In this policy/procedure, words in italic text are defined terms which have the specific meanings set out in Gowrie Victoria Policies and Procedures – Definitions and Abbreviations.

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Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to set out Gowrie Victoria’s requirements for engagement and collaboration with families and communities in the education and care of their children.

Scope

This policy applies to all Board members, staff members, volunteers, students on placement and contractors/labour hire employees of Gowrie Victoria.

Policy Statement

Respecting the Role of Families

Gowrie Victoria recognises that families are the primary providers for and teachers of their children. In providing education and care for their children, Gowrie Victoria will respect and support the role of families (National Law s3(3)).

Gowrie Victoria will seek to ensure that, where practicable, children’s families are involved in decisions that might impact the safety and wellbeing of their children

Respecting and Valuing The Diversity of Families and Cultures

Gowrie Victoria recognises the importance to children of a wide range of relationships and recognises the role of extended families in children’s lives.

Gowrie Victoria also recognises and values the diverse cultures of families at its services. Children and their families belong to a culture and to communities, which shapes their values, beliefs and practices, and their understanding of the world in which they live.

Gowrie Victoria will specifically acknowledge and promote the value of First Nations cultures, recognising the importance of culture to the physical and psychological safety of First Nations children and their families.

Promoting Inclusion

Gowrie Victoria actively encourages educators to be inclusive in their practice. Inclusive practices, and the partnerships which educators form with each child and their family have a significant effect on each child’s access, participation and success in learning.

All staff members will ensure that diversity is respected, any form of discrimination (including racism) is not tolerated, and that children with disabilities or culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are fully able to participate in Gowrie Victoria’s activities and programs.

All staff members will also recognise and support friendships and peer connections among children and families.

Educators are encouraged to reflect on and be aware of potential barriers to participation and inclusion in the environments they create and the programs they implement.

Facilitating Open and Respectful Communication with Families

Gowrie Victoria values open, respectful and engaged communication between educators and families. A close working relationship between a child’s family and the educators who care for the child allows the development of a shared understanding of each other’s expectations and preferences and will help the child establish a strong sense of belonging and thrive within a service setting. It will also help families feel connected with the service.

Open and respectful communication also allow different views to be discussed and resolved more effectively.

Gowrie Victoria recognises that the most effective communication with children’s families is face-to-face dialogue between family members and educators. This allows families and educators to discuss a child’s evolving preferences, experiences and rhythms. Staffing arrangements will be planned to reflect the importance of these opportunities for families and educators.

Where required, staffing arrangements will also allow for longer and confidential discussions between families, educators and other staff members.

Providing Information to Support Families

Families should receive all the information they need about their service, including information about the governance and management of the organisation, the philosophy and the educational programs, the enrolment and orientation processes.

Families will be provided with information about Gowrie Victoria’s child safety policies and practices, and the importance of cultural safety for First Nations children and other children from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Family Involvement in Education and Care Programs

With effective collaboration as an objective, Gowrie Victoria will provide families access to their children at any time (National Regulations r157).

Collaboration between a service and families can be increased by giving opportunities for families to share in the service’s education and care programs. Subject to formal child safe processes, families will be encouraged to volunteer for activities within their child’s program, including participating in excursions.

Gowrie Victoria recognises that families have a significant role to play in supporting their children through initial orientation and transition at a service, and with changes as children transition to new rooms. Open communication between families and educators allows information about each child to be shared between educators, helping to make the process of moving a positive experience for children. Families will be invited to participate in orientation and transition activities as appropriate.

Links With Local Communities

Families may be a conduit into the local communities around each Gowrie Victoria service. Early learning managers, educational leaders and educators will all be aware of opportunities provided by service families to build and maintain links into these communities.

Gowrie Victoria strongly encourages the involvement of children in their communities, which supports children being more visible in these spaces and broadens children’s understanding of the world in which they live.

Gowrie Victoria also recognises the importance of collaborations which affect children more directly, including transition to school. By building relationships with local schools and sharing information with them, the move from a service to a local primary school can be made into a constructive experience for children which provides greater opportunities for continuity of learning.

Assistance to Families

Gowrie Victoria’s services will assist families by providing a range of information and advice which supports them in their role as parents. This should include information about community services and resources available to families. Translations of this information will be available to families.

Communications Channels

Each of Gowrie Victoria’s services will use a variety of means to share information with families, including web-based information, emails, social media, displays and noticeboards at the service.

Information will be available in local languages as required.

Feedback and Complaints from Families

Gowrie Victoria welcomes feedback from families about any matters connected with the education and care of their children . Gowrie Victoria has systems to capture and record families’ feedback, and respond to families.

Gowrie Victoria has processes for handling and resolving complaints made by families. Any complaints will be handled seriously and sensitively with the best interests of the child as the guiding principle for resolutions.

Information about how to make a complaint, and the processes for resolving issues, is available to families on the noticeboard in the entrance of each service.

Authorisation

Approved by the Chief Executive Officer

Name	Susan Anderson
Signature
Date	21 July 2022

References