May 11, 2011 - mental health and wellbeing. Last year Samantha and her two children, Elliot, aged two and Kendra, aged f
Working together supports mental health and wellbeing Samantha’s story
Working together
Last year Samantha and
When families and early childhood staff work well together, over
her two children, Elliot, aged
time they can build a partnership. In a genuine partnership all
two and Kendra, aged four
individuals respect, value and trust one another and contribute
moved to a small country
to decisions concerning a shared goal, for example supporting
town. At first Samantha and
the needs of a child. In a partnership families and staff can
her children felt very isolated
offer valuable observations about a child, this leads to a
as they didn’t know anyone.
greater understanding and ability to work together to meet a
However, staff at her children’s
child’s needs. They can then work together to help meet these
early childhood service
needs. Partnerships play a valuable role in contributing to the
were very welcoming, warm
development of strong relationships between families and staff.
and friendly, and over time Samantha worked with the
Factors that help build partnerships include:
staff to help create a smooth
ff respect and trust
transition for her children into
ff shared understanding and responsibility
the service. Samantha and her children also attended
ff a common goal
morning teas and working
ff good communication
bees provided by the service
ff time for these aspects to develop.
and started making friends. With involvement in other community events, Samantha and her children began to expand their friendships and acquaintances. When times were very busy or stressful,
Positive relationships can also make it easier for parents and carers to approach staff for support in their parenting role. By having a good relationship, staff can meet individual needs better by assisting with parenting questions appropriately, and providing suitable parenting resources and contact information of other support services in the community.
Samantha knew there was someone to talk to as she had become part of a community.
Partnerships have a positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of children and families.
Information for families Component 3 – Working with parents and carers
What early childhood services might also be doing Getting to know families
Communicating At the heart of a partnership is communication. Good communication helps with gathering information about a person and/or their situation; it also helps to build trust which forms the basis of good partnerships. When families and staff
through informal chats
communicate openly about children and their needs, staff can
and/or formal planned
provide appropriate support for families and children’s mental
events.
health and wellbeing.
Reflecting on how they communicate with families and adapting this to meet families and children’s needs. Involving families in
A shared understanding grows when parents and carers communicate their concerns, stories, observations and questions about a child.
decision making by incorporating their views, knowledge and skills.
What parents and carers can do ff Maintain frequent face-to-face contact with staff; this gives you a chance to ask questions, clarify information and ask for feedback. Phone calls and emails can also be used to make contact when it is difficult to make a time to meet. ff Open communication; when families and staff inform each other about the way things are done, both at the service and at home, it helps to bring about consistency in children’s environments. Providing examples and details about your child’s behaviours to staff is also valuable (e.g., what works for you when dealing with a particular behaviour). ff Attend events at the service when you can; this is a great opportunity to meet other families. ff If you are available or have a skill to share, volunteer at
Articles on a range of issues relevant to partnerships and communication are available at:f http://raisingchildren.net.au – see ‘Grown-Ups’ tab.
the service; contributing to the early childhood centre can promote a sense of connection with your community.
This resource and further information on the national KidsMatter Early Childhood initiative is available to download at www.kidsmatter.edu.au The team at KidsMatter Early Childhood also welcomes your feedback which can be submitted through the website.
The KidsMatter Early Childhood information sheets are resources that have been developed in collaboration and with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. While every care has been taken in preparing this publication, the Commonwealth does not accept liability for any injury or loss or damage arising from the use of, or reliance upon, the content of this publication.
KidsMatter Early Childhood – www.kidsmatter.edu.au
