The family–centre partnership disconnect: Creating reciprocity

Fay Hadley*, Elizabeth Rouse

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    21 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The purpose of this article is to examine the disconnect happening in relation to family–centre partnerships. Developing partnerships with families is hotly debated and provides challenges for educators teaching in the early childhood sector. Using a comparative case study analysis, several research studies conducted in the states of New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, are examined to illustrate these disconnects. These issues are examined within Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, a national framework that is common to all programs across Australia, which identifies practice, principles and learning outcomes for young children. This disconnect is related to the language that is used by the early childhood staff and misunderstood by the parents, the ways communication occurs and its ineffectiveness. The article argues that there is a need to move beyond the current rhetoric of engaging in partnerships with families to a space that allows for transparency, reciprocity and new language.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)48-62
    Number of pages15
    JournalContemporary Issues in Early Childhood
    Volume19
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 7 Mar 2018

    Keywords

    • early childhood education
    • early childhood quality reforms
    • parent engagement
    • parent–teacher communication
    • parent–teacher partnerships
    • reciprocal relationships

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