Community nights . These nights are held twice a year as informal “ share a plate of your cultural food ”. They provide an opportunity for families to chat and catch up with educators , to meet their child ’ s peers and to build relationships with other families in the community .
Participating in the program . Parents enjoy being part of the daily program by cooking with the children and participating in incursions . Other events occur throughout the year such as sharing culture , grandparents reading and telling stories , families playing music in small groups around the garden and sharing picnics .
Educators attend celebrations . Cultural and religious celebrations occur in the community such as the Bangladesh festival , Festival of Lights and NAIDOC Week . Everything is embraced and celebrated . Parents see educators joining in and being part of the community .
Linking families with support services in the community . Most families do not know what support is available and so we facilitate their connection to services such as South West Sydney Therapy and Skills and Early Links . Taking the time to help families access available support has had enormous benefits for parents , children and our preschool .
Our preschool also runs playgroups which have proven to be a wonderful resource for children and families and for making community connections . Sometimes both parents attend as well as extended family . Many children transition from playgroup into preschool . By this time parents , children and educators are already familiar with each other and positive and trusting relationships are well established .
How do these strategies meet the particular needs of your families ?
We find that families like us to have a direct approach . For many families , our preschool is their first experience with a service in Australia . They want us to support them in knowing how to engage with the service and build relationships with educators . Our strategies have also been developed to help us in understanding the families , their many cultures and their hopes and dreams for their children . What we are doing seems to be working because there are currently over 100 children on the waiting list with parents spreading the word in the community .
Are there any challenges you face and how do you respond to them ?
Many families in our preschool community experience issues such as geographical isolation and lack of extended family living in Australia . At times we might also be confronted with families who have experienced domestic violence and child protection issues . Limited English language also impacts on parent understanding of verbal language and ability to engage in lengthy conversations . Each family is unique and the issues that impact on them are individual and complex .
To support families , it is important that educators have in-depth awareness and understanding of family cultures and the many challenges that face parents , carers and children every day . Most importantly for our preschool , we have spent time building relationships with support services in the community . It helps when you know what is available , can put faces to names and have established contacts within community organisations .
Educators are also challenged by time – time to talk , communicate , make referrals , build relationships and especially to ensure mutual understanding when English is a second language . We have responded to this challenge by using email , Storypark , phone meetings and group orientation sessions for families on our waiting list . Most importantly we greet everyone with enthusiasm every day and are rewarded by the mutual support and respect we gain from the families .
NATIONAL FAMILIES WEEK 15 – 21 MAY 2018
The aim of National Families Week is to celebrate the vital role that families play in Australian society . It coincides with the United Nations International Day of Families on 15 May 2018 . This day is observed by the United Nations to mark the importance that the international community places on families as the most fundamental units of society , as well as to show concern about their situation in many parts of the world . The enduring theme is “ Stronger Families , Stronger Communities ”.
More information and resources about National Families Week can be found at https :// nfw . org . au /
www . ku . com . au APRIL 2018 Page 5