Families are the primary influence on children’s learning and development. It is in the child’s best interest for there to be effective, sustained, collaborative partnerships between families and all professionals.’ (p. 9, VEYLDF, 2016)

LINKS to APST   Practice 3.5, 3.7    Engagement 6.2, 7.4

LINKS TO NQS  QA1  QA5  QA6

Families are the primary influence in their child’s life and are often described as the child’s first teacher. When early childhood professionals and families build respectful relationships, children’s learning and development is enhanced. Effective communication is the key to developing strong partnerships with families and sharing information about the child’s learning.

This session will support participants to increase their knowledge of family diversity and develop strategies to engage families in meaningful ways. Participants will strengthen their understanding of effective communication and build their skills in sharing information with families, including having sensitive conversations.

Presenter: Debbie Cole

ABOUT THE PRESENTER 

Debbie Cole is currently working as an early childhood trainer and consultant.  In this role, she works with a range of organisations to develop and facilitate professional learning programs and resources.

She is a qualified kindergarten teacher and has a number of early childhood qualifications, including a Master of Education.  She has extensive experience in children’s services, including management of the children’s program at Gowrie Victoria (North Carlton). She has also worked as a teacher and course coordinator at Swinburne University and a casual lecturer at RMIT.

She has a strong interest in the development of high quality curriculum and pedagogy and uses her experience in these areas to inspire change and innovative practice.