A family child care home should be inviting, dynamic, and armed with tools for children and families. The individuality of each child and their family should be recognized and celebrated, which encourages the inclusion of culture, religion, gender, ability, additional needs, and family structure. The staff present in the family child care home should liaise with families to ensure that needs of the child are met, they can seek advice and support from community agencies, adopt a positive unbiased attitude themselves (professional development opportunities for anti-bias education can be available), and publications and training sessions can be set up to increase their awareness of different needs and inclusive practices. Multicultural approach to the program should be set in place where a separate coordination unit can assist in providing multicultural ideas and liaising with educators to help them meet particular needs. It is important to ensure that all children and their families are supported in their cultural identities, language, and religious beliefs. Family feedback can be encouraged in order for educators to understand progress of their child at home and at previous child care centers.
Cultural sharing events can be held where parents can get to know one another better and learn about each other's cultural backgrounds. An initial meeting with each child's family could be had at the start of their enrolment in order to provide parents with a clear image of what occurs at the family child care home as well as provide educators with more information about the child, their needs, and their background.
Within the center, easily accessible tools for children and families should be available. Multicultural and diverse reading materials should also be on display for children to access, not excluding particular groups and ensuring that different types of home dynamics are also addressed (How can educators effectively involve families in anti-bias efforts?, 2013). Non-stereotypical but all inclusive resources, decor, and toys should be on display for children because "what children do not see in the classroom teachers children as much as what they do see" (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).
Resources
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Creating
an anti-bias learning community. Anti-bias
education for young children and ourselves (pp. 32-51). Washington, D.C.:
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
How
can educators effectively involve families in anti-bias efforts?. (2013). Anti-Defamation
League. Retrieved
from http://www.adl.org/assets/pdf/education-outreach/How-Can-Educators-Effectively-Involve-Families.pdf
Aloha Nicole,
ReplyDeleteYour blog got me thinking about whether a place or places exist where there is not a diversity in culture. When we identify a child's uniqueness it is usually a culture that has contributed to it. Having said that, I feel the whole perspective of teaching is evolving and one day soon a multi-cultural environment will be available to everybody.
Dear Nicole,
ReplyDeleteWhen walking in a rich in anti-bias environment childcare room, we would see the children who they are, where they come from, what the value their families hold. "The look sounds of the room reflect the family cultures and daily lives of those children because the physical environment begins with who children," (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p. 43). I agree with you that an initial meeting with each child's family will help set the anti-bias classroom. We can get a clear image of what is important to the family, more information about child, and their background at the meeting.
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of families sharing their culture with the others in the program. It gives everyone in the program an opportunity to deepen their understanding of each other. It is also a great way to celebrate each family and send a message to each child that they are special and what they bring to the program is valuable.
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI think training sessions are definitely needed in order to get everyone knowledgeable of the appropriate techniques and skills needed for anti-bias education as well as what it is in general. Also having teachers aware of the challenges they can come across is helpful in order to know how to potentially deal with an issue that may arise. In goal 3&4 of anti-bias education it states that "teachers will include anti-bias perspectives and strategies in all curriculum planning and approaches" (Derman-Sparks and Edwards, 2010). It is important that they can properly do this. I feel like you do that having an initial meeting with parents upon enrollment is important in order to share with them information on the center and what we as a school would need to know about the child in order to properly take care of his/her needs. Having other families become comfortable in communicating with one another is also important because they can converse in different issues they may be experiencing that are similar. Knowing that they have others to talk to regarding challenges they may be experiencing and having a support team can be very comforting for parents. Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2011) states that "one of the best ways we can serve the children in our programs is to help their families connect with and support one another, thus allowing them to learn about how other families deal with child rearing issues".
References
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).