Partnerships in Early Childhood Education and Care: Empowering Parents or Empowering Practitioners

Abstract

Research acknowledges that outcomes for young children are enhanced when effective partnerships are developed between educators and families. The Australian Early Years Learning Framework provides direction for the professional practice of early childhood educators by acknowledging the importance of educators working in partnership with families. In the Victorian state-based early years framework, family-centred practice has been included as the practice model. Family-centred practice has as its core a philosophy of professionals supporting the empowerment of parents as active decision makers for their child. The early childhood education and care sector in Australia, however, is made up of a workforce which is largely perceived as being undervalued as a profession. This raises questions as to the capacity of these educators to support the empowerment of parents when they themselves are coming from a position of disempowerment due to their professional status. This article reports on findings from a small-scale study of childhood educators working in a long day-care setting which aimed to identify perceptions of the partnerships that exist between themselves and parents. In the course of the investigation, it became evident that some of educators felt disempowered in the relationships that exist with some families.

Making Partnerships Work: Proposing a Model to Support Parent-Practitioner Partnerships in the Early Years

“…Before exploring the established benefits and challenges to effective parent-practitioner partnerships, the extent of what would be classified as partnership activities should be explored, as well as the degree to which the roles in the parent-practitioner partnerships are equally weighted (Rouse, 2012 ).…”

“…The partnership model discussed here aims at valuing parents’ existing engagement and letting parents know that what they are already doing is great, as this can be very rewarding and can encourage further commitment for those parents who struggle to engage in the life of the setting because of work or other commitments (Campbell et al, 2016 ; Daniel, 2015 ). It may be that a starting point for optimising the parent-practitioner relationship is through the celebration of what parents are already doing, in a relationship based on family-centred practice, where “empowerment is a central component” (Rouse, 2012 , p. 22), like the partnership model of Davis et al ( 2002 ), where more individualised relationships and methods of communication develop, giving parents confidence in their ability to have an impact on their children’s development.…”

“…Effective and meaningful collaboration and parental involvement in early education are known to be an essential part of parent-practitioner partnerships, and meaningful parent-practitioner partnerships require mutual respect and recognition of the contribution each key agent makes towards children’s development (Baum & McMurray-Schwarz, 2004 ). Despite the plethora of evidence and general consensus about the importance and multiple benefits of parent-practitioner partnerships (Murray et al, 2015 ; Nachshen, 2004 ; Rouse, 2012 ; See & Gorard, 2013 ; Sylva et al, 2004 ; Turnbull & Turnbull, 2001 ; Vincent, 1996 ; Wheeler et al, 2009 ; Wilder, 2014 ; Wilson, 2015 ), there is little known about how this can be achieved in practice, and there is no model available at the moment to support both parents and practitioners, as well as researchers and policy makers, when unpacking the key characteristics of an effective parent-practitioner partnership model.…”

Early Childhood Educators’ Perceptions of Parent–child Relationships: A Qualitative Study

“…This partnership model is underpinned by Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, recognising that children exist within the interconnections between broader levels of family, community and society; and acknowledges that families are vital in children's lives and should be supported and empowered to engage in making decisions for their child (Bronfenbrenner, 1992;Dunst & Trivette, 1996;Espe-Sherwindt, 2008). Family-centred practice, as a model of partnership implemented within Victorian (Australia) ECEC settings, focuses on empowerment and building relationships between educators and parents that are based on mutual trust and respect (Rouse, 2012). Assisting parents to be empowered is a critical element of family-centered practice.…”

“…Assisting parents to be empowered is a critical element of family-centered practice. However, investigation of educators' engagement in family-centred practices suggests that: (i) educators also need to be empowered partners in the relationship, and (ii) educators' perception of control and confidence impacts relationships with families (Rouse, 2012). Empowerment, within the context of familycentred practice, is recognised as the process of accessing knowledge, skills and resources, which influences capacity for decision-making and problem-solving (Singh, 1995;Turnbull & Turnbull, 2001).…”