Beyond the necessity of child care, preschools and child care centers can also serve as a cornerstone for building strong family connections. Building these connections is a fundamental element that contributes to the holistic development and well-being of children and parents alike, and to the success of your child care business.
Understanding and respecting that parents or guardians are a child’s first teacher and caregiver provides the foundation for building these strong relationships.
Let’s take a closer look at five reasons why family connection in child cares and preschools is so crucial, and why it’s essential for both children and parents:
1. Fostering Trust and Security
A significant advantage of fostering family connections in your preschool program is the sense of trust and security it establishes for children. When children witness their parents or guardians positively interacting with staff and participating in activities, it underscores the idea that your center is a safe and welcoming space.
Such trust is vital for a child’s emotional well-being, helping them feel more at ease and self-assured in their environment.
According to the Global Family Research Project, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted how educators communicate with families. The group highlighted that “schools created inclusive, family-focused co-curricular events that deepened their relationships with parents.”
2. Continuity of Care
Family involvement in preschools ensures continuity of care. Parents and guardians can provide vital insights about their child’s routines, preferences, and needs. This open communication aids teachers and caregivers in providing personalized care and ensuring consistency between home and school.
Consistency is particularly crucial for young children because it helps them adapt more easily to different environments. Continuity of care increases the amount of time caregivers and children spend together and therefore increases the opportunity for caregivers to develop more meaningful relationships with children over time, according to the Child Care Technical Assistance Network.
3. Strengthening Relationships
Child care centers are a place where parents and children often spend short, but meaningful, quality time together during drop-off and pick-up times. These moments of connection can be invaluable in today’s busy world, allowing parents to engage with their children, ask about their day and show their love and support.
Strong parent-child relationships are the foundation of a child’s emotional and social development, and child care centers can serve as a community hub where families come together.
Bringing families together for events such as an open house, family fun fair or literacy night will help develop a sense of community and support for your program. These types of events will also strengthen relationships between families, teachers and center staff.
4. Parental Peace of Mind
For parents, the assurance that their child is in a preschool that emphasizes open communication and family connections, offers peace of mind. Such confidence enables parents to concentrate on their daily and work tasks without concerns about their child’s well-being.
A decrease in stress and an enhancement in overall work performance is noticeable when parents are confident of their child’s safety and that their opinions are valued, and expectations met.
5. Educational Partnerships
Child care centers should incorporate educational programs aimed at enhancing child development. Active parental involvement can help strengthen these programs and make your center a place of community and support for children and families. This collaboration between parents and providers ensures that children receive a well-rounded education that aligns with their individual needs and interests.
Your center already offers a safe and nurturing environment, giving parents peace of mind. Keeping the lines of communication open and continuing to strengthen those relationships can be done seamlessly through an all-digital curriculum from infancy through pre-kindergarten.
Procare Early Learning powered by Learning Beyond Paper offers daily and weekly activities. The curriculum program includes at-home connection newsletters to ensure parents and families stay updated about their child’s experiences at your center. It’s easy for your teachers to share these experiences with parents directly through Procare!
And the curriculum is embedded into Procare, making it easier and less time-consuming for busy teachers and administrators to provide high-quality education.
When strong family connections are in place, children flourish and families thrive!
How much time and money could your childcare center save using a digital curriculum designed for young learners? Enter your number of staff, number of students and type of program into our online calculator to see your potential time and money savings!
Procare Cost and Time Savings Calculator Automated Payment Processing Cost & Time Savings Calculator Digital Curriculum Cost and Time Savings Calculator
Calculate your potential cost and time savings by using Procare’s all-in-one child care management software. All we will need from you is some information about your child care location*: Calculate your potential cost and time savings by using Procare’s secure and effortless child care payment processing. All we will need from you is some information about your child care location*: Calculate your potential cost and time savings by using Procare’s classroom management. All we will need from you is some information about your child care location*:
* Our data model is based on our experience working with over 100,000 child care centers, before and after school programs and youth organizations since 1992.
Switching to will save you hours and a month!*
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We understand that smaller centers and in-home daycare providers are operating on a tight budget, and that is why we provide all these features for the affordable price of just $25 per month. Let us handle the business of child care so you can get back to caring for your children.
To learn more about Procare home version, click below.
*Please note that the report you see only factors in cost and time savings for the in-home solution features. For Procare home version users that are interested in seeing how they can benefit from Procare’s full suite of capabilities, contact us today to speak to a Procare representative. *Please note that the report you see only factors in cost and time savings for the in-home solution features. For Procare home version users that are interested in seeing how they can benefit from Procare’s full suite of capabilities, contact us today to speak to a Procare representative. *Please note that the classroom management functionality is not available for in-home users. For Procare home version users that are interested in seeing how they can benefit from Procare’s full suite of capabilities, contact us today to speak to a Procare representative.
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Procare Cost and Time Savings Calculator
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