Implementing Family-Friendly Child Care: Benefits for Families and Centers October 2004

Transcription

1 Implementing Family-Friendly Child Care: Benefits fr Families and Centers Octber 2004 Funded by the IBM Glbal Wrk/Life Fund

2 Implementing Family-Friendly Child Care: Benefits fr Families and Centers While leaders in the early childhd field have lng recgnized the need fr family invlvement in child care centers t ensure successful utcmes fr children, the fundamentals f family-centered care have nt been clearly defined fr practitiners. In 1996, the Natinal Child Care Infrmatin Center and the Child Care Bureau brught tgether apprximately 150 child care experts t agree n the basic features f a familycentered child care center. The experts agreed that the features shuld fcus n the family as a true partner in prviding care. Supprting and educating parents, as well as invlving them in the care decisins abut their children, are cnsidered essential cmpnents fr a family-centered r family-friendly child care center. Centers that add a family-friendly cmpnent t existing elements f high-quality care ffer parents what they mst want: a strng cllabratin between families and staff with children as the fcus. Child care centers have an interest in prviding high-quality, family-friendly care nt nly t ensure the well-being f the children in their care, but t attract families t use their services. In recent years, the child care industry has suffered ecnmic challenges as parents * have been laid ff frm jbs, family finances have becme less certain, and a significant number f wmen are pting t stay at hme t rear their yung children. This creates a greater urgency t prvide the kind f child care that attracts and best serves families. T learn mre abut the specific aspects f family-friendliness that are imprtant t families and t child care center staff, IBM funded the Family-Friendly Child Care Study. The study was undertaken t identify the characteristics f family-friendly child care that help families meet the challenges f cntemprary life. The gals f the prject were t equip wrking parents with ways t identify high-quality centers and t equip child care centers with ways t prvide care that best meets the needs f the families they serve. Study Findings WFD Cnsulting, Inc. studied 63 child care centers in Dallas, New Yrk City, and Ls Angeles. The participating centers, including bth fr-prfit and nn-prfit centers, asked parents and staff t fill ut a survey that asked them t rate their center n varius elements f family friendliness. Using the data frm these surveys, six key elements f family-friendly child care were identified. These elements are described belw with example items frm the survey. 1. Strng Relatinships Between Teachers and Children Family-friendly teachers respnd readily t children s ideas and feelings, prvide clseness, and establish ties f trust. Warm, sensitive, and respnsive interactins help * The term parent is used thrughut t dente any primary caregiver wh has full respnsibility fr a child. Cpyright 2004 WFD Cnsulting 2

3 children develp a secure, psitive sense f self and encurage them t respect and cperate with thers. Staff respnd quickly and sensitively t children s requests and nn-verbal cues. Fr example, they ffer affectin and spend time answering and expanding n children s questins. Staff demnstrate that they knw and appreciate each child in their rm. Fr example, staff integrate individual children s interests, friendships, temperament, fd preferences, and napping habits int all activities. The center has a relaxed and cheerful atmsphere. Children seem t be cmfrtable, engaged, and having fun. 2. Meaningful Interactins Between Staff and Parents The cnnectins between staff and parents are imprtant t creating a psitive, cmfrtable atmsphere in the center. In family-friendly centers, staff initiate meaningful discussins with families s that administratrs and teachers can be tuned int the family envirnment. Staff take the time t listen when families share infrmatin and t be thughtful, patient, and nnjudgmental supprters. Staff ask parents fr infrmatin abut their child and the child s interests t help plan daily activities. Staff and parents wrk tgether t slve prblems such as finding a child s lst belngings, lng naps that interfere with evening bedtime, r a child wh bites. Staff take the time t help parents understand hw the center s curriculum and activities cntribute t their child s learning and develpment. 3. Quality Relatinships Between Staff and Families Staff at family-friendly centers actively build quality relatinships with families. This means making families feel welcme and included at the center, bth in their interactins with staff and in their interactins with ther families. Families shuld feel a sense f partnership and mutual supprt. Staff encurage parents t express their wn feelings f sadness r cncern when a child is adjusting t the center. Parents feel welcme t suggest ways they can be invlved in the life f the center and feel their pinins are welcme. The center values and appreciates parents effrts t dnate time, skills, and cultural experiences t their child s rm and t the center. 4. Respect fr Diverse Families and Cultures Family-friendly prgrams embrace the diversity f the families they serve. Teachers ask families what gals and values they prize fr their children, and the kind f peple they hpe their children will grw up t be. Staff als individualize their interactins with peple in the center whether they are stepmthers, fathers, grandparents, children, r ther staff. The staff respect and value the unique characteristics and circumstances f all families at the center. Cpyright 2004 WFD Cnsulting 3

4 Staff are empathetic and understanding abut parents schedules and the demands n parents time. The center respects the cnfidentiality f parents and children. 5. Respnsiveness t Family Needs Staff at family-friendly centers actively plan ahead fr the needs f the families in their care. It s imprtant fr center administratin and staff t ask abut families in rder t be respnsive t their needs. They use the infrmatin they receive t plan prgrams that address the brad needs f all the wrking families in their care, and t keep resurces n hand abut cmmunity prgrams that may be helpful t specific families. Staff ask parents questins abut their jbs and family circumstances s they can better understand the needs f the family. When a parent inquires abut a service the center currently desn t ffer, the center respnds psitively, with a why nt? attitude. Staff wrk with each family t create a persnalized transitin plan t help each new family adjust t the center. 6. Cmmunicatin Between Staff and Families Cmmunicatin is an essential element f family-friendly care and extremely imprtant t parents. Talking with administratrs, staff, and ther parents is the key t building relatinships in centers. Staff shuld take the time t greet families at drp-ff in the mrning and spend a few minutes chatting at evening pick-up. Exchanging written ntes, s, r phne calls are ther valuable ways t cnnect abut issues, r just get t knw each ther better. Staff greet parents and children in the mrning and say gd-bye in the evening. Parents and staff share infrmatin abut meaningful daily events related t the child. Fr infants and pre-verbal tddlers, there is daily written cmmunicatin t parents abut the child s daily activities. Fr lder children, there is daily written cmmunicatin abut the grup s activities. Parents have mre than ne way t cmmunicate with the center (e.g., ntes, phne calls, and ). Families and Staff Differ in Definitin f Family Friendliness While the study identified six key elements f family friendliness, parents and staff differ in the cmpnents that are imprtant t them (see Table 1). Table 1. Family-Friendly Factrs f Imprtance t Parents and Staff Parents Staff Staff/Child Relatinship Scale X Staff/Parent Interactin Scale X Quality f Staff/Family Relatinships Scale X X Respect fr Diverse Families and Cultures Scale X X Respnsiveness t Family Needs Scale X X Cmmunicatin Scale X Cpyright 2004 WFD Cnsulting 4

5 Fr parents, all six elements f family friendliness are imprtant when they are cnsidering the quality f a center. Staff, hwever, tend t fcus n three characteristics: a) the quality relatinships between staff and families, b) respect fr diverse families and cultures, and c) the respnsiveness t family needs. This discrepancy means that the staff perspective n family-friendliness is mre narrwly defined. Staff appear t have a mre traditinal perspective f family friendliness: including parents in gvernance, ffering sme set f prgrams r services t respnd t parents needs, and being respectful f the make-up f the family. Because parents have a brader definitin f family friendliness, staff can better serve families by expanding the way they deliver care and services. Family-Friendly Cmmunicatin and Services Cmmunicatin is ne f the hallmarks f a family-friendly center. Parents indicate that they highly value a wide range f cmmunicatin methds. The methds receiving the highest ratings are thse mst likely t be in place at centers: written ntices psted in places like cubbies r n drs t children s rms, cnversatins at drp-ff and pick-up times, individualized written ntes, and individual parent cnferences. Several ther types f cmmunicatin are highly valued and shuld be cnsidered by centers nt currently ffering them: vide r phts f activities at the center, packets f take-hme infrmatin, and telephne cmmunicatin with parents. Interestingly, the study fund a difference between staff and parents in their awareness f the varius types f cmmunicatin used in centers. Fr example, staff may indicate that there is a newsletter fr families but sme families are unaware f it. Similarly, the study fund differences in awareness f center services, such as flexible payment plans and care fr mildly ill children; staff indicate that specific services are available at centers but parents are unaware. Smetimes teachers are unaware f services that administratrs say are ffered! All f this speaks t the imprtance f effective channels f cmmunicatins amng administratrs, teachers, and parents. Families were asked what types f services nt currently ffered by their child care center they wuld value. The fllwing emerged as the tp chices: infrmatin n cmmunity activities fr children and families; infrmatin n supprt services fr families; cmputers with sftware fr children; enrichment classes (fr a fee) such as dance, martial arts, music r gymnastics; flexible payment plans; a fd prgram with ht meals served at the center; backup child care fr enrlled children n unscheduled days; and ccasinal scial activities fr center staff and parents (children included). These services fell t the bttm f the list: fax and phtcpy machines; take-hme meals; and Cpyright 2004 WFD Cnsulting 5

6 dry cleaning drp ff/pick-up. These findings help t dispel the ntin that family friendliness means cnvenience services fr parents. The study fund instead that parents prefer prgrams that enhance the care experience fr their child as well as services that address their mre substantive needs as a family. The Business Case fr Family Friendliness There are several business-related reasns fr raising the family-friendly child care bar. Family-friendliness can prvide a cmpetitive edge. Because family-friendly child care centers have fewer gaps in expectatins between staff and families, a familyfriendly envirnment is likely t translate int greater custmer satisfactin. This will help attract families and retain them frm year-t-year, perhaps increasing the center s market share. High-quality/high family-friendly centers nt nly serve families better, but the study fund that they tend t have mre satisfied staff. Satisfied staff are mre likely t remain with their current emplyers thus reducing staff turnver and reinfrcing the quality f care at the center. Increasing Family Friendliness in Yur Center Family-friendly elements are enhancements r imprvements t quality care child care centers must have a basic level f quality in place fr family-friendly care t develp and thrive. The study findings strngly link family friendliness with these elements f quality care: teacher t child rati, the quality f the educatinal prgram, and the level f training r experience f the staff. Once high-quality care is in place, a center can g frm gd t great by embracing a family-friendly perspective. Althugh it may seem subtle, shifting the discussin frm what cnstitutes a high-quality center t what cnstitutes a familyfriendly center changes the fcus frm what the center as an rganizatin des t prvide care fr the children t hw well the center wrks tgether with families t prvide care fr the children. By fcusing n the jint respnsibilities f the center and the children's families, the needs f bth are addressed while the care f the children remains the fcal pint. Effrts t imprve family-friendliness can nly be successful if tw elements are in place. The first is the existence f high-quality care (defined in this study by rati, quality f prgram, and level f training r experience f staff). The secnd element is a cmmitment frm prgram administratrs t set the tne, allcate apprpriate resurces, cmmit in-service training time, and mdify the perfrmance review system t ensure that family friendliness becmes integrated int the culture f the center and the behavirs f the staff. While the value f high-quality, family-friendly care seems clear, the transfrmatin f a center frm gd t great will depend n the unique culture and Cpyright 2004 WFD Cnsulting 6

7 circumstances f each center. There is n such thing as a ne size fits all child care center. Financial r staffing cnstraints may prevent a center frm ffering certain services. Timing is als imprtant there may be ther imprtant center activities ging n that shuld take precedence, like fundraising r capital imprvements. On the psitive side, hwever, many f the elements f a family-friendly center cst little r nthing t implement. Fcusing n family-friendly imprvements is a winning strategy fr child care centers with the ptential fr many psitive utcmes including: assisting families in successfully rearing the next generatin, increasing staff jb satisfactin, and attracting and retaining mre families. The Family-Friendly Audit Tl is available t assist centers in assessing and imprving the family-friendliness f their center. The audit tl, a scring tl, instructins, and a full reprt f the study are available at Click n Tls and Assessments t access these items. Here are sme tips t help centers increase family friendliness: Determine the level f verall quality that exists at the center. Hw wuld the center rate n standards such as staff:child rati, the educatinal prgram, and the training/experience level f the staff? If center quality is nly pr r gd, the first cnversatins shuld fcus n imprvements in basic quality. Refer t the website fr the Natinal Assciatin fr the Educatin f Yung Children ( fr infrmatin n quality standards. Ask the administrative leadership f the center t engage in an effrt t evaluate family friendliness and t allcate resurces fr the prcess. Cnsider the familyfriendly elements and ideas presented here t clarify and expand the thinking abut what is reasnable t expect frm the center. Encurage the use f the Family- Friendly Audit Tl t stimulate cnversatin. Use the staff s experiences t bring family-friendly elements t life. Tell stries abut cmmunicatin amng staff r identify times when the staff learned f new cultures, custms, and traditins. Administer the Family-Friendly Audit Tl t parents and staff. Use the results t develp a training plan fr staff and an imprvement plan fr the center. Encurage the administratin t cmmit in-service training time and resurces fr prfessinal develpment f staff. Mdify the existing perfrmance review system t ensure that family friendliness becmes integrated int the culture f the center. Ask administrative leadership t prvide families with infrmatin n cmmunity activities and family supprt services. Ask administrative leadership t expand methds f cmmunicatin between parents and staff, using the audit tl as a guide. Cpyright 2004 WFD Cnsulting 7