Positive partnerships with parents within our centres are valued and respected. Together, we construct a shared understanding of what is best for the child.
Creating reciprocal relationships with parents and whånau supports us to gain a better understanding of the child. Each parent is viewed as an expert; their knowledge is essential to their child’s learning. These positive partnerships are imperative to creating a supportive, collaborative and inclusive culture within our centres.
Our Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whåriki states,
“The wellbeing of each child is interdependent with the wellbeing of their kaiako, parents and whånau. Children learn and develop best when their culture, knowledge and community are affirmed and when the people in their lives help them to make connections across settings.”
(Ministry of Education, 2017, p. 20)
Each child has a unique cultural identity that can be supported within the learning environment through whånau participation and contribution to the programme. Through these contributions we learn authentic strategies of how best to create a learning environment that supports the child’s cultural identity and whånau aspirations.
Together, parents and teachers reflect, ask questions and construct meaning of the child’s learning opening future possibilities to extend upon. It is through daily interactions with parents and whånau that we role model positive relationships to create a sense of belonging for all.
