Working with Parents, Carers and Families in the Early Years

Parents have a crucial role in supporting children’s learning, development and wellbeing. Forming effective partnerships with families and carers is a key feature of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Achieving this takes time, reflective practice, skill and a solid understanding of the barriers that can impede forming effective working relationships with parents.Working with Parents, Carers and Families in the Early Years offers an informed and comprehensive framework for working with parents, drawing on the latest evidence and containing practical advice from practitioners and parents, to support sound partnership practice. This second edition has been fully updated to reflect the current economic and social challenges facing families and the increasing diversity of family structures.Full of examples and activities for training to support practice across a wide range of settings, it focuses on key areas such as:Working with parents of different aged childrenThe development of strategies to support the relationshipThe barriers to partnership working, including sector challenges, social and cultural changes and time povertyCreating parent-friendly environmentsReflecting on the events of the COVID-19 lockdown and the impact on partnership with parentsWorking with diverse familiesIncluding case studies and questions for reflective practice, this book will be ideal for early years students on Foundation Degrees, Childhood Studies courses and those training to become early years teachers as well as early years practitioners and managers responsible for staff training.