Relationships with people depend on communication, and the more successfully we communciate the more we are able to understand each other. At Mother Duck, we know that positive partnerships between families and educators improve children’s well-being and health outcomes and boost children’s learning and social-emotional skills. When conversations are comfortable, valuable knowledge, ideas, and feelings about children becomes the focal point which assits us to avoid misunderstandings, and develop and build trust.

At Mother Duck, we value developing respectful acknowledgement and honouring of the cultural, language, and social diversity of families. From the commencement of enrolment, we create a welcoming and inclusive environment by inviting families to share their unique insights and experiences. This process is particularly important as it ensures that right from the start all voices are heard and valued. When families share significant information, it expands our educators’ and children’s understandings and enriches our services’ cultural depth and multiplicity.  

Effective communication at Mother Duck occurs when our families and educators engage in open, two-way communication that feels welcoming, positive and respectful. When a child sees a positive relationship developing between educators and family, the child recognises that the important people in their life are working together and trust each other, and they will do the same. This type of communication enables your child’s educators to build and maintain respectful and reciprocal relationships.

Purposeful partnerships with families occur when messages are clear, specific and considerate of the other person’s feelings. It is vitally important for our educators to actively listen to families’ perspectives and concerns, as this approach fosters trust and understanding. The real advantage is when both families and educators feel safe enough to raise and address concerns. By approaching difficult conversations with empathy, honesty, and a problem-solving mindset, educators can effectively collaborate with families to support children’s well-being and development.

At Mother Duck, we believe that ongoing and effective connection and communication with our families enables us to –

• Establish an atmosphere of openness where families feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, concerns, and aspirations for their child
• Encourage two-way communication where educators actively listen to families’ insights, questions, and feedback
• Provide families with accurate information shared without delay
• Align with home routines, rituals and better understand family dynamics or changes in a child’s world
• Keep families informed about their child’s day-to-day activities, learning experiences, and milestones to help them feel involved and informed
• Encourage families to provide feedback on their child’s experiences with our Mother Duck early childhood curriculum
• Co-share and celebrate children’s achievements, progress, and efforts
• Keep families informed about any changes in the program, upcoming events, or activities
• And so much more…

Building strong alliances between educators and families is indeed crucial for the holistic development of children, so let’s together prioritise conversations between your child’s educators that promote children’s learning, development, and well-being both at home and in our education and care settings.

Clearly our families hold the most valuable insight and information about their children, and we value your in-depth knowledge of your child always. Please consider our educators as part of your child’s support team and treat the educator and family relationship the way you would treat any important relationship in your life. Overall, effective communication between educators and families lays the foundation for successful partnerships that benefit children’s learning and growth. So, please approach us for a chat, keep us ‘in the know’ on topics that are important to your child and your family, and forever feel welcome to share your understandings, ideas, hopes and dreams for your child. It will make all the difference for your child…we are ready to listen, so let’s start talking.