provide in the center caters to vegetarians. We also focus on speaking English because we get many children that do not speak English when they first arrive in our center. We respect all families no matter their background.
Competency statement 4- Minnett Woody