child development family engagement plan

Scenario #2

Oakwood Learning Center is a large member center in a regional collection of learning centers, owned by

an individual owner. There are some practices and rules that each center has to follow in order to

maintain the collective image of Oakwood Learning Centers, but owners often have some flexibility in

how they connect with the families in their own center.

Mr. B is the owner of one center in Orange County – his family was enrolled in this center several years

ago and he was excited to purchase the center from the previous owner when it was available. Though

he is the owner, he admits to not having much experience in the field (except as a father), so he leans on

his Director, Mrs. Amy, when it comes to developmentally appropriate practice. He believes the center

does “an extraordinary job” at involving families and being flexible in the way it serves the families that

are enrolled.

Mrs. Amy shared a great deal about the center and how it involves and engages with parents in the

center – “from listening to their concerns and making changes to regularly scheduled student

conferences and an open door policy, Oakwood Learning Center definitely connects with families”. When

asked about listening to family concerns, Mrs. Amy shared that the center has a Suggestion Box that lets

parents anonymously vent any issues they feel need to be brought to the administrators’. Families that

feel more comfortable talking directly can, or they can send an email to just Mrs. Amy or Mr. B. “we

respond to them immediately and depending on what solution is required, we try to make the change as

soon as we can”. Mrs. Amy shared that they also make sure to share the changes they’ve made with

families in monthly emails that she and Mr. B write together. Email seems to be the best way for Mrs.

Amy to communicate with families – mostly because of the pace of the center and because parents have

crazy schedules too.

She also shared that when there are emergencies, classroom staff will call parents directly and are able

to contact families whenever they need to. In the Infant, Toddler, and Twos classrooms, center staff use

an online program to share daily information (meals, diaper changes, and sharing pictures) with parents

and other family members. They can also talk at drop-off and pick-up if needed.

The center staff also offer conduct 2-3 conferences a year for each family to talk about any

developmental concerns families and teachers might have. In the conferences, the teachers share

portfolios they’ve made for the children that are based on the center’s curriculum goals. Parents can

then share anything they want the staff to work on with the child and together, they figure out how that

can happen in the center and at home.

Families are told when they enroll that the center has an open door policy, which means that parents

and other approved family members can come to the center whenever they want. Most of the time,

parents come to have lunch with their child and some moms come to breastfeed instead of pumping at

work.

“To remind families that we are a center community, we also invite families to our annual center

anniversary party in June”, Mrs. Amy shares. There are games and Mr. B cooks hot dogs and

hamburgers on the grill, there’s even an ICEE truck that comes and gives everyone free icees. “It’s a fun

event that all of the staff help us make happen.”