Equap ebook - European Commission

Projectreference:2014-1-IT02-KA201-004091

EnhancingqualityinEarlyChildhoodEducationandCarethroughParentParticipation


TableofContentsPartA-IdentificationofthepracticesandmethodsconcerningparticipationinECEC(Output1) 4

Belgium 4Italy 17Greece 32Latvia 41Portugal 51Slovenia 76Sweden 89

PartB-Researchguidelines 91

EnhancingqualityinEarlyChildhoodEducationandCarethroughParentParticipation:astateofplayinsevenEuropeancountries 91

1. Introduction 912. Gettingparentparticipationontheagendaandwhy 91

ImportanceofaparticipatoryqualityapproachoftherelationshipbetweenparentsandECEC 951.1 TheEuropeanUnion 951.2 Internationalresearch:ambivalentnotionsonparentalinvolvement 961.3 Bridgingtheeducationalgapbymoreparentparticipation? 981.4 Questioningtheinstrumentalisationofparents 100

ParentparticipationinECECpractice:whyandhow? 1012.1 Theneedforreciprocity 1022.2 Parentsasassets 1022.3 Notservingjustonepredefinedgoal 1032.4 Arightbasedapproachofequityandrespectfordiversity 1042.5 Suggestions 105

Romewasn’tbuiltinaday.... 1063.1 Themanyvariationsinparticipation 1073.2 Roundupconsiderations 109

ParentparticipationinECECinEurope 1104.1 Greece 1104.2 Portugal 1124.3 Belgium-Flemishcommunity 1134.4 Latvia 1164.5 Slovenia 1184.6 Italy 1214.7 Sweden 123ConclusionsoftheEQUAPpartnerreview 123Implicationsandfurtherdebate 125

Towardsatypologyofpracticesofparticipationbetweenfamiliesandearlychildhoodeducationalservices 127

1.Whyatypeofparticipationpractices? 1272.Foradefinitionofparticipation 1273.Someconceptualboundaries: 131

TheFocusAreas 134


Focusarea1:Learningaboutthefamily–Knowingandappreciatingfamiliesandcommunities 134Focusarea2–Communicatingwithfamilies–Sensitive,respectfulandreciprocalcommunicationwithfamilies 136Focusarea3:Decidingandactingtogetherwithfamilies–Partnershipandsharingdecisionmakingresponsibilities 138Focusarea4:Cooperatingandcollaboratingwiththecommunity–Sharingeducationalresponsibilitieswiththecommunity 140

PartC–IndicatorsandtoolsaddressingmoreeffectivelyparticipationasprocesscontributingtoqualityinECEC 142

ThecaseofSlovenia 142Qualityindicatorsusedinpreschools 153Qualityindicatorsusedinpreschoolsandprimaryschools 1567StepsTowardsECO-School 156

QualityIndicators 158QualityIndicators-Focusarea1 158QualityIndicators-Focusarea2 158QualityIndicators-Focusarea3 158QualityIndicators-Focusarea4 159

PartD–Jobshadowingandthemonitoringprocessofthetestinginnovativepractices 160

Jobshadowingmethod:implementation,addedvalue,facilitatingconditions 160Where to go? 162Reporting and regular briefings 162Professional and personal relationships 162Receivingjobshadowersfrompartnercountries 163Reflectionandcomments 163Someconclusionsontheconditionsforsuccessfuljobshadowing: 164

TestingEquapparentparticipationpracticesinBrussels 165

Thetestingofthepracticesandtheirresults-Slovenia 180

AnalysisandreportontheenhancementanddisseminationoftheEQUAPProjectToolboxpracticesinPortugal 188

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.


PartA-IdentificationofthepracticesandmethodsconcerningparticipationinECEC(Output1)

BelgiumParentParticipationinECEC-FlemishCommunity–Belgium

1. Introduction

Inthispaper,weshortlydescribethecurrentsituationofparentalinvolvementinECECintheFlemishCommunity1,bothonthelevelofpolicy,researchandpractice.Theoverallconceptisthat participation is not just an ad hoc activity or action, but that participative workwithparentsisaprocessofbuildingtrust,dialogue,reciprocityandaction,inmanydifferentshapesandformsandonmanydifferentlevels.Upuntilnow,involvingparentshasbeenmuchmoredevelopedinthechildcaresector(0–2,5/3y)thanithasinpreschools(2,5/3–6y)2.

1Belgiumisafederalstatewith3Communities(responsibleforchildcareandeducation),3Regionsandonefederalpolicylevel.WewillonlycovertheFlemishCommunityinthisproject.2Pleasenotewewillonlydescribethechildcareandpre-schoolsector.Inthebroaderfamilypolicies,theFlemishcommunityalsodevelopedastrongpolicyonoverallparentingsupportwiththeconceptofHousesoftheChild,butwewillnotgointothisinthisreport.FormoreinformationseetheBelgiancasestudyonparentalsupport,commissionedbyEurofundandwrittenbyAnkieVandekerckhoveofVBJK:http://www.vbjk.be/files/Eurofound%20_%20Parenting%20support%20in%20Europe.pdf


2. Theoryandscholarlywork

2.1Policy:asplitsystem

TheFlemishsystemofECECisahistoricallygrownsplitsystemwithacleardivisionbetweeneducation-orientedpreschoolsandchildcareorchildmindingprovisions.Themaindifferencesarepresentedinthisconciseoverview:

Childcareandout-of-schoolcare

Preschool

MinistryofWelfareandKindenGezin(ChildandFamily)aspublicagency/administration3

MinistryofEducation

Focuson‘care’ Focuson‘education’

0–2,5to3y

2,5–6y(6y:startofcompulsoryeducation)

PublicandprivatecentresSubsidiesondifferentlevels,dependingontheeffortsmadeforuniversalaccessibility.

Mostlypubliclysubsidizedschools(exceptforasmallpercentageofself-sufficientprivateschools)

Attendancefluctuatesaround51%(notallfulltime)

Attendance:about98%(mostfulltime)4

Multiplequalificationroutes.Childpractitionersmostlyhavevocationaltraining(infantcare)orin-servicetraining.Familydaycarepersonnelorstaffincrechesoftenhavenoqualification(willberequiredby2024forall)

Since2014,pedagogicalcoachesonbachelor

Thepractitionersareteacherswithabachelordegreeinpreschool.Theteacherswhoworkwiththeyoungestchildrenaresometimessupportedbyachildcareworkerasassistant(vocationaltraining)

3KindenGezinisresponsibleforregulations,allocationofplaces,funding,qualitystandardsandqualitymanagement.Theday-to-dayrunningofchildcarecentresistheresponsibilityoftheserviceproviders(localauthorities,non-profitorganisations,andalsoprivatefor-profitproviders).4Therearethreemainprovidersofpre-primaryeducation.Aroundtwo-thirdsofthechildrenenrolled(nearly64percent)areinprivatesubsidisededucation(mostlyCatholicschools).Justunderonequarter(22percent)areinlocalauthorityprovision;theremaining14percentattendaschooloftheFlemishCommunity(stateschools).(Oberhuemer;2010)


levelarebeingemployedinchildcare

Parents pay (most often fee is related tofamilyincome)

Attendanceisfreeofcharge

Pedagogical framework, not a binding butinspiringcurriculum

Curriculumwithseteducationalgoals

No legal barriers but no equal access inpractice(attendancebychildrenfromethnicminorities, immigrants, refugees or familiesinpovertyisbelow25%)

Despitehighattendancerate,unequalaccess:childrenlivinginpovertyandchildrenfromethnicculturalminoritiesarelesssubscribedandattendpreschoollessregularly,whichisproblematisedbytheMinistryofEducation

Legal ‘entitlement’ , but depending on thebudgetarycontext

Legalentitlement,righttoeducation.Legallynotobligatoryunder6y,butrecentcoercivepolicies for parents have made this semiobligatory(toddler‘participation’policy)

Increasingattentionforparentparticipationin the formal competences profile forpractitioners working in childcare, Parentparticipation as a recurrent topic in CPDcourses and coaching trajectories forchildcare workers.Since 2011: a newbachelor training – Pedagogy of the YoungChild – with working with parents as afundamental part of the curriculum. As of2014,thefirstgraduatesareemployedonthefieldandthiswill influencethewayparentsarebeinginvolvedinchildcareandlateroninpre-school.

Less attention to parent participation ininitial pre-school training than in childcare.The professional competence profile ofkindergarten teachers, recognised by thegovernment, only mentions informingparents. The training institutions have theautonomy to develop their trainingcompetenceprofilethemselves.Mostofthemarebasedonthegovernmentprofile,,whichhardlymentionsparents.

2.2Legalcontext

2.2.1Children’srights

The Convention on the Rights of the child states that parents are the first educators andresponsiblefortheupbringingoftheirchildren(art.5) ,keepingtheirbest interestatheart


(art.3).ButtheCRCalsoaddsthatstatesneedtotakeupresponsibilityaswell(art.18)5:theyhave tosupportparents in theirparental responsibilities.This conventionclearlyconsidersthatraisingchildrenisacombinedeffortofparentsandstates,oftheprivatehomeandpublicservices.Stateshaveacertainfreedomanddiscretiononhowtheymeetthisbindingstandard(e.g. social security includingchild support, (free) schooling,healthservices, socialhousing,parentsupportservicesetc.)ECECisalsoapartofthissupportforfamilies.AlbeitthattheCRConlymentions‘working’parentshere(art.18.3),itmustbeclearthatthisconventionsetstheminimumnormandstatescanbroadenthisinterpretationtoallfamilies,asithasbeendoneintheFlemishCommunityaswell.

InitsGeneralCommentnr7onImplementingChildRightsinEarlyChildhood,par.29b(2005),theCommitteeontheRightsoftheChildpointsoutthat“Inplanningforearlychildhood,Statespartiesshouldatalltimesaimtoprovideprogrammesthatcomplementtheparents’roleandare developed as far as possible in partnership with parents, including through activecooperationbetweenparents,professionalsandothersindeveloping“the

child’spersonality,talentsandmentalandphysicalabilitiestotheirfullestpotential”(art.29.1(a)).”Par.30furtherstatesthat“allyoungchildrenreceiveeducationinthebroadestsense(asoutlined in paragraph 28 above), which acknowledges a key role for parents...”.

2.2.2Childcare:decreeforbabiesandtoddlers

Parentalengagement,involvementorparticipationinmanywayshasbeenontheagendaoftheFlemishpolicymakerforthepastfewyears.Startingfromtheideathateducatingandcaringforchildrenisasharedresponsibilityofparentsandthewidersocietyboth,thenotionofparentparticipationhasbeenmoreandmoredeveloped inpracticeandhasnowbeenstructurallyembedded in recent legislation and guidelines. (decree of 20/04/2012 into force as of

5Article5:StatesPartiesshallrespecttheresponsibilities,rightsanddutiesofparentsor,whereapplicable,themembersoftheextendedfamilyorcommunityasprovidedforbylocalcustom,legalguardiansorotherpersonslegallyresponsibleforthechild,toprovide,inamannerconsistentwiththeevolvingcapacitiesofthechild,appropriatedirectionandguidanceintheexercisebythechildoftherightsrecognizedinthepresentConvention.Article18:1.StatesPartiesshallusetheirbesteffortstoensurerecognitionoftheprinciplethatbothparentshavecommonresponsibilitiesfortheupbringinganddevelopmentofthechild.Parentsor,asthecasemaybe,legalguardians,havetheprimaryresponsibilityfortheupbringinganddevelopmentofthechild.Thebestinterestsofthechildwillbetheirbasicconcern.

2.ForthepurposeofguaranteeingandpromotingtherightssetforthinthepresentConvention,StatesPartiesshallrenderappropriateassistancetoparentsandlegalguardiansintheperformanceoftheirchild-rearingresponsibilitiesandshallensurethedevelopmentofinstitutions,facilitiesandservicesforthecareofchildren.3.StatesPartiesshalltakeallappropriatemeasurestoensurethatchildrenofworkingparentshavetherighttobenefitfromchild-careservicesandfacilitiesforwhichtheyareeligible.


01/04/2014,art.3and6).

Allchildcareprovisionsarerequiredtogetalicenseandinordertogetone,childcareserviceshave the legal obligation to involve families. The decree mentions elements of this familyinvolvement(art.6§1,3°d/art.33/art.3241),whichserveasminimalobligationsforserviceprovidersuchas:

-Periodicevaluationofsatisfaction -Communicationonthepedagogicalapproach -InformationonthelicenseInaddition,providersneedtohaveawrittendocumentontheinternalrules,thatalsoneedstocontainsomeregulationsregardingparents(art.34,3°),suchastherighttoatransitionperiod,therighttoaccesstoallspaceswherethechildisbeingcaredfor,therightto(formally)lodgeacomplaint,therighttoprivacyandpersonaldataprotection.

2.2.3Preschool:participationdecree

Intheparticipationdecreeforschools(April2nd2004),allschoolshavetheobligationtocreateandpromoteaparticipativeenvironmentandsupportparticipationfora(art.4).Theideaisthat participation rights strengthen the active commitment of all involved in reaching theeducationalgoalsoftheschools(art.5).Inpractice,theseforaaremostoftenrathertraditionalsystemsofcouncils.Everyschoolhasaschoolcouncil,consistingofparents,staffandpupils.Allmembersofaschoolcouncilhaveageneralrighttobeinformedandtherighttobehearduponrequest.Whiletheschoolcouncilshouldbeheardinseveralrelevantschoolmatters,theschoolsthemselvesdesigntheirownpedagogicalproject.Whenparentsenroltheirchild,thisimpliestheiragreementwiththisproject.Aspecificparent’scouncilisoptional,butbecomesobligatorywhenatleast10%oftheparentsrequeststhis.Thedecreehoweverdoesnotclearlydefinewhat their function ormandate is.In 2009 the decree for pre-primary andprimaryschoolwasadaptedsothatschoolsneedtoincludeanengagementdeclarationintheirhouserules.Thisdeclarationencompassesminimalreciprocalengagementsbetweentheschoolandparents.This isconsideredatoolto increasetheparentalparticipationinschools, includingpre-schools(BaO/2009/02)AparentdelegationisalsopartoftheFlemishEducationCouncil(VLOR),whichisanoveralladvisorycouncilfortheFlemishgovernment.

2.3Curriculum

2.3.1Childcare:pedagogicalframework

Withinthecontextofthedecreeandbasedonresearchandevolutionsinthechildcarepractice,Child and Family, commissioned the design of a pedagogical framework, describing thedifferent tasksofchildcare towardschildren, towards familiesand towardssocietyat large.


Whilethisframeworkisrather‘open’andnotlegallybinding,itismeanttoserveasacommonstandardforECECpractitioners.

In thispedagogical frameworkparentsareconsideredas thepartnersbyexcellence for theECEC professionals6. This way, the involvement of parents becomes a necessary part ofdeliveringhighqualityservices. Important toknowis that involvingparentsstartswith theprofessional;itshouldnotdependontheparent’sinitiative.

Someofthebasicprinciplesregardingparentsare:

-Thebeliefinthefamily’scompetenceandstrength:parentsallwantthebestfortheirchildren.ECEC practitioners need to recognize this, be sensitive and consider parents as the firsteducator.

-Reciprocalrelationships:educationathomediffersfromtheoneinchildcareservices.Thatisnoproblemifpractitionersinvestinareciprocalrelationshipwithparentsonthiseducation.Thismeansengaginginanongoingprocessofbeingattentiveandhavingconsiderationforeachother’sfeelings,experiencesandmeaning-making.Onlywhenparentsfeelrespected,safeandrecognisedasparent,onlywhenopenandhonestcommunicationispossible,childcarecanbemeaningfulforall(child,practitioner,parent).

- Childcareasameetingplace:meetingparentsofotherchildrencanbeveryvaluableandsupportive. Parents can exchange views, ideas and experiences on raising young childrenwithinaninformalsetting.Thiswaytheycanoffereachotherinformationbutalsoemotionaland social support in parenting, outside the professional context of family support. Theframeworkisbuiltontheideaofjointlyshapingthechild’seducation.Childcarerespectsthechild'seducationwithinhis familyandcontinues it inmutualconsultation.Thismeans thatpractitionersinvestinaconstantdialoguewithfamilies,involvingbothfathersandmothers.Thisgivesthemaninsightintothesocialandculturalcontextinwhichchildrengrowupandallowsthemtotakethefamily'sperspectiveintoconsiderationintheirpedagogicalactions.Theactionstakenbypractitionerscannotbeseparatedfromtheparents'relevantviews.Childcarefacilitiesconsultwithparentsaboutchild-rearing ideas,questionsanddesires,soas togiveshapetochildren'seducationtogetherwiththeparents.Thisdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatchildcarefacilitiesautomaticallyhavetodowhatparentswant.Theyenterintodialoguewith

6Thevisionstates:“ChildcareforbabiesandtoddlersinFlandershelpstoensurethateverychildfeelsgoodabouthimself,ischallengedandfeelsconnectedtothepeopleandhissurroundingenvironment.Childcarewantstoshapechildren'seducationtogetherwiththeparents.Atthesametimeitaimstosupportparentsintheirchild-rearingresponsibilities.Achildcarefacilitywantstobeaplacewhereeverychild,parentandpractitionerfeelsathome.Inthiswayithelpsrealiseequalopportunitiesforchildren,aswellasforadultmenandwomen.Embeddedinwarmrelationshipswithothers,childcarewantsallchildrentobeabletogrowupintoadultswhoareconfidentinlifeandcontributetoalearning,democraticsociety,wherepeopletreateachotherandtheirenvironmentinarespectfulandsustainablemanner."


theparentsoneachother'sviewsandtrytoalignthem.Theframeworkdescribesseveralwaystoworkwithfamiliesandtoconnectwithparents.E.g.:theimportanceofatransitionperiodprior to attending childcare, regular contacts on how the child feels, reacts and develops,systemicdialogueoneducationalissuesandconsideringwhatparentswantandneedfortheirchildrenandrespectfordiversityandhumandignity.

2.3.2Preschool:developmentalgoals

In pre-school, some developmental goals are set for toddlers, but the curriculum does notmentionparentsassuch.Itisbasedonthechild’sindividualdevelopment,withdifferentfamilybackgrounds,differentattendanceratesanddifferentcompetencies.Theteacherdoesregularassessmentswhichcanbediscussedwiththeparents,butparentalinvolvementishardlytobecomparedtowhatitisinchildcare.

2.4EuropeancontextIn this context reference could also be made to the recently developed European QualityFrameworkforECECandthemanyreferencesmadetheretobothresearchandpracticewithintheEU.Inthisframeworkaswell,oneofthefundamentaltransversalissueisthatparentsare

themostimportantpartnersandthattheirparticipationisessential8.

ChildreninEurope,anetworkofECECexpertspublishingthemagazinewiththesamename,hasalsopublishedapolicydocumentinwhichparticipationisoneofthe10principles9.

2.5BelgianscholarlyworkandresearchWhileinternationalresearchhasnotedseveralpositiveeffectsofparentalinvolvementinECEC(easier transition,better school results, strongerpre-literacy skills...), somecriticism is alsobeingformulated.Morespecificallyonhowparentalinvolvementoftenonlybenefitsthewhitemiddleclassbecauseparentshavetodealwithunequalfinancial,socialandculturalresourcesto comply with the staff request for parental involvement. Secondly these studies rarelyconsider how parents perceive quality themselves: the concept of quality is being too pre-definedbyresearchersandpolicymakerssoparent’sownknowledgeisnotrecognisedandvaluedinthesestudies.

9http://www.vbjk.be/files/CIE%20Policy%20Paper.pdf.“Servicesshould‘embodyparticipationasanessentialvalue,asanexpressionofdemocracyandasameanstocombatsocialexclusion.Participationrequirespedagogicalworkthatsupportsthedevelopmentandupbringingofeachchild.Participationmeanstheactiveinclusionoftheentirecommunity:allyoungchildrenandadults,includingparents,professionalsofallkindsworkinginservices,andothercitizens.Participationenablesallofthesegroupstocontributetotheconstructionofacommonprojectandtoeveryaspectofthelifeoftheserviceincludinghelpinginmanywaysandactiveinvolvementinmanagement,decisionsandevaluation.”


2.5.1WhatdoparentswantfortheirchildrenandthemselvesinECEC?

By doing focus groups with a diversity of parents, Geens and Vandenbroeck (2013)demonstratehowplacesforparentsofyoungchildrenshouldencompassaspaceforencounterbetweenadiversityof families, inwhichparents can reflect together about theirparentingpracticesandwhatisgoodfortheirchildathomeandinchildcare.Parentswouldliketoremainthe first owner of their parenting project and not be reduced to spectators of their ownsituation,weigheddownbythedominantdiscourseaboutwhatgoodparentingis.Inthissense,ECECcanofferparentsupport,notasinformingparentsabout„thegoodwaysofparenting”,but as a form of creating social support between the parents themselves and practitioners(Geens&Vandenbroeck,2013).

A research, commissioned by the King Baudouin Foundation looked into the reasons whydisadvantaged parents,mostlymothers, do or do not choose to have their children attendchildcare(CrépinandNeuberg,2013).Itshowsthedifferentbarrierstheyoccur.Whentheydonotsendtheirchildrentochildcareservicesitoftenseemstoberelatedtoalackoftrustandofcommunication (next to financial and other access barriers, like waiting lists). For someparents, the ideaof leavingyour child tobe cared forbyothers, is ratherunusualor goingagainst‘goodparenting’,evenincreasingthelackoftrust.Whentheydochoosechildcare,theirreasonsaremostlyintermsofpreparingthechildforlateschoollifeandnotatallintermsoftheirownintegrationorgettingsupport.Thisshowsthatwhenparentsdonotevenknowwhatchildcarecouldbringtotheirbenefit,theywillnoteasilyusethoseservices,letalonebeactivelyinvolved.

Aquantitativestudyontheperspectiveofparentsonschools,commissionedbytheMinistryofEducation,showshowparentsaremoresatisfiedwiththeschool,whentheschoolopensuptoparentsandcreatesawelcomingclimate.Parentstendtobemoreinvolvedwiththeschool,whentheyexperienceopennessoftheschool(Verhoeven,Devos,Stassen,&Warmoes,2003).

In a smallqualitative study,11parentswere interviewedonnot enrolling their children inpreschool, although preschool in Belgium is nearly free and available for every child andparentsarestimulatedwithquitecoercivepoliciestosendtheirchildrentopreschool.Specificfortheseparentswasthat,first,mostofthemexperiencedextremepovertyandsecond,manystatedtowhilebeinginterestedintheeducationoftheirchildrenatthesametimetheyweredoubtingwhethertheirchildrenarereadyforpreschool.Theirconcernsweree.g.thattoddlersneedtobepottytrainedat2,5years,thatclassesaretoobig,thatchildrendon’tspeakDutchetc.Theseparentsworriedabouthowtheirchildrenweretoparticipate inschoolor if theywould be excluded because of all these aspects that are problematised by the schools(Vandenbroecketal.,2013).

TheseresultsareinlinewithacurrentPhD.studyofVanLaere(2015)inwhichtheperspective


ofparentsofethnicculturalminoritiesand/orparentslivinginpovertyisexplored(infocusgroups)onwhattheyfindimportantinthecareandeducationoftheirchildinpreschool.Heretoo, the lackoforneedof individual emotional attentionof children is the common theme.Throughoutalltheeducationalandcaringmoments,theessentialquestionis:doyouseemychild?Willyoutakecareofmychild?Willyouensuremychildisnotexcludedfromthegroup?Itisremarkablehowmanyparentswouldliketoknowandaskmorehowtheirchildisdoingbuttheyperceivethemselvesasannoyinganddisturbingtotheteacherbyasking ‘silly’and‘stupid’ questions concerning issues of emotional (warmth, embrace), physical (health,sleeping,eating,toileting,...)andpoliticalcare(discriminationandexclusion).Manyparentsaskto have more contact with the school – a daily 5 minute chat - and to be allowed in theclassroom,whichisoftennotthecaseinFlemishpreschool.Becausetheyknowandunderstandtheteacherdoesnothavealotoftime,theytrynottobothertheteachertoomuch.

Thelackofcareonmicro-,meso-andmacrolevelcanbeapossibleexplanationwhyparentsdonotsendtheirchildrentopreschoolregularlyordistrustpreschool.Theseresultsareinlinewiththeabovementionedstudyin2003.Parentsdowanttobemoreinvolvedinschool

lifeandtheyespeciallywouldliketogetmoreopportunitiestodiscussissuesofhealth,safetyandhygieneoftheirchildren(Verhoevenetal.,2003).

Also, thepresumedequality intherelationsbetweenprofessionalsandparentsseemstobesomewhatoverratedattimes(VanHaute,Bradt,Vandenbroeck,Bouverne-DeBie,2013).Eventhough parental involvement is valued, professionals still tend to shape the contacts withparentsinatop-downmannerandseetheparents’inputprimarilyasaninstrumenttoreachthedesiredoutcomesoftheirwork.

Ithastobenoted,however,thatmanyofthesestudiesfocusonthemother’sperspectiveratherthanthefather’s.Althoughresearcherstrytoinvolvefathersinthesestudies,thepracticesofECECareafairlyfemaleenvironment.Whileinternationally,thereisresearchonfathers’andtheirroleineducation,thisroleisoftenstillnotconsideredasapositiveandinspiringexampleTherefore, many scholars advise to rethink working with children and separate it fromsubstitutemothering(Cameron,Moss,Owen,1999;Peeters,2007;VanLaere,Vandenbroeck,Roets&Peeters,2014).

2.5.2Howtoinvolveparents?

TheBrussels government commissionedanaction research (‘PIO’:partners ineducation10),done by VBJK, on how childcare can involve and support parents in the education of their10Eightchildcarecentresgotinvolvedandformedalearningcommunityinatrajectorythatwascoachedbytheresearchers.Also,sixfocusgroupswithparentswerefacilitatedtogetaviewontheirperspective.


children,resultinginpracticalguidelinesforparentparticipation.WhatisvitaltomakeparentparticipationFPsuccessfulandeffective,isaclearvision,thatcanserveasaframeworkforallkindsofparticipatoryactionsandwork.Whyisparticipationimportantforthepolicyandthepracticeinchildcare?Whatgoalsshouldbeset?Howandwhatwillbeevaluatedandbywhom?...Theseareallimportantquestiontoconsideroverandoveragain.

One of themain starting points is the ‘triangle’: child – parent – practitioner. Parents andchildcareworkers are allies in the child’s life and education. In order tomake thiswork, arelationof trustandrespect isneeded.This requiresawelcomingattitude towardsparentsfromtheveryfirstcontact,notonlythosewhoalreadyusechildcarebutalso(andmaybeevenmoreso)thosewhodonot.Differentformalandinformalbarriersexist,especiallyformorevulnerablefamilies.Childcareprovidersneedtomakethemselvesknown,explainwhattheirservices really are and how it can be a support and a valuable extension of the homeenvironment.Inthissense,communicatingandinvolvingparentsdoesstartevenbeforetheactualuseofECEC.

Tobuildonthisrelationoftrust, investinginfacilitatingasmoothtransitionfromthehomeenvironmenttochildcareisimportant.Gettingtoknowandbeinggenuinelyinterestedineachother,gettingfamiliarwiththeparent’sviewsandculture,withthechild’stemperamentandhabits,doesnotonlymakefamiliesfeelwelcomebutwilladdtothequalityofthework,toabetter response to the child’sneeds.Themoreyouknowabouta child (especially theveryyoungones)andthefamilybackgroundandlivingcontext,thebetteryouwillbeabletorelatetothechild.Buildingthisrelationoftrustdoesnotcomenaturallyorautomatically; ittakesactiveinvestmentoftheprofessionals’work.Inreturn,gainingthiskindofknowledgeaboutthechild,willenablethepractitionersdobetterintheirwork.

Parent participation comes inmany different shapes and formats, but evenmore than themethodormodel,theunderlyingvisionandtheleveloffollowupwilldetermineitssuccess,authenticity and effectiveness. A givenmodel in itself does not determine the level of realinvolvementorparticipation.E.g.aformalparentscouncilisnot,initself,betterthantheshortdailychatwithparentsinthemorning.Itisimportanttoconsiderhowandwhyparticipationprocessesarebeinginstalledandwhattheprovisionreallymeansbyit.Parentsneedtoreallyfeelthatthereisroomfortheirinput,questionsandviews.Tokenismshouldbeavoidedbyanymeansandacertainlevelofrepresentativenessneedstobemet.ThePIOresearchalsoshowedthatthereshouldnotbeahierarchyinthemethodsandpractices(italldependsonthegoal,onwhatyouwanttoachieveandwhattheparticipationwouldserve)

Concerning parent participation in schools in general, a recent study of VanAvermaet andcolleagues demonstrates that the formalized ways of parent participation (engagementdeclarationofschools,parentalboards,parentsneedtosignthehouserules,....)donotalwaysserve the purpose of involving parents in school life. Informalways of participation (daily


interactionbetweenteachersandparents,...)areatleastasimportantorevenmoreimportantas school formalities on parent participation (Van Avermaet, Vanderlinde, Mertens, &Ysenbaert,2013).

3Approaches&MethodsFor the Flemish early years sector, Child and family, has developed a strong vision onparticipation, both of parents and children11. In this document, participative processes, inseveralearlyyearsservices,arebeingvaluedasa fundamentalprincipleboth indevelopingpoliciesandindailypractice.Participationcanserveseveralgoals:improvetheservicequality,increasingthesupportforandco-shapingpoliciestobetteranswertofamily’sneeds,creatingco-ownershipandincreasesocialcohesion.Participationcanmean‘takingpart’orevenmore,influencing thedecisionmakingprocess. It canbe formalor informal and it canhappenondifferentlevels:doingactivitiestogether,checktheuserssatisfactionoractuallyshapingthepolicieswithECECservices.Theseformsallinterrelate:whenthereislittleornoone-on-oneparticipativeworkindailypractice,parentswillnotfeelaswelcomedtojoinintoparticipativeprojectsorpolicy-involvement.

However,whenwelookattheFlemishpracticeofparentparticipation,westillnoticemanydifferences.The levelsandmethodsofparticipation,within the legal frameworkthat leavesroomfordiscretionandinterpretation,stillstronglydependontheproviders,resulting inawiderangeofdifferentinitiativesofinvolvementandparticipation.

AsanexamplewecanmentionthecitypolicyofchildcareinGhent.Startingfromprojectsandpedagogical innovations in the 80’s and 90’s awhole new vision and framework has beendeveloped for community based childcare services inwhich participation is one of the keyelements.Ineverygoal,projectoraction,aconsequentandcontinuedreflectionisbeingmadetowardsallgroupsthatareinvolved:thechildren,theparents,thestaffandthecommunity.Throughout the work, attention is given to families in more vulnerable living conditions(migration,poverty,loweducationallevel,singleparents...).Thelocalsystemofenrolmentandallocationofplaceshasbeenstructurallydesignedtoobtainanequal,objectiveaccessaswellasasocialmixwithinthechildcarecentres.Priorityruleshavebeeninstalled,reserving70%ofplacesforchildrenlivingintheareaand50%forchildrenwithadisadvantagedbackground.The community childcare works towards high-quality day care with respect for diversity,respondingtoneedsandcaredemandofvulnerablelow-incomefamilieswithalimitedsocialnetwork, giving extra attention to barriers (admission procedure, language, composition ofteam,perceptionof day care) andhigh levels of involvement of children, parents, staff andneighbourhood actors.More specifically towardsparents, attention is given to a.o.: tailored

11http://www.kindengezin.be/img/visietekst-participatie.pdf


communication(visuallanguage,useofseverallanguages,understandableDutch,),givingalotofpracticalInformationsothatparentsfeelwelcometotakepartintheactivities,gettingtoknow elements of their home life and situation, habits and care, have daily talks, organisefestivitiestogetheretc.Allinall,doingthingstogethersothattheknowledgeandskillsofeachparentcanbeused(gardening,sewing,singing,reading,painting,trainingcourse)aswellasthinking,discussinganddecidingtogethersothateachparenthasasay.

TheGhentpolicyhasprovedthatparentinvolvementisactuallypossible,evenwithparentswhoareoftenthoughtofas‘notinterested’ingettinginvolved.Italsoshowedhowpracticesinchildcarecan inspirepre-schoolsaswell,e.g.usingmultilingualcommunication,circle time,invitingparents(oftenmothers)toactivitieswiththechildrenetc.

InBrusselswehaveElmer12,acommunity-basedchildcarecentrewith4centresindifferentareasinthecapital.Itsworkstartedinthenineties,answeringtotheneedforlowthresholdbut high quality services for children from families in vulnerable living conditions, asmainstreamservicesdidnotfulfillthisneed.Elmerstartedasachildcarecentrebasedontheprinciplesofrespectfordiversityandbelievinginthepositivegrowthofpeople.Fromdayone,Elmerhaselaboratedaparticipatoryapproachoftheworkwithchildren,withparents,withtheneighborhoodandwiththealltheECECstaff.Thisisthebasicconviction,beingtranslatedinallofthedailylifeinthecentres.Everybodyshouldfeelasenseofbelongingandeverybodyaddstothemeaningmakingprocess.Parentsarepartofthecentreandgetactivelyinvolved,notonlyindifferentactivitiesbutalsoinpolicydevelopmentofElmerassuch.

Gettingparentsinvolvedneedstobepartofthechildcareprovider’svisionanddailypractice,regardlessofthefamilybackground,economicstatusorbehaviour.Everybodyhashis/herownperspectiveandlifehistoryandwelcomingandrespectingotherhabits,valuesorviewsisnotalways easy. Thiswill sometimes be a compromise, other times a clear choice. Continuousattentionhastobegiventothespecificitiesofallkindsofdifferentfamilies.Especiallytothosewho are vulnerable because of poverty, not mastering the majority language, having amigrationbackground,belongingtoaminorityorotherspecificcharacteristics.(Continuous)professionaldevelopmentandpedagogicalcoachingofpractitioners,bothindividuallyandinteam, canbeahuge supporthere (Urbanet al, 2011).Dealingwith thisdiversity isoftenachallenge. Views on how to raise children can vary quite a bit and an empathic attitude isrequired.Differencesinviewsneedtobemadeexplicit,clarified,discussedandasolutionneedstobenegotiated.ThroughprojectsandCPD,moreandmoreFlemishchildcareserviceshavealsobeeninspiredbytheDECETprinciples13ondiversity:

12See also the input of Elmer in this EQUAP project.

13www.decet.org and http://www.vbjk.be/files/DECETeng_0.pdf


-Everybodyfeelsthathe/shebelongs -Everyoneisempoweredtodevelopthediverseaspectsofher/hisidentity -Everyonecanlearnfromeachotheracrossculturalandotherbarriers -Everyonecanparticipateasactivecitizens -Everyoneactivelyaddressesbiasthroughanopencommunicationandwillingnesstogrow-EveryoneWorkstogethertochallengeinstitutionalformsofprejudiceanddiscrimination.Whentalkingaboutparentshowever,weseethatinpracticethiswillmostoftenbemothers.In 2006, VBJK developed an instrument for ECEC services to measure the involvement offathersintheactivitiesthatareorganisedforparents(Demuynck&Peeters,2006).Theuseofthisinstrumentshowedthatmostoftheactivitiesorganisedfor‘parents’wereembeddedina‘female’cultureandthereforemothersattendedthese90%ofthetime.WithinthisEuropeanprojectitisimportanttogivealotofattentiontothegenderedbiasofparentalparticipationinECEC.

4Relevantliteratureforproject- Hughes,P.,McNaughton,G.,Consensus,dissensusorcommunity: thepoliticsofparent

involvementinECE,ContemporaryIssuesinEarlyChildhood,vol.1,nr32000

- Decet,Making Sense of Good Practice (see http://www.vbjk.be/en/downloads/decet-making-sense-good-practice-pdf)

-DECET,&ISSA.(2011).Insearchforcapacitiesforworkinginacontextofdiversityandsocial inclusion. Brussels. (seehttp://www.vbjk.be/files/Diversity%20and%20Social%20Inclusion%20Exploring%20Competences%20for%20Professional%20Competences%20in%20ECEC.pdf)

- ChildreninEurope.(2008).ChildreninEuropePolicyPaper.Retrieved28/02/2011,fromhttp://www.vbjk.be/files/CIE%20Policy%20Paper.pdf


Italy

FamilyparticipationwithinearlychildhoodeducationandcareinItaly.Afirstdelimitationofthefield

1.IntroductionInaccordancewithwhatwasagreedduringthe firstmeetingofprojectcoordinationEquapheld in Forlì on 19-20 November 2014, in this paperwere collected useful information tooutline an initial overview of the situation around the theme of the relationship betweenfamiliesandchildhoodservicesinItaly.

We have developed the following points: 1) synthesis of the current political-institutionalframeworkforservicesforearlychildhoodinItaly;2)historicaloverviewoftheinstitutionaland regulatory development of the participation of families in child care services; 3)reconstructionofthemainareasofscientificdebate,mainlypedagogicalareas,ontheissueoffamilyparticipation;4)reviewofthemainpracticesthroughwhichtheparticipationoffamiliesin early childhood services in Italy takes shape; 5) development of a first bibliography ofreferenceusefulbothfortheworkoftheprojectandforthewritingofthefinalreport.

2.Thepolitical-institutionalservicesforearlychildhoodThepoliticalandinstitutionalcontextofthesystemofearlychildhoodinItalyischaracterized,asinmanyotherEuropeancountries,thepresenceofa"split"intotwosegments(splitsystem):servicesforearlychildhood(aimedatchildren0-3years)andkindergarten(aimedatchildrenaged3-6years).Itisthereforeasystemstillfarfromhavingtranslatedoperationallythenotionofcontinuitythroughouttheeducationaldevelopmentthroughoutlife.

Fromtheinstitutionalpointofview,thesegment0-3ismanagedbymunicipalities,byprivateentitieswiththesupervisionofthelocaladministration.The3-6segmentismainlysteeredbyMinistry of Education, University and Research. Nevertheless, while there is a generaldistinctionofbetweenservices0-3and3-6botheducationallyandinstitutionally,thepresenceofdifferentculturesandconsequentlythepedagogicaleducationalprojectsareoftendivergentand discontinuous. In somemunicipalities there are 0-6 years services inwhich there is acommitmenttoculturalandpedagogicalconsistencyandcontinuity.

Thesegment0-3isoneoftheservicesat"individualrequest"whilethe3-6segmentisaserviceof general interest.The latest report (2013-14)of theCRCCommission (Conventionon therights of the child) on the achievement of the Barcelona targets on the extent of care andeducationforchildren,indicaresthatItalyhasexceededthetargetof90%fortheolderchildren.Howeveritalsoshowsthatithasnotyetreachedthetargetsetat33%forchildrenunderthree


years(CRC,2014)."In2011,ourcountryranksat3rdplaceamongEuropeancountries-alongwithFranceandafterBelgiumandDenmark-with95%ofchildrenbetween3and6yearsinakindergarten. It is instead on 12th place with 26% of children under three years in aneducational service,while inDenmark are74% in Sweden, 51% inFrance and44% "(CRC,2014, pg.111). In many municipalities, the Report noted with concern the high number,renunciationtothefrequencyofthenestbyfamiliesnolongerabletopayfeesorexcludedforthelossofemploymentofthemother(CRC,2014).Itindicatedlaso

strongimbalanceintheeducationalopportunitiesavailabletochildreninthevariousareasofthecountry(inallregionsoftheSouthandtheIslandstheavailabilityofECECservicesisbelownationalaverage).Furthermore,wenotethecontroversialprovisionofvouchersassupportforfamiliesinthecareandeducationofchildren(especiallywhenitturnsintoamereprovisionofmoneytospendinanuncontrolledanduncoordinatedmarketinasystemofeducationalandterritorialservices)(CRC,2014).

3.TheeducationalcurriculuminearlychildhoodservicesThepresenceofacurriculum0-6inItalyisaffectedbythepresenceofthesplitsystemthatcharacterizestheItalianeducationalsystem.

Asforthesegment0-3,infact,onecannotspeakofarealformalcurriculum,thoughthistermreferstoanyformoforganizationoflearninggoalsandrelatedmeansofachievingthem.Infact,intheregionalrulestherearegeneralpurposesfromwhichitisonlypossibletoinferaspectsofspecificlearning.Invariousregionalcontexts,itwastheresultofpedagogicalresearch,anditwasduetolawprovisions.Suchresearchaimedtopermittoreachthedefinitionofareasoflearningmorespecificandeducationalstrategiestopromotetheirdevelopment.Insomecases(eg.,InEmilia-Romagna),theseresearchdatawere,inpart,takenwithinregulatorymeasures.

By inference from the regulations it is possible to identify a frame of valueswithinwhichspecificformalcurriculaweredeveloped.Itisaprocessthathastakenplacemostlyatthelevelof each individualmanaging body of the service (eg. In a singlemunicipal or single socialcooperative) where "educational projects" were drawn in order to guide the educationalchoicesaboutspace,materials,educationalproposalsandgaming,roleandprofessionalismoftheadult,andthereforealsofortherelationshipwiththefamilies.

Asforthesegment3-6,thesituationdifferssubstantiallyduetothepresenceofdocuments,translatedalsoinlegalterms,thatformalizetheaimsandobjectivesofthekindergartenandalso explicit educational methods to achieve them. In fact, the curriculum in kindergartenthroughtimehasfoundfoundationsinthe"GuidelinesoftheeducationalStatenurseryschools"(MinisterialDecreeof3June1991),theLawn.53/2003,intheLegislativeDecreen.59/2004(MorattiReform)whichareattachedtheNationalGuidelines.AtthecenteroftheGuidelinesforthecurriculumof2007(MinisterialDecreeof31July2007)isset,however,thecontinuityof


thelearningprocessfrom3to14years.IntheNationalGuidelinescurrentlyinforce(Ministryof Education, 2012), the development and implementation of a curriculum from three tofourteen emerge as a dynamic and open, and represent for the educational community anopportunitytoparticipateandprogressivelearningandcontinuous.

4. The birth and evolution of the participation in ECEC in thelegislation1InItalytheparticipationoffamiliesinECECservicesisatopicwidelydiscussedandanalyzed.Itisathemethatcanbeinscribedinthebroaderdebateonthecultureandpracticeofpoliticalandsocialparticipation (Cagliari,2014).Traditionally, it is linked to theverybirthofmanyECECservices in someregionsof central Italy (primarilyEmilia-RomagnaandTuscany2)asearlyasthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcentury,whentheallianceofteachers,parentsandcitizens, together with insights and commitment of former partisans groups, femaleassociations,unionsandcooperatives,havepromotedcareservicesandeducationforyoungerchildren (Spaggiari, 1997) after the totalizing, centralized and "paternalistic" experience ofeducationalandsocialpoliciesofthefascistdictatorship.

Thisthemeisexploredinsomeregulatorydocumentsandnationalguidelines(art.30oftheConstitution of the Italian Republic3, Law no. 1044/1971 establishing Italian nurseries;EnablingActno.477/1973;MinisterialDecreeofJune3,1991;Law53/2003;D.Lgvon.59/2004;MinisterialDecreeno.254/2012[NationalGuidelinesforthecurriculuminkindergartenandthefirstcycleofeducation];DrawingsofLawno.1260/2014andn.2294/2015).

Inthefieldofeducationatlarge,participationhasresultedintwomainexperiences(Spaggiari,1997):socialmanagementinmunicipalpre-schoolservices(nurseriesandkindergartens);theorgansofthestateschoolofalllevels.Belowwetrytooutlinethemilestonesdistinctsegment.

Thenurseries(nidid’infanzia0-3).In1971thenationallaw1044establishedthenurserieswith"theaimofprovidingthetemporarycustodyofthechildren,toensureadequateassistanceto the familyandalso to facilitate theaccessofwomentoworkaspartofacomprehensivesystem of social security “4. It is the first legal instrument designed to shift the care andprotectionofthechildfromthefamilytothecommunity,throughaprogramofsocialservices1ItshouldbeemphasizedthatthehistoricalreconstructionoftheevolutionoftheimportancegiventotheparticipationoffamiliesandthefactorsthathaveinfluenceditisoneoftheareasofreflectionandstudyofresearchinItaly. 2TuscanyisaregionlocatedinthecentralItaliantownwithFlorence;Emilia-Romagnaisaregionofnorth-easterncapitalwiththecityofBologna.3Article30oftheItalianConstitutionstates:"Itisthedutyandrightofparentstosupport,raiseandeducatetheirchildren,evenifbornoutofwedlock.Incasesofincapacityoftheparents,thelawprovidesforthefulfillmentoftheirtasks.Thelawensurestochildrenbornoutsideofmarriagefulllegalandsocialprotection,compatiblewiththerightsofmembersofthelegitimatefamily.Thelawlaysdowntherulesandlimitationsforthedeterminationofpaternity."4L.1044/1971,Articolo1


withadirectsupportofregionaland localauthorities.Article.6,c.2ofLawno.1044/1971stipulated that nurseries should "be managed with the participation of families andrepresentativesofsocialgroupsorganizedintheterritory."AsCagliari(2014)shows,althoughthelawwastheproductofahistoricalperiodofgreatculturalandsocialdevelopment,itdoesnotcontaintheword"parents"andcitesonlytwicefamilies,onceinc.2

andanotherintheimmediatelyprecedingparagraph,wheretheneedsoffamiliesasacriterionforspatialplanningareindicated.

Today in the normative documents of various Italian regions - particularly those thathistoricallyhavebeenlegislatingmoreregularlyinItalyonECECissuessuchasTuscanyandEmilia-Romagna,thereisanexplicitreferencetotheparticipationoffamiliesinthelifeoftheservices. Inparticular, it isnoted that theRegionalLawn.6/2012 currently in force in theEmilia-Romagna in the area of services for early childhood, in art.4, c. 1, it is stated: "Thenurseries and educational services (...), as territorial educational centers, constitute theeducationalsystemofservicesforearlychildhood,withtheaimofensuringapluralityofoffers,promotecomparisonbetweentheparentsand thedevelopmentof thecultureofchildhood,throughtheinvolvementofthefamiliesandthelocalcommunity."

Thepre-school.Asforpre-schools,familyparticipationwasintroducedlegallyin1973.InthatyeartheParliamentdelegationthegovernment(EnablingActno.477/1973)toimplementaseries of decrees. In one of these (Decree of the President of the Republic n. 416/1974:"Establishmentandorganizationofcollegialbodiesofnursery,primary,secondaryandart")forthefirsttimethepre-schoolisopentodemocraticparticipationofthefamilies.

These bodies, inspired by the concept of representation, in time have shown scarceeffectiveness,becominginmanysituationsstructureswithtasksmoreformalthansubstantive,whose work was more oriented to their own survival and self-legitimation rather thanproducing real dynamics of participation designed to effectively involve protagonists ofeducation(Cagliari,2014,p.200).

Inthe90sweseeadevelopmentandalegalsystematizationofthisaspect.Somemilestonesofthisdevelopmentarerepresentedbythefollowingmeasures:

- Law no. 241/1990 on transparency, simplification and access to the records andgovernmentusers;

-MinisterialDecreeof3June1991"GuidelinesofeducationalStatenurseryschools"inwhichBackgroundandintroductorypartstatesthat'Theprevalenttraditionalnurserymodel as a place of life are taking over more explicit connotations of school stillmaintainedinatotalunitaryvisionofthechild,hisenvironmentandrelationshipsthatqualify,whichisaccompaniedbyatendencytodefineandimplementprojectsinwhicheducation is an expression of the participation of families and the animation of thecommunity [...] The coexistence of diverse and contrasting scenarios so deeply


committed then the school to play a role of active presence, in collaboration and inharmonywiththefamily,tothefullexpressionofthemeaningandvalueofchildhoodaccording to the principles of equality, freedom and solidarity [ ...] The demand foreducation can be fulfilled when the family, schools and other educational realityconstructivelycooperatewitheachotherinarelationshipofintegrationandcontinuity.Itisthereforeusefultohavepresentallthepossibleinteractionsbetweenthevariouseducationalcontexts,asahypothesisthatconsideredtheminisolationwouldbepartialandmisleading";

-Decreeof thePresidentof theCouncilofMinisterson7 June1995providesthateverykindergarten,asabodyofpublicadministration,shoulddrawupacharterofservicesandmakeitavailabletoitsusers.Itisakindoftrainingagreementthatnurseryschoolsconclude with families, even if it is a pact improper since families are asked tocountersignthecardservicesforacknowledgmentwithoutbeingabletocontributetoitsdrafting.

Asforthesystematization,theparticipationoffamiliesbecomespartof"Consolidatedlawsoneducation"(LegislativeDecreeno.297/1994)towhichart.3,c.1states:"Inordertoachieve,inaccordancewiththelawsoftheStateoftheSchoolandtheskillsandresponsibilitiesoftheinspectionstaff,directorsandteacherparticipationinthemanagementoftheSchoolgivingitthe characterof a community that interactswith thewider social andcivic community, areestablishedattheleveltheschool,district,provincialandnationalcollegialbodiesreferredtoinTitleI'.

Inparticular,withregardtotheparticipationofthefamilies,thecurrent"NationalGuidelinesfor the curriculum in kindergarten and the first cycle of education" (Ministerial Decree no.254/2012)pointoutthat"thepresenceofschoolcommunities,engagedintheirowntask,isakeyaspectfordemocracyandcivillifeandmakeseveryschoolaplaceopentofamiliesandtoeverymemberofthesocietywhilepromotingreflectiononthecontentsandwaysoflearning,theadultfunctionandtheeducationalchallengesofourtime,onthedecisiveplaceknowledgeforeconomicdevelopment,strengtheningtheestateethicsandsocialcohesionofthecountry"(MinistryofEducation,2012,p.15).Intheguidelinesitisalsostatedthat

"familiesarethemostinfluentialinthedevelopmentcontextaffectiveandcognitivechildren.Inthediversityoflifestyles,cultures,religiousandethicalchoices,theyarecarriersofresourcesthatshouldbevaluedintheschool,tohelpgrowastrongnetworkofcommunicationexchangesandsharedresponsibilities.Theentranceofchildreninkindergartenisagreatopportunitytotakeaclearerawarenessofparentalresponsibilities.Momsanddads(butalsograndparents,uncles, brothers and sisters) are encouraged toparticipate in the life of the school, sharingpurposeandcontent,educationalstrategiesandpracticalwaystohelpthechildrentogrowandlearn, tobecomemore "strong" fora future that isnoteasy topredictand todecipher.For


parentswhocomefromothercountriesandwhoareengagedinlifeprojectsofvariousdurationfortheirchildreninourcountry,theschoolisofferedasapublicspacetobuildrelationshipsoftrust and new bonds of community. Cultural and educational models, different religiousexperiences,socialandgenderroleshaveanopportunity,tointeractandtomovetowardsthevaluesofcoexistence

in an open and democratic society. The families of children with disabilities are in schooladequatesupportcapableofpromotingtheresourcesoftheirchildren,throughtherecognitionofdifferencesandtheconstructionofeducationalenvironmentswelcomingandinclusive,sothateachchildcan findspecificattentionto theirneedsandsharewithothersof theirownlearning"(MinistryofEducation,2012,p.17).

Towards the integrated 0-6. The bill n. 1260/2014 tabled in Parliament ("Provisions onintegratededucationandeducationfrombirthtosixyearsandtherightofgirlsandboysequallearningopportunities")expressestheevolutionofscienceandculturethatcharacterizedthepreschoolservicesinItalyfromthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcenturytothepresent.Thisbillinfactestablishestheintegratedsystemofeducationservices(0-3years)andkindergarten(3-6years)(Art.1,c.2andart.2)andtheeducationalcontinuitybetweenthenurseryandthepre-school(art.5);and,preciselyontheparticipationofthefamilies,promotesthereconciliationbetween the times and the types of work and parental care of girls and boys, promotesmeasurestosupporttheeducationalfunctionoffamiliesandtheinvolvementoffamiliesinthedefinition of educational goals and the verification of their achievement through theestablishment of specific organisms representing assuring flexible ways of meeting andworkingwithfamiliesandopeningtotheterritory(art.2)

In particular, for the field of children under three years, "the new legislation,whichwouldreplacetheLawno.1044/1971establishingthemunicipalnurseryservicenationwide,shouldemphasizetheeducationalnatureofallkindsofcontextsthatwelcomechildrenunderthreeyears,counteringthealarmingre-emergenceofformsofreceptioninnon-qualifiedintermsofeducation, that reproducesuchcustodial servicesundernewnames, suchas "reconciliationservices"(CRC,2014,p.113).

Itshouldhoweverbeemphasizedthateducationalserviceswereneveratthecoreofspecificpoliciesnoroflastingstructuralandsystematicfinancingplans.Asaresultofthis,today,"alsoduetotheeconomicandfinancialcrisis," fromaneconomicandculturalpointofviewtheirexistenceisputintoquestiondeeplyunderminingtheoverallidentityofeducationalpoliciesforearlychildhood."Thismakesitnecessarytoreconstructagrammarofeducationalservices0-6 to redefine theirown identity from theparticipationof civil society and families to theeducational, managerial, organizational, cultural and political center of the nest and theKindergarten"(Cagliari,2014,p.201).

March 27, 2015was filed on Bill n.2994 "Reform of the national system of education andtrainingandforthereorganizationofthelawsinforce" inwhichmergedinitsfundamental


principles-art.21,paragraph2,letteri)-theBill1260/2014.Thismeasureaimstoregulate

the autonomy of educational institutions, equipping schools with the necessary human,material and financial resources and the tools necessary to achieve their educational andorganizationalchoices.

5. The participation of families in the development of cultural andscientificdebateAfterthebirthoftheItaliannurseryschools,theevolutionofresearchandeducationalpracticesregardingthetiming,theneeds,rightsandpotentialsofchildren,thecareoftherelationshipsbetweenchildren,betweenchildrenandadults,andbetweenadults,ledgraduallytoreadtheexperience of the nursery schools as a developmental opportunity, resource and relationalspaceforgrowthandwell-beingthoughtoutsidethefamilycontext.Todaythenurseryschools-andingeneralpreschoolservicesinItaly-arerecognizedasplacesofeducationandlearningforyoungerchildren,andnotanymoreasmerecustodyorcare.Suchservicesthataredesignedto promote the welfare, the harmonious development and learning of children (Bondioli,Mantovani,1997;Galardini,2003;Bove,2003).

Inparticular,withrespecttotheissueofparticipation,onecouldsaythattheparticipationoffamiliesintheservices0/6todayrelatesbothtotheparticipatedgenesisoftheservicesinsomeregionsofcentralandnorthernItalyandtoinstitutionalbodiesofrepresentationoffamiliesineducational services for children (bodies, commissions and committees). Such bodies havehistoricallygivendecision-makingpowertoparentsistothepracticesofrelationshipwiththefamiliesarenowwidespreadinmanyItalianservices.

InItaly,aselsewhere,thespreadoftheecologicalapproachofUrieBronfenbrenner(1979)hasfavoredincreasingattentiontothefamilies,especiallyparents,whoaccompanytheirchildrenintheexperienceoftheeducationalcommunityoftheservice.Inthissense,Anincreasinglystrongawarenessoftheneedtowelcomeintheservice,togetherwiththechild,alsohisfamily."The ecology of human development involves the scientific study of progressive mutualadaptationbetweenanactivehumanbeingwhoisgrowingandthechangingpropertiesoftheimmediate environmental situations in which the individual lives in, even in the sense ofdefining how this process is determined by the relationships between the variousenvironmental situations and the broader contexts of which the former are part"(Bronfenbrenner,1986,p.555).

Thisshowsthatthechildisconsideredadynamicentitythatgrowsandmovesprogressivelyinto the environment in which he lives and he/she restructuresit. The child and theenvironmentarethusinarelationshipofreciprocity.Theenvironmentisconsideredrelevanttotheevolutionaryprocessesofthechildisnot limitedtoansituation,butisexpandedand5Originaledition:1979


extendedtoincludetheinterconnectionsbetweenmultipleenvironmentalsituationsaswellasexternal influences arising from environmental conditions more in general. Someenvironmental situation,as thenurseryorkindergartenor family, can thereforebevalid inevolutionaryterms if thereare interconnectionswithotherenvironmentalsituationswherethechildparticipatesanddependingonthenatureoftheseinterconnections.

If,therefore,thedevelopmentofthechildisrecognizedasaresultofasystemofrelationsandinteractionsbetweenchildandenvironment,wherethelatterismadeupofdifferentcontextsandsystemsthatinfluenceeachother(family,school,territory...),thethemetheparticipationoffamiliesintheItalianserviceshasgreatlyevolvedalongwiththeservice.Infact,"thechoiceofaserviceofcarefortheirchildmadebythefamiliesnowmanifeststheneedforparentstofindnotonlyaresponsetotheneedsofsocializing,playingandlearningofchildren,butalsoavaluable opportunity for living in new ways their parental role in the context of servicesrecognizedasplacesofeducation,andnotofmerecustodyorcare.Inasocialcontextthathaschanged the needs and questions in approaching to educational services, these are nowrecognized as contexts able to act as a resource for both the child andhis family "(Guerra,Luciano,2009,p.16).

Thenurseryschool,inparticular,hasbeenofferingagoodstancetocapturetheevolutionofthechildinabroadersocialcontextbutalsotovalorizethemorecomplexrelationaldimensionof theeducationofchildren.Over timetheemphasison therelationshipbetweenadultandchild left space to thecentralityof the relationshipbetweeneducatorsandparents inearlychildhoodservices,i.e.adultssharingthecareofthechild(Bonomi,1998)

Today in the Italian scientific literature family participation in the child care services isunanimouslyrecognizedasaconstituentelementofthequalityoftheeducationalexperienceof the nests and preschools in Italy (eg., Bondioli, Mantovani , 1997;Milani, 2008; Guerra,Luciano,2009;Bondioli,Savio,2010;Zaninelli,2014;Cagliari,2014).Ethnographicresearchcarriedoutbetween1996and2001,conductedincollaborationwithReggioEmiliaandparentsandeducatorsofeducationalservices involvedinthecitiesofMilan,Parma,TrentoandSanMiniato,hasexplored"theconstructionofsocio-culturalconceptsandpracticesrelationshipbetween families and services in the cities involved, "analyzing the meanings of localparticipation and educational practices related to them, connecting them to the culturalinterpretationsofeachsociety',bringingoutclearlythelinkbetween'qualityservices,familyparticipationandcollaborationeducatorsandparents"indifferentcontexts(New,Bove,2009).

In this light the ECEC services in Italy today assume the character of privileged spaces ofencounter and discussion of educational issues for the parents. Spaces where to create anetwork of solidarity and socialization among adults (Bove, 2003; Catharsis, 2008; Sarsini,2012), a place to promote training programs to support the thesis of parenting (Catharsis,2006),whereco-educatechildrenandbuildpartnershipstosharetheresponsibilityfortheireducation(Milani,2008)whereco-buildparticipation(Guerra,Luciano,2014).


Notsurprisingly,theessentialityoftherecognitionofanactiveroletothefamiliesunderstoodas primary interlocutors of the educational project of the pre-school is one of the areas ofconvergence in theprevailingdefinitionof theelements thatcontribute to thequalityofaneducationalserviceforearlychildhood(CNEL,2010).

However,todaylisteningtoparentshighlightstheperceivedinadequacyoftheexistingformsof participation,which sometimes are not fully adherent to their needs that appear gearedespecially looking for interaction on issues regarding their parenting role. In parallel, theobservationandanalysisofparticipatorybodiesshowsfewerpossibilitiesforfamiliestotakeonresponsibilityintermsofdecision-making(Guerra,Luciano,2014;Zaninelli,2014).

In Italy, the relationshipeducators-parentshashaddifferent featuresandpositionsboth inrelationtoself-perceptionofthenurseriesintermsofdutieshavebeenassumingovertimeandinrelationtotheprofessionalismoftheoperators.Basedonthis,Bonomi(1998)hasidentifiedthreemainwaysthathavecharacterizedovertheyearstherelationshipeducators-parentsinItaliannurseryschools(Bonomi,1997):

-Socialparticipation(VariousAuthors,1983):referstotheexpectationthattheparentparticipateinthelifeofthenurseryschoolasacollectivesubjectsupportivetothenewexperienceoftheservice.Aparentintendedasadvocateoftheclaimsoftheteacherstothegovernment,asupporterofprogressive+choicesagainstmoretraditionalsolutionsofcareinthefamily;

- Educational-didactic approach towardsparents,whowere asked tomeetwith theteachers to be able to observe and understand how useful and relevant educationalinterventionswiththeirchildrenwere.Thisapproachdidnotallowspaceexchangeanddiscuss,exceptinrelationtoapossibleself-criticismthatfamiliescoulddoinrelationtothedistancefromtheeducationalmodelofthenurseryattendedbytheirchildren.Itisnaturalthatthiswouldcreatefrustrationandaweakerparticipationbyfamilies,whichwerecalledto joinamodelratherthantoexpressthemselvesanddiscuss.Fromthispointofviewasparttheservicewasidentifiedprimarilyasaplaceofstimulationandsolicitationandlearningmorethanameetingplacebetweendifferentexperiencesandeducational practices. From here the development of a more professional-orientededucationalmanagementoftheadult-childrelationshipthanthatofalargerandmorecomplexrelationshipchild-parent-educator;

-Involvementofparentsintermsofpracticalcooperation,whichresultedinthecallforcontributions(materials,performance,skills...)ofsingleparenttothecommunityofthenurseryschool. It is "proofofconfidence" inwhichparentsshowtheirgratitudeandrecognitiontowardsthecommitmentofteacherstotheirchildren,momentswhentheschooliscommonthingtoenrichandbeautifytogether.

Thisreconstruction,albeitpartial,ofwaysinwhichparticipationwasthemedbytheeducators,


showsanattemptat ideological commitment, that is, theeffort to involve theparent in thevarious ideologies of the nursery: the educational one, the institutional one, the social andorganizationalone,Therelationalaspectofdiscussionandinteractionamongadultsengagedintheexperienceofthechildfromdifferentpointsofview(Bonomi,1997)isexcluded(duetoitscomplexity).

However,overtimethespacetoaddresstheissuesabovehasexpanded,inparallelwiththeenrichment of the professionalism of educators in relation to skills pertaining not only theeducationalrelationshipwiththechildrenbutalsotherelationshipbetweenadults(Bonomi,1997).

EveninMilani(2008)thereisanattempttooutlinetheevolutionofthedifferentmodelsofintervention with families currently being tested in Italy. In an attempt to summarize theevolutionofthevariousinterventionsofparenttrainingandsupporttoparenthoodundergoingin Italy since the nineties, following the introduction law 285/1997 on "Provisions for thepromotionofrightsandopportunitiesforchildrenandadolescence",Milaniidentifiesthreemainmodels:

a. technicalmodel:Anglo-SaxoninoriginandimbuedwithaAmericanpragmatistculture,amodeloffamilyeducationthatofferssmallgroupsofparentsledbyaconductorwho,pursuingspecificobjectives,addressespre-definedissuesproposingtheevaluationatthe end of training; the program is central and themain objective is to change thebehavioroftheparents;

b. academicmodel:itisamodelofawareness-raisingoneducationalissue.Itisbasedoninformationforparentswhoareinvitedtoconferencesonissuesdeemedimportant.Itsuggeststheideathatthejobofaparentcanbetaughtbyexperts.Particularlyprevalentinthe60's,itisnowpartiallyamarginalexperienceinItaly.Itisverycenteredoncontentanditaimstotransmitknowledgeandlearningontheeducationofchildren;

c. experientialmodel:bornintheearly30sinFrancewithecolesdeparents,itspreadedinItalywiththewelcomingincircleofparentsandtheireducationalexperienceswiththeaimofgeneratingdiscussionopensandcomparisonofexperiencesinthecontextofso-called"wordgroups".Itisamodelorientedtofocusonpeopleandtheirexperiencesanditismainlyorientedatpromotingpersonalreflectionandknowledgeofeachthankstothepresenceofafacilitator.

Following the presentation of these three models, Milani (2008) shows the currentdevelopmentintheItaliancontextofafourthmodelthatcouldbeplacedinbetweenthethreemodelspresentedabove.Thismodeldoesnotgiveupthetheoreticalknowledgeinfavorofarelational superficial and vague approach. It offers content and information (but not pre-packagedsolutionsnorinfalliblerecipes)incontextsofcomparison,whilebeingrespectfulofthesingularityofthepersonalhistoryofeach.Itacknowledgesthe“expertise”oftheparent


fromtheeducationalpointofview,thusleveragingitsstrengthsandallowinghim/hertousehis/hereducationalskillsinanevermoreconsciousandintentionalway.

6.ThemainpracticalrelationshipbetweenECECservicesandfamiliesinItalyInItaly'practicesandformulasthroughwhichparticipationisorganizedandexercisedarethemost similar and different at the same time. They are those that emerge from the data ofresearchandinvestigationsandthosethatemergefromreadingthemunicipalregulationsorthe Service Charters. Practices and formulas that define the sense of participation thatexpressesthatcommunityandthatbelongstothatmunicipalityorterritory"(Zaninelli,2014,p.101).

TodayinItalysomespecificpracticesareparticularlywidespreadandrecognizedascapable,intheircomplexityandinterdependence,toconstructagoodwaytowelcomeparentsintheservice, not only by offering them support, but also through building opportunities fordiscussion,exchangeandsharingwitheducatorsandteachersandbetweenparentsthemselves(Guerra,Luciano,2009).Anapproachtopromoteactionswithfamiliesratherthanforfamilies,placingtheschoolinperspectiveofeducationalallianceandpartnership,whichdoesnotfail,however,toconsiderandalsopromoteakeyroleforthechildrenandtheinvolvementofthewholecommunity.(Guerra,Luciano,2014).

Belowwepresent a brief reviewof themainpractices of relationshipnow spread into0-6Italian6:

Settling-inconversation.Itisthemomentofgettingtoknoweachother,timetolistentowhatthe parent has to say about their own child, about the relationwith a child, his emotions,expectations,convictions,butalso the timetogetacquaintedwitheducationserviceand itsfeatures.Thereisoftenathreatthatsuchconversationislimitedtoaformalmeetingduringwhichonlycertaininformationregardingthechildaregatheredandtherulesoftheeducationalservicearestated.Furthermorethisinformationcanbeexchangedinpaperform.Itisusefultosay that this moment represents an important occasion to start such relation of mutualconfidencethatisusuallydevelopedandconsolidatedintime,buthasitsbasisinfirstmeetingsand contacts, wheremore importance is to be given to listening and observing, in generalatmosphereofwelcomefavourabletobuildingofpositiverelations,whentherewillbestilltimetotalkandexchangeoffurtherinformation.

Settling in (Inserimento-Ambientamento) can be defined as a time and space of transitionbetween the context of family and the context of educational service. It is a fundamental

6ThefollowingresumeofpracticesonparticipationisextractedfromGuerraeLuciano(2009;2010;2013).


momentformeetingnewchildrenandforcreatingtherelationshipwiththeirfamilies.Ithastodowithdifferentorganizationalaspectsbetweenthefamiliesandtheeducationalservices

duringthefirstperiodofattendingtheservices,butitalsohastodowiththeexperiences,ideas,imaginationsandemotionsofeachofinvolvedsubjects.Thesetwodimensions,pedagogical-organizationalandpsychological-emotional,appearinseparable;otherwisetherewouldbearisk of not understanding how the period is a complex one. Settling in represents the firstseparationofachildfromtheirfamily,asconsequenceofthedecisionofthefamilytosharethecareandtheeducationofthechildwithaneducationalservice.Thisisalsothefirsteducationalexperiencewithin a new context inwhich the children canmeet their first competences torelate and communicate in situation of different andmultiple relations, building their ownidentitythroughrelationswithadultsandotherchildren.Duetofragilityandmultiplicitythataretypicalforsettlingin,thisrequiresaspecificapproachregardingorganizationofgroups,time, space,materials,proposals,momentsof careandprimarilyeducational and relationalstylestoadoptwithbothchildrenandparents.

Welcomingandtakingleave.Thesearemomentsoffundamentaltransitionsthatarenottobedoneinahurry,buthavetoallowbothchildrenandadultsthenecessarytimeforgreetingsinthemorningandformeetingagainintheafternoon.Those,althoughshortmoments,allowtoexchangebasicinformationregardingthechild’sdailyroutine,butmoreimportantly,theyaretheoccasionswhentheparentcanshareabookoragamewiththechildwithintheeducationalservice,contributingbytheseconcrete,sharedgestures,tocreatedayafterdaytherelationandtrustamongtheeducatorsandthefamily.Thosemomentsoftransition,whichhavetomakemeeting or separation easier (from couple adult – child, the child from the group or fromeducators,theparentfromeducator),bringaboutdifferentexperiences,rhythmsandtimeofadaptation.Becauseofthatitisrecommendableforeducatorstoaccompanywhoeverentersandwhoeverleavestheeducationalservice,inthemorningaswellasintheafternoon,withparticularattentioncorrespondingtotheneedsofeveryindividual.

Individualconversationduringtheyear.Theseinterviewsareparticularlyspreadoccasionsintheeducationalservices,becausetheyenabletodedicatepreciousspaceandtimefordeeperandpersonalizedknowingeachotherbytheparentsandtheeducators.Thesemomentsareprecious toanalyze together thesituationofeverysinglechild, theirgrowthandwellbeing,exchangeproperideas,butalsotoclarifyacriticalsituationortosolveanyproblematicissues,alwayswithout judgementsandevaluations,but looking for jointhypothesisandstrategies.This is possible if communication is configured as a mutually oriented exchange, also bylisteningtoeachotherandsharingnot just informationbutalso ideas, thoughts,wordsandemotionsgeneratedbythisinformation.

Parents-educatorsgettogethers(generalmeetings,meetingsofclassroom,thematicmeetings,workshops,parties).Theseareoccasionstoenhancetheparticipationofparentsineducationalservices, sharing views and perspectives and helping dialogue. In that sense, rather than


educatingandformingparents,withtheriskofmakingthemmoreinsecureanddependentonexperts, these moments should be an important opportunity to help families to explore,togetherwithotherparentsandeducators,thesignificanceofgrowingandofeducating,thus

makingeducationalservicestheplacesofsharedcultureregardinginfancy,whereeveryonecanfinditsplace,belistenedandgetanswers.

In addition to thepracticesofparticipationhighlighted so far, it deserves careful study thepedagogicaldocumentationasastrategysupportingtheparticipationoffamilies."Throughit(thepedagogicaldocumentation),theeducatorcertainlyloomsasanexpert,butmostofthestrategiesthatenableandsupporttherelationshipitscontents,forwhichhoweverheandtheadultfamilyconfigureasapartnerindialogue.Childrenandfamilies,fortheirpart,canexpresstheircentralroleinseveraldirections:assubjectsofdocuments,whichtellactions,thoughtsand feelings as a snapshot in time through thewatchful eyes of educators and teachers; asinterlocutors, called to give their point of view, both in terms of feedback and newunderstanding. The can play also a role of co-authors, giving their own re-interpretation, abroader perspective of the story documented, introducing new elements and also newquestions.Inaddition,childrenandadultscanbeinvitedtobuildorco-builddocumentation,inwhichtheyproposeadifferentvision,primaryandthereforeparticularlyvaluable,regardingtheirexperienceintheservices"(Guerra,2014,p.77).

ThecontributionofMilani(2012)-seechartbelow-isanattempttobuildasetofpracticesandfundamentalstep inorderfit themintoaconsistenttheoretical-epistemologicalsystem.Thisshouldthereforepreventunderstandingthemasalistofexamplestocopyandproposeuncriticallyindifferentcontexts.However,itisnotasimpleoperation“sinceonthehandsomepractices spread transversally in most educational services, others are typical of a certaincontext.Ontheotherhand,thepracticesaremany,somearemoreformal(interviews,meetingsetc)whileotherare informal(parties, trips).Furthermore,thesamepracticecanbeusedinways,goalsandmeaningsthatareverydifferent.Forexample,aninterviewcanbemadetocommunicate,inform,listen,judge,etc.,canlastfiveminutesoranhour,cantakeplaceonceayearoreverythreemonthsandsoon.Thismeansthatasetofpracticesthatdefines,clarifiesandcategorizesisimportant,butnotsufficient,sinceitcanhelptocreateanideadescribewhatisdonewiththefamilies,butdoesnotsaywhatandhowyoudonotrealizethatthenatureofthesepractices.Nevertheless,inthefollowingtableweproposeasyntheticsetofsuchpracticeswith the aim of connecting at least the practice and the objectives pursued during theirimplementation. It isuseful to clarify thatparentalparticipation isnota singleevent,butagradualandcomplexprocess,whichunfoldsbetweenopposing tensions, consistsof severalstagesandobjectivesanditiscenteredontheworkthatparentsandteacherscandobothathome and at school, i.e. on their partnership. The partnershipwas defined as a sharing ofinformation and knowledge, tasks and responsibilities in pursuit of a common purpose(Bouchard,2002;Bouchard,KalubiandSorel2011).Thesecondarypurposeofthepartnership


istheestablishmentofatrustrelationshipcenteredonsharingratherthanontheaffirmationofthepower.Theprimarygoalistoimprovetheabilityofadultstomeettheneedsofthechildandthereforetheincreasedwelfareofthechildingeneralandatschool,andthen

The improvement in school performance. The main stages, ranging from a minimum to amaximum of interaction in the process which must be actively guided and supported, aresummarizedasfollows:toinform;tolisten;toallowandencourageparticipation;toengage;tosupportparenthood.ACTION OBJECTIVE RELATEDREPERTORIESOFPRACTICES

Informate ToGiveaccounttotheparents,documentingonaregularbasis,theschoolperformanceofchildren (with a focus on the progress andsuccesses), the class and school life ingeneral. Help parents to know andunderstandtheschoolanditsdynamics.

2-3yeartalksofafewminuteseach;1or2meetings(schoolorclass/section)peryearofaboutanhoureach.

Listen

ToKnowthechildandthefamily,thesocialenvironmentfromwhichthechildcomes,themodusvivendiofthefamily,themindset,habits,stylesofeducation,theorganizationofeverydaylife,historyetc.

Discussions of various kinds made in the year; jointmeetings, section and class repeated several times a yearand with a time diversified available, general meetings;written communications, telephone, email, SMS, onlineplatformsetc.

Facilitatethe

Allowparentstocometoschooltoenablethemtolearnabouttheeducationalexperienceofthechildandtheentireschoolorganization,tobringtheclassroomexperienceandthefamilyexperience,togivethewordtoparents,towelcometheircontribution,toimproveperformanceandpromotethewelfareofchildreninschoolandoverall.

Parents participate and collaborate in the preparation oftrips, open days, performances, parties (Christmas, untilyear etc.). We organize collaborative activities in theclassroom, help to maintain the structure, dating to thepizzeria,auctionofcakes,roundsofphonecallsduringthedayswhenitsnowsorthereisastrike,workshifts in the libraryetc.We realize laboratoriesof variousactivities,workshopsand "groupsdo" toprepare teachingmaterials,toys,stories,smalltheaterplaysormusic.Itbuildsthenewspaperofparentsinspecialgroups.Itrealizestheexhibitionofworksofchildren,photos,videos.It collaborates seeking funds for various purchases andspecialprojectsetc.Itencouragesthebuildingofnetworks,bothhorizontal(betweenfamilies)andverticalsupportingmutual information, solidarity and daily life. Participationcanalsobeofamanagerialnatureandthereforebe intheappointedplacesoftipssection,managementcommitteesetc.

partecipationInclude ToTaketheperspectiveofthecoeducationin

whichparentsandteacherswilllistentooneanother, recognizing their respective rolesandknowledge,todevelopacommonactionplan where you define who does what andwhen inrelation to theeducationalplan foreach child, which has the effect of theadoptionin'pupilofbetterbehaviorinclass,thefeelingofwell-beingandabetterqualityoflearning.

“Discussion groups”, the groups do, laboratories,workshops, parents come into class with and withoutappointment; varied use of telephone, SMS etc., thedocumentation:posters,photos,blogs,slideshows,notices,newsletters, etc. Settling in practice for children newlyenrolled;practicesofhospitalitymorningandreunification daily, use of baby journal or notebook ofparentsand/orothertypeofdocumentation.

Support Support parents in the exercise of their

parental role, helping them to recognize,Support may be explicit or implicit. Explicit: conferences,lectures,seminars,workshopsparenting,wordgroups,free


respect, tune in and meet the needs ofgrowingchildrenthroughvariousactionsofnature education / training (parentingsupport)developedfromtheanalysisof thedifferentlearningneedsofparents.

conversations,coffee-parentsetc.Implicit:theparentisputinaposition tomake the learning in relation to itself asaparent,insomespecificsituations such as participation in games or reading withchildrenoralaboratory.Through daily attendance one can offer discussion,observationpoints, different relational styles, examples ofrespect, attention, care, care for childrenwhobecome, forthe parent, opportunities for reflection on the child andawarenessontheparentalrole,aswellasopportunitiesofsocialreflexivilityoneducatinginthedailydimension

Source:Milani,2012,pp.30-32.


Greece

1.Theoryandscholarlywork1.1.FamilyparticipationinGreece

FamilyparticipationinECEChasnotbeenexaminedthoroughlyinGreece,becausethevalueofparents’collaborationwithpreschoolandkindergartenteacherswasnotestablishedforalongtime. Only in the last decade appeared official policy papers from the Greek Ministry ofEducationinordertoenhancethecollaborationbetweenparentsandteachersinkindergartens(see Dafermou, Koulouri, & Basagianni, 2006). This is one of themajor reasons explainingrecent findings which showed that day cares programmes provide low quality ofcommunication and partnership between parents and early childhood caregivers (Rentzou,2011a).

Family participation in ECEC is examined by the Greek research studiesmainly under theperspective of parental involvement (e.g., Manolitsis 2004; Rekalidou & Penderi, 2010;Sakellariou,2008a)andinsomecasesexaminedspecificissuessuchas(a)theparent-teacherrelationshipquality(Petrogiannis&Penderi,2014;Rentzou,2011b)and(b)theeffectsofearlyhome learning environment on academic skills (e.g. ,Manolitsis, Georgiou, & Parrila, 2011;Manolitsis, Georgiou, Tziraki, 2013). Parental involvement in these Greek studies has beenconceptualized as an umbrella term that encapsulates all the possible facets of parent’sinvolvementinchild’slifeduringthedevelopmentalperiodofearlychildhood(3-6yearsold).Specifically,accordingtotheGreekresearchstudiestheconstructofinvolvementincludedacombination of communication types between teachers (or caregivers) with parents, jointactivitiesofparentsandteachersinthekindergartenordaycare,theaffectivedimensionsofparent-teacherinteractions,parent’sviewstowardsthequalityofECECprovisions,andhomelearningactivities.Themostof theGreekstudies (e.g.,Manolitsis,2004,Sakellariou,2008a,Rentzou, 2011b) examined parental involvement under the theoretical perspective ofBronfenbrenner’s(1995)ecologicalmodel.

Anumberofstudiesexaminedthetypesofparentalinvolvementasthemainfacetoffamilyparticipation in Greek ECEC. Manolitsis (2004) examined the frequency and structure ofparentalinvolvementinpreschooleducation.271parents,whohadchildrenof4to6yearsoldand attending a public kindergarten or day care at Crete (the largest island of Greece),participated in that study. Itwasassessedparental involvementusinga5-pointLikert-typeratingscalebasedontheFantuzzo,Tighe,&Childs(2000) typesofparental involvement inECEC.TheexploratoryfactoranalysisshowedfourdifferenttypesofparentalinvolvementinGreekpreschooleducation.Themostreportedtypesofparentalinvolvementwereinvolvementactivities taking place outside the kindergarten or the day care, such as “control of child’sbehaviorbeyondschool” and “psychoeducational involvementactivities inhome”.The least


reported types were “the parent’s involvement into the ECEC classroom” and “the parent-teacher communication”. The most frequent communication issues were the conversationbetweenparentsandteachersaboutchild’srelationshipwithpeersandchild’sbehaviorandacademic abilities. Less often reported communication issues included classroom rules,learningactivitiestakingplaceathomeandmeetingswiththeheadofthekindergarten.Itisnoteworthythatdiscussiononthephonebetweenparentandteacherwastheleastreportedaspect of communication. In summary, communication between parents and teachers inkindergartenanddaycareswasnotveryfrequent.

Anothergroupofstudies(e.g.,Sakellariou,2008a,Sakelariou&Rentzou,2008b)examinedtheparents’attitudestowardsECECinstitutionsandthetypesofcommunicationbetweenparentswith teachers and caregivers. Sakellariou andRentzou (2007 as cited in Sakellariou, 2008)showedthatbothparentsandpreschoolteachersreportedaninformaltypeofcommunicationand collaboration such as exchange information about child’s behavior during the time ofchild’sarrivalandthetimeofchild’sdeparturefromthekindergartenorthedaycare.Also,thisstudy’s results showed that teachers did not motivate parents for a closer collaboration.Accordingtotheirresults,theGreektypesofparentalinvolvementwerenotsimilarwiththewell-knownmodelsofparentalinvolvementsuchasthesixtypesofEpstein(1995).Inasurveystudy Sakellariou (2008b) examined 673 preschoolers’ parents’ attitudes towardskindergartenandthequalityofparent-teachercommunication.Thisstudy’sfindingsshowedthatparentsheldpositiveattitudestowardskindergarten,buttheyreportedfewvisitstotheirchild’s kindergarten for communicationwith the teacher and even fewer visits in order toparticipateinbriefingmeetingsforactivitiestakingplaceintokindergarten.Similarfindingsbyanothersurveystudywith393parents(Papandreou,Birbili,&Martidou,2009)showedthatparentscommunicatewithteachersbytheirowninitiativemainlyforgivinginformationabouttheir child and to discuss issues of health, learning disabilities and behavior problems.Kindergarten teachers initiate communication with parents mainly to inform for thecurriculum,theorganizedeventsandfestivities,tosuggesthome-learningactivitiesandtoaskinformationaboutchild’sdevelopment.Itisnotablethatonlythe16.5%ofparentsreportedthattheyinterestedtoparticipateintothekindergartenclassroomactivities.

InaqualitativestudySakellariou(2008a)interviewed60mothersofkindergartenchildreninordertoexaminetheirbeliefstowardsabroadrangeofissuesregardingpreschooleducation.Accordingtothemajority(above80%)ofmothers’beliefsbothparentsandteachersneedtoprovideeducationalsupporttochildren.However,lessthan60%ofmothersreportedadailycontactwith the kindergarten.Mothers believe that the parent-teacher collaboration couldprovidetheminformationforabetterunderstandingoftheirchild.Accordingtothemothers’beliefsthemostfrequenttypeofcollaborationwastheconversationwiththeteachers.Mostofthe mothers reported a positive attitude for collaboration and active involvement in


kindergarten,andthe1/3ofthemreportedthatbothteachersandparentsshoulddecidethatkindergarten’seducationalprogramjointly.

Rekalidou and Penderi (2010) in an action research study showed that both parents andkindergartenteacherscomplainedthattheywerenotcollaborateandtheircommunicationwaslimited to short conversations when parents bringing or collecting their child to school.Parents’involvementlimitedonlyfortheattendanceatorganizedeventsandfestivities.Afteran interventionphaseof training teachers inorganized sessions to implement theportfoliomethodofassessmentand toenhanceparent-teacherrelationships.Teachershad to informparents about the process and the benefits of portfolio. However, after the end of theintervention phase, few parents contributed to portfolio assessment actively. This actionresearchstudyshowedthatcommunicationofteacherswithparentswasdifficult,giventhatparentsandteachersheldconflictingviewsinmanycases,especially“whenaproblemarosewithachild”(Rekalidou&Penderi,2010,p.31).However, inanotheractionresearchstudyPapandreou(2010)implementedafocusedinterventiontoenhanceparents’involvementwithaprojectdesignedaccordingtotheneedsoftheschoolandtheparticipatingparents.Inthisstudyparents trained in foursessionsduringtheschoolyear.Fourdifferent typesof familyparticipation activities implemented during the school year: individual meeting betweenparentandteacher,informationalletterssentfromteacherstoparents,suggestionsforhome-learningactivitiesweresenttoparentsbytheteachers,andeachparentinvitedtoparticipateinkindergarten’sprogramasingleday.Thepost-interventionresultsshowedthatparentswerevery willing to participate and collaborate with the teachers. It seems that the continuingmotivation of teachers towards parents to participate as well as the broad range of theimplemented strategies by the teachers enhance parents’ willingness to get involvedmoreactively.Alsoteachersreportedthattheygetvaluableinformationfromparents’recordsbasedonchild’sactivities inhome, inordertodesigntheirprospectiveeducationalobjectivesandactivities.

Another of strand of research on family participation examined the types of the affectivedimensionsofparent-teacherinteractions.PetrogiannisandPenderi(2014)inasurveystudywith913parentsofpreschoolchildrenand233kindergartenteachersexaminedthequalityoftheir interactionwitha20-itemsscale.Accordingtotheirresultsbothparentsandteachersbeliefsabout their interactiongrouped in twobroaddimensions: (a) the “trust/acceptance”dimension consisted of the affective component of patent-teacher interaction (affectiveblueprint,emotionaltoneandevaluationoftheotherpart’scontributiontotheinteraction”;(b)the “communication/responsivenessdimensionconsistedof thebehavioral regularities thatreflectthelevelofcollaborationbetweenparentsandteachers.Alsotheyshowedthatteachersheldlesspositivebeliefsfortheparent-teacherinteractionthanparentsdid.Inanothersimilarstudy with day care caregivers Rentzou (2011a) examined the dyadic parent-caregiverrelationshipof38completeparent-caregiversdyads.Bothparentsandcaregiverscompleteda


35-itemscaledesignedintwoseparateformsforeachgroupofparticipants.Bothscaleformincluded three dimensions of parent/caregiver relationship. The first two dimensions of“trust/confidence”and“collaboration”weresimilarfortheparentandthecaregiverform.Thethirddimensionoftheparentformincludedan“affiliation”subscalewhilethecaregiverformincludeda“caring”subscale.AccordingtoRentzou(2011a)resultsthecaregiversratedhigherthe “care” dimension (parents’ skill and sensitivity for caring children) and lower the“trust/confidence”dimension.Ontheotherhand,parentsratedhigherthe“trust/confidence”dimensionandlowerthe“affiliation”dimension(feelwarmthandsharefriendlyrelationshipwiththeirchild’scaregiver).Parentsandcaregivershavebeenfoundtocooperatesuperficiallyand early childhood caregivers held less positive beliefs towards the parents than parents’beliefstowardscaregivers.Particularlyparentsweremoresatisfiedwiththequalityofparent-caregiver communication than caregivers were. To sum up, Rentzou’s results showed thatcaregivers were rather unwilling to collaborate with parents, whereas parents reported awillingness for collaboration with caregivers. Caregivers held positive attitudes only for alimitedparentalparticipationbuttheydidnotwantanyinvolvementintheirpedagogicalwork.

Theeffectsofhomelearningenvironmentonchild’sacademicskillshasbeenlimitedtohomeliteracy activities and their contribution to literacy development. For example Manolitsis,GeorgiouandTziraki(2013)examinedhowthehomeliteracyandnumeracyenvironmentinearlychildhoodinfluencesreadingandmathacquisitioningrade1.Theirresultsindicatedthatparents’ teaching of literacy skills predicted reading fluency through the effects of letterknowledge and phonological awareness. Storybook exposure predicted reading fluencythrough the effects of vocabulary on phonological awareness. Finally, parents’ teaching ofnumeracyskillspredictedmathfluencythroughtheeffectsofverbalcounting.Thesefindingssuggestthatboththehomeliteracyandthehomenumeracyenvironmentsareimportantforearly readingandmathacquisition,but theireffectsaremediatedbyemergent literacyandnumeracyskills.InManolitsis,GeorgiouandParrila(2011)foundthatdirectteachingofletterscontributesignificantlytokindergartners’letterknowledgeandstorybookexposurecontributetochildren’svocabulary.

1.2.Factorsaffectingfamilyparticipation

A number of factors have been examined to associate with parental involvement in earlychildhoodsettings.Manolitsis’ (2004) results indicated that someof theaspectsofparentalinvolvementwereinfluencedbyvariablessuchastheparent’sgender,preschoolcenter,andmother’seducationallevel.Particularly,hefoundthatparentalparticipationintotheclassroomwasmorefrequentfor(a)parentsinkindergartensthanforparentswhohadtheirchildindaycare centers and (b)mothers than for fathers. Also his results showed that according to ageneral parental involvement index mothers were involved more than fathers in youngchildren’spreschooleducation.Parentsfrequencyofparentalinvolvementwasnotassociatewiththeirchild’sgender.Finally, inthisstudyfoundthatmothersofhighSESdifferedfrom


motherswithlowSESonlyonthefrequencyofpsychoeducationalinvolvementinhome,butfathersSESdidnotassociatewithanyfacetofparentalinvolvement.InSakellariou’s(2008b)studyhasbeenfoundthatlowSESparentsheldmorepositiveattitudestowardstheobjectivesofpreschool education thanhighSESparents.AlsoSakellariou (2008b) found thatyoungermothersandmothersoflowSEScommunicatewithteachersinordertobeinformedforsafetyand health issues, whereas high SES parents discuss with teachersmainly for their child’sacademicskills.

Thequalityofinteractionbetweenparentsandteachershasbeenalsofoundtoassociatewithanumberoffactors.Teacherswhohavelargergroupsofchildreninthepreschoolclassroomheldmorenegativebeliefson“trust”dimensionandlowergeneralqualityofinteractionwithparentsthatteacherswhohavesmallergroupsofchildrenintheclassrooms(Petrogiannis&Penderi,2014;Rentzou,2011a).Moreover,ithasbeenfoundthatmother’sbeliefsofthequalityof teacher-parent interaction associatedwith themother’s parenting style;motherswith apositiverelationshipwiththeirchildreportedbetterinteractionswithteachersthanmotherswithnegativechild-motherrelationships(Petrogiannis&Penderi,2014).Moreover,youngercaregiversbelievethattheyinteractmorepositivewithparentsthanoldercaregivers(Rentzou,2011a).FinallyPetrogiannisandPenderi(2014)showedthattheteachers’jobsatisfactionandteachingefficacybeliefscorrelatedpositivelywiththequalityofparent-teacherinteraction.

2.Methodsandpracticesinthelocalandnationallevel

InGreece, thepolicy related to family involvement in educationalprocesses takingplace inkindergartenschoolsettingsaswellastotheformsofteachers’andparents’cooperationaredescribed by three official documents published by theMinistry of Culture, Education andReligiousAffairs.

Kindergarten teachers’ Manual (Dafermou, Koulouri, & Basagiannh, 2006) constitutes anofficialdocumentdistributedtoallpublickindergartenschoolsaimingatprovidingtoteachersclearguidelinesregardingtheimplementationofaninterdisciplinarycurriculumforpreschooleducation.Inthisdocument,parentsarerecognizedasmajorcontributorstotheirchildren’slearninganddevelopmentandareconsideredasthosewhocanprovidetoteachersthemostsignificant and accurate information regarding children’s developmental profile. Systematiccommunicationisconsideredasaprerequisitefordevelopingeffectivecooperationbetweenteachersandparentsandcanbeachievedbyseveralalternativepracticessuchas:a)scheduledmeetingswithchildren’sparentsinwholeclass,b)afew-minutecommunicationwhenparentscometoschooltotaketheirchildren,c)scheduledmeetingsforresolvingproblemsarisingintheschoolenvironment,d)phonecommunication,e)communicationdiarycarriedbythechildinhisschoolbag,f)announcementboardwhichisaddressedtoparentsandislocatedinschoolandg)meetingswithscientistsaimingatinformingparentsabouttopicsofspecialinterest.


Scheduledmeetingsarenecessaryforprovidingtoparentsfullinformationforseveralaspectsof the school life and are conducted regularly through the school year. Specifically, at thebeginning of the school year the teacher invites children’s parents to the first scheduledmeetinginordertoguidethemintheschoolenvironment,informthemabouttheeducationalprogram,askfortheircooperationandanswertoanyquestionsthattheparentsmighthave.Also, in the context of this firstmeeting, the teachermight ask for parents’ contribution toproceduresaimingatchildren’sadjustmenttotheschoolenvironment.Atthenextscheduledmeetings through the school year, the teacher informs the parents about the educationalprogramdevelopmentandabouttheactivitiesdevelopedbytheirchildren.Furthermore,theteacherinformstheparentsabouttheirchildren’sprogressinseveraldevelopmentaldomains,theirspecialinterestsandthepreferencestheydisplayregardingtheactivitiesthataretakingplace in kindergarten. For that reason, the teacher presents to parentswork samples fromchildren’s portfolios and thusprovides them the opportunity to observe and evaluate theirchildren’scapabilities, commenton themandask foradditionalclarifications. During thesemeetings,theteacherhastheopportunitytoreceivefeedbackfromtheparentsaboutthewaythatthechildrenperceiveschoolenvironmentandabouttheactivitiesthatareorganizedbyhim.Inthepre-describedprocedures,itisimportantfortheparentstobepreinformedbytheteacheraboutthepurposeandthecontentof themeeting inorder for themtobepreparedappropriately. In the case of immigrant parents, the teacher arranges for the presence of atranslatorwhocancontributeandenablethecommunicationprocesses.

Kindergarten teachers’ Manual (Dafermou et al., 2006) also highlights the significance ofparents involvement in the educational activities anticipated by the curriculum. Theannouncementboard,whichislocatedintheschoolcanprovidetoparentsalternativeformsofinvolvement.Forexample,theteachercanannounceregularlytopicsoractivitiesforwhichhedesiresparents’contributionandcooperation.Inthiscontext,parentscanorganizetheformoftheirinvolvementaccordingtotheneedsoftherecommendedactivities.Forexample,theymightaccompanytheirchildreninoutsideschoolactivities,providetoteachersmaterialsthatcan be used in the conducted educational activities, participate in indoor activities bypresentinginformationrelatedtospecialtopicsorparticipateinactivitiestakingplaceinthekindergarten classroom, such as reading stories in the library area. Furthermore, theKindergartenteachers’Manual(Dafermouetal.,2006)stressesthesignificanceofexpandingtherecommendedbythecurriculumeducationalactivitiesintochildren’sfamilyenvironment.Specifically,theKindergartenteachers’Manualproposestoparentsseveralkindsofactivitiesthattheycanconductalongsidewiththeirchildreninordertocontributeeffectivelytotheirchildren’s literacy, social, emotional and psychomotor development. The Kindergartenteachers’Manualwithallthepre-describedpracticesemphasizesthesignificanceofteachersandparentsmutualcooperationandcommunicationforchildren’slearninganddevelopment.


Parents’Manual(Vrinioti,Kiridis,Sivropoulou-Theododiadou,&Hrisafidis,n.d.)constitutesthesecondofficialdocumentpublishedbytheGreekMinistryofCulture,EducationandReligiousAffairsanditalsodistributedinallpublickindergartens.Its’aimistoinformparentsaboutthepurpose of preschool education and provide them with accurate answers to questionsregardingseveralaspectsoftheall-daykindergartenfunction.TheParent’sManualprovidesclearguidelines,whichestablishthebaseofaneffectivecommunicationbetweenparentsandteachers.Theteachersareobligatedtoorganizescheduledmeetingswithchildren’sparentsonceinmonthormorefrequentlyinordertodiscussandresolveanyproblemsthatmightarisein the school environment. These meetings are scheduled outside working hours and arerecordedinteachers’bookofproceedings.Furthermore,theParent’sManualdescribeshowparentscanbeinvolvedinkindergartenschoollife.Initially,severalproceduresaredescribedwhichcanenablechildren’stransitionfromthenurseryschoolorthefamilyenvironmenttokindergarten.Specifically,parentsare informed that it is extremelyhelpful toprepare theirchildren for this transition by answering to their questions and making regular visits tochildren’snewschoolenvironment.Besideschildren,parentsshouldalsopreparethemselvesfor children’s transition to kindergarten and allay any fears and worries they might haveregardingchildren’sattendance to it. Furthermore,parentsshouldengage theirchildren inprocedures,whichstrengthenchildren’sautonomy.Helpingchildrentoadopthealthynutritionhabits and to recognize and face dangers that arise in the school and social environmentconstitute two representative examples, which relate to parental involvement practices. Inaddition, play emerges as a core activity that can contribute to children’s learning anddevelopmentsignificantly.Inthiscontext,theParent’sManualintentstocorrectmanyparents’wrongperception that children’s engagement inplayful activities constitutes anobstacle tokindergarteners’ academic achievement. Thus, parents are advised to participate in theirchildren’splay throughvariousways. Indicatively,parentsaremotivatedtocreateaspecialareainthehomeenvironmentequippedwiththenecessarymaterialsinorderforchildrentoplayaloneorwiththeirsiblings.Also,parentsshouldgraspopportunitiesduringtheday inordertoobservechildren’splayinhomeandinkindergartenandthusacknowledgechildren’sneeds,skillsandinterests.Furthermore,parentsareadvisedtoparticipateactivelyinchildren’splay as long as they do not block children’s imagination and creativity and they do nottransformitinaformofschoolworkthatischaracterizedbyfeaturesadaptedtoprogrammelearningprocedures.

AccordingtoguidelinesoftheParents’Manual(Vrinioti,etal.,n.d.),thecooperationbetweentheparentsandtheteachersshouldbebasedonthefollowingkey-points.

Regularcommunicationbetweentheschoolandthe family.Regularcommunicationbybothpartiesisoftenpreventedbyproblemsrelatedtolackoftime,lackofcooperationandlackofappropriate training. These problems are being overcome by designing and implementingparentaltrainingprograms.Forexample,atrainingprogramcanincorporatesixtotensessions


forgroupsconsistedoftwentyparentseach.Parentsarepreinformedaboutthespecialtopicsthat are to bediscussed and thus theyhave the time theyneed to gather all the necessaryinformationinordertoparticipateintheproceduresandactivitiesofeachsession.

Guidelines and instructions provided by the school regarding the forms of parentalparticipationinthelearningprocedurestakingplaceinthefamilyenvironment.Parentsshouldnotconsidertheirchildren’slearninganddevelopmentasteachers’solelyresponsibility.Theyshouldalsoparticipateinchildren’slearningbyaskingfromteachersadvisesandguidelinesfor activities andpractices that they can implement athomegiven that this effortdoesnotreducechildren’sfreetimeforplay.

Invitationsregardingparents’ involvementintheactivitiesconductedatschool.Parentscanparticipateintheeducationalactivitiescarriedoutinschoolinregularandscheduleddatesortheycanbeinvolvedinproceduresrelatedwithprojects,visitsorexcursionsorganizedbythechildren.

Jointdecisionmakingprocessesintopicsrelatedtochildren’slearning.Nowadays,parentsaremoreinformedabouttopicsrelatedtotheirchildreneducation.Thus,theycanappreciateanycurrent teaching methods adopted by teacher, encourage and participate in innovativeeducationalprogramsimplementedinschool.

Coordination of the learning activities conducted at home and at school. It is extremelysignificantforparentstoenhancechildren’sskillsthroughageappropriateactivitiesconductedathome. In thisway, childrencanmaintainall the recentlyacquired fromthekindergartenbenefits and continue tomake progress in the targeted by the educational program skills.Furthermore,parentshavetheopportunitytofollowtheirchildren’sprogressandprovidetoteachersfeedbackabouttheefficacyoftheschoolactivities.

Parentalparticipationindecision-makingprocessesabouttheschoolfunctioninspecificandallowedcircumstances.Parentsaremotivatedtoparticipateinlocalandnationalcommittees,which relate with kindergarten schools function. Furthermore, their participation in theparents'schoolcommitteecancontributeeffectivelyindecisionmakingandproblemsolvingprocedures.

Mutual respect between the parents and the teachers. All the pre-described goals can beaccomplished and the practices can be implemented given that both parents and teachersrecognizeeachother’sroleandcontributioninchildren’slearninganddevelopment.

Children’sattendancetokindergarten,accordingtotheParents’Manual(Vrinioti,etal.,n.d.),servesaspreparatorystadiumduringwhichtheyarepreparedforattendingprimaryschool.Under this notion, parents and teachers should cooperate in order to enable children’stransitiontoprimaryschool.Parents’andteachers’jointeffortsshouldaimathelpingchildrenappreciate school, respond to school requirements creatively anddevelop apositive stance


towardlearning.Specifically,parentscancontributetotheaforementionedgoalsachievementbyconcentratingtheireffortsinhelpingtheirchildrentodevelopthenecessarycommunicationandsocialskills.

All-day Kindergarten Manual (Aleuriadou, Vrinioti, Kiridis, Sivropoulou-Theododiadou, &Hrisafidis, 2008) constitutes the thirdofficial documentpublishedby theGreekMinistryofEducation and Religious Affairs, which describes the necessity and the form of familyinvolvement in the school processes. According to it, family is the first environmentwherechildren’seducationandedificationtakesplace.Kindergartenservesacompensatoryrolewiththeaimtoprovideenhancedpedagogicalhelpinthecontextofpreschooleducation.Children’sindividualskills,interestsandcapabilitiesconstitutethebaseonwhichparents’andteachers’cooperationisgrounded.Thiscooperationisfurthersupportedbybothpartieshavingagreedonthebasicschoolprinciplesandmethodsandbyhavingestablishedaregularandsystematiccommunication.

Furthermore,familycohesionandbehavior,intra-familyrelationships,children’simmigrationbackgroundand familysocialandeconomical statusaresignificant factors,whichcan form,enhance or prevent family-school communication and cooperation. Kindergarten teachersshouldbeawareoftheaforementionedfactorsandbeflexibleinordertoaccomplishfeasiblemodesofcommunicationwithchildren’sparents.Inaddition,theAll-daykindergartenManual(Aleuriadouetal.,2008)replicatesformsofcooperationandcommunication,whicharealsoreported in the Parents’ Manual (Vrinioti, et al., n.d.) and Kindergarten teachers’ Manual(Dafermou et al., 2006). A significant differentiation between the three documents is theemphasisthattheAll-daykindergartenManualputsonteachersandparentsgroupmeetings.Inorderforagroupmeetingtooperateeffectively,teachersshouldbearinmindthefollowingkeyfeatures:

• Smallgroups(oftwentyfivemembers)operatemoreeffectivelythanlargegroups.• Thetopicsofthegroupdiscussionsshouldbeselectedaccordingtoparents’needsand

shouldrelatetousualdevelopmentalissues.• Groupcohesionshouldbeaccomplishedasfastaspossible.• Parentsshouldbe informedabout thebasic theoreticalprinciplesrelatedtoparents-

children-teachersrelationships.• Teachersactasfacilitatorsinordertoensurethatparticipantscontributeequallytothe

groupdiscussion.• At the end of each meeting, group members should make a synopsis of the most

significantconclusionsinorderforanywrongperceptionstobecorrected.

All-daykindergartenManual(Aleuriadouetal.,n.d.)alsostressesthatisimportantforparentstoparticipateintheschooleducationalactivitiesbyofferingvoluntaryworkandtocooperatewith teachers in order to regulate procedures related to all-day kindergarten special


procedures,suchaschildren’slunchandresttime.DespitethefactthattheGreeklegislationanticipates(Law1566/85,article53)parents’participationinadministrativeandproceduralissuesoftheschool,thereisnoanyofficialstateprogramregardingthemodesandmethodsoffamily-schoolcommunicationandcooperation.

LatviaUnderstandingParticipationinEarlyChildhoodEducation:LatvianExperienceLindaPavitola,Dr.paed.JanaGrava,Mg.sc.educ.VinetaPole,Mg.paed.LiepajaUniversity,Latvia

Theavailabilityofqualityeducationensureseconomicgrowthinboththeshortandlongterm.Sinceeducationisconsideredasafactorthatinfluencesandreflectsthevaluesofsociety,itisofgreatimportancetoactualizevertical(inaformalway)andhorizontal(inaninformalway)developmentandrecognizeasetofcommonvaluesthatunderpintheeducationalprocess.

EuropeanCommissionhasput forward thepriorities that affirm the componentsof qualityeducation,whereaccess,participationandfamilyinvolvementineducationaredefinedasthemainkeywords(Lindeboom&Buiskool,2013).Moreover,familyinvolvementisconsideredtobe as one of the democratic values and one of the main quality indicators for preschooleducation,andtheemphasisputonfamilyparticipationplaysimportant,ifnotcritical,role.

ParticipationParticipation in general focuses on partnerships of educational institutions, families, andcommunitiesthatattempttoimprovepreschoolprogramsandclimate,providefamilyservicesand support, thus increasing parents’ skills and involvement, create a network within thecommunity, andhelppedagoguesand teachers in theirwork (Pavitola,Grava,Mikelsone,&Pole,2016ascitedinEverington,2005;Uemura,1999).

Asthereexistavarietyofconceptsthatcharacterizeparticipation-takingpart,collaboration,actingtogether,involvement,inclusion,decisionmakingtogetheretc.,itisimportanttoclarifyandunderstandtheessenceofthetermparticipation.Itissignificanttorealizethatitdoesnotmean only instructions that are often considered as participative activities by parents andpedagogue.

In preschools there exist several ways of involvement into participative activities,characterizingproductiveandeffectiveparticipationpracticeamongeducationalinstitutions,families,andcommunitiesthatcanbeemployedthroughallstagesofparticipation:


• parenting–byhelpingfamiliestoestablishsupportivehomeenvironments;

• communicating – by designing effective forms of preschool-to-home and home-to-preschoolcommunicationthatenableparents to learnaboutpreschoolactivitiesandtheirchildren’sprogressaswellasenableteacherstolearnabouthowchildrendoathome;

• volunteering–byorganizingparenthelpandsupport;

• earningathome–byproviding informationand ideas to familiesabouthow tohelpchildrenathomewithprogrammeandcurriculum-relatedactivities;

• decision making – by including families in preschool decisions, and having parentrepresentativesinpreschoolmeetings;

• collaboratingwiththecommunity–byidentifyingandintegratingresourcesaswellasservicesfromthecommunityinordertostrengthenpreschools, familypractices,andchildrenlearning.(Epstein,Coates,Salinas,Sanders,&Simon,1997)

This is in accordance with the evaluation model of quality education outlined by Germanscientist W. Tietze (Tietze, 2014), setting apart several dimensions: 1) the quality ofpedagogicalstaffcompetence,containingnotionsofpedagoguesaboutmeaningfulprofessionalactivity,developmentalopportunitiesofachildandnecessarysupportforit;2)thequalityoftheprocess,consideringcareaboutchildren,complianceofimplementededucationalapproachwiththechild’sindividuality,ensuringphysicalandemotionalsecurity,aswellassupportinglearningprocessandprovidingforeducationalenvironmentandresources;and3)thequalityofstructure, thatdetermines functioningofeducational institutionsandrefers tonormativeregulationsofpremisesandmaterialresources.BenefitsforChildrenFamilyparticipationcannot be implemented without involvement and positive outcomes for children, whosedevelopmentandwellbeingshouldbeinfocusinallparticipativeactivities.However,parentsandprofessionalsdonotalwaysagreeonwhatwouldbethebestforthefamilyandthechild,andtheconceptoffamilyparticipationcanmeandifferentthingstodifferentpeople.Althoughmost preschool teachers value connections with families, many preschool educationinstitutionsdonothavewell-organizedprogrammesoffamilyandcommunityinvolvement.(Pavitola, Grava, Mikelsone, & Pole, 2016) As R. Stauffer (2011) believes, participativeactivitiesarepossibleboth formallyandnonformally,whereeverychildandhis/her familyhave a possibility to co-participate: individually, as a member in a group and a preschoolinstitution(seeTable1).

Table1Participativeactivitiesinpreschools(Stauffer,2011)

Kinds of participativeactivities

Nonformally

(Project activities, singlecases, participation innegotiations and decision

Formally

(Regular and “strictly” regulatedinstitutionandprocesses)


making)

Institution of preschooleducation

Satisfactionwiththeclimatein a preschool institutionOrganizing of commonprojects (day/week ofsports, drama) Exchangewithtoys

Board of the preschoolinstitutionChildren`s conferencesMeetings

Committees of the preschoolinstitution

Groupinapreschool

Common planning ofactivities and play-activities, and commonresolutionofconflicts

Regular planning and choice oftopicReflection after play-activities

Regularchildren involvement intothecreationofplay-activity

Regular common resolution ofconflicts

Individually Self-evaluationPortfolio

Regularself-evaluationWorkshops- activitiesRegular work withportfolio Management of grouppremises

Theabovementionedwaysofparticipationresultincertainbenefitsconnectedwithmultisidedcomponents of health and citizenship education, positive institutional climate anddevelopment,aswellasmultisidedcollaborationandintegration.Thesecomponentsrevealin:

• Personality development – children cognize and are aware of their independentactivities, thus strengthening their self-determination skills, self-reliance andconfidence;

• Competence development – social, communicative competences and those fordemocraticactivitiesfostertheimplementationofpedagogicalgoals;

• Identification and belonging – child`s participation and belonging to a group createidentificationwithownlifespaceandresponsibility;

• Quality of preschool institution – children`s participation has to be viewed as bothquality characteristics and investment in it, thus promoting and ensuring thedevelopment of preschool institution (Amstutz &Marty, 2007) Policies concerningfamilyparticipationandinvolvementinearlychildhoodeducationEducationLawoftheRepublicofLatvia(Izglıtıbaslikums,1999)determinesparticipationoffamilyand


societyineducation,pointingtotheirobligationtotakepartinorganizationalprocessesof the child`s education, promote the quality of education, and protect children andteachers interests and rights (article 21). The Lawof Education also determines theresponsibility of municipalities – to provide children with possibilities to obtainpreschooleducationintheinstitutionnearbytheirplaceofresidence(article17).

The Ministry of Education and Science develops state guidelines for preschool education(Noteikumi par valsts pirmsskolas izglıtıbas vadlınijam, 2012) and prepares patterns ofpreschooleducationprogrammesbasedontheseguidelines.Thecontentoftheseprogrammesisgroundedonholisticapproachtothechild`sdevelopment,ensuringcontinuity,basedontheresultsthatcanbereachedbythemeansofmutualinteractionsofchildrenandpedagogues.Theprogrammesampleiselaboratedwithemphasisonplayasleadingactivityinpreschool.Applyingit,childrentakeoverexperiencestoredinsociety,developattitudes,improvetheirexperiencebyactingindependentlyandcognizingthemselves,natureandtheworldaround.Thereareseveralsamplesofprogrammeselaborated:programmeofpreschooleducationtilltheageof6,specialeducationprogrammeforpreschools,programmesforminoritiestilltheageof6withRussianandPolishlearninglanguage,integratedpreschooleducationprogrammefor6-yearolds,andintegratedpreschooleducationprogrammeforminoritieswithRussianandPolishlearninglanguage

Since the regulations on state preschool education guidelines do not mention the conceptparticipation,ratherfocusoncollaborativeactivitiesamongchildren,

pedagogues,andparentsortheirlegalsubstitutesasoneofthebasicconditionsforsuccessfulprocessinpreschooleducation.However,thetermparticipationismorecommoninthecontextofinclusiveeducationinLatvia.Thus,itcanbeconcludedthatlegislation,regulationsandtermsturnlittleattentiontofamilyinvolvementandparticipationintheprocessesofearlychildhoodeducation,deliveringresponsibilitytopedagogues,familiesandpreschoolinstitutions.

Latvia seems to be into the developmental process of participation practice with socialpartners, therefore exchange of positive experience is of utmost importance. Currently thecollaborationbetweenpreschooleducationinstitutionsandparentsmanifestitselfmostlyinparents’meetings,participation inactivities andparentsdonations topreschool institution,though wholesome participation should occur on three levels – preschool institution,municipalityandstate(Skoluunpirmsskolupasparvalzudarbıbas izvertejumsun ieteikumiefektivitatesuzlabosanai,2012).

AlsothesurveyofstudiespublishedbyEducation,AudioVisualandCultureExecutiveAgency(EACEA)onearlychildhoodeducationandcaresupportsthebeliefinintensive,earlyandchild-focused education in combination with family participation, parent education and supportactivities (Pirmsskolas izglıtıba un aprupe Eiropa: socialas un kulturalas nevienlıdzıbas


risinasana,2009).

Existingquality indicatorsandtoolsonfamilyparticipationpracticesemployedinLatviaTherearenoactivequalityindicatorsthatevaluatefamilyparticipation.Latviaseemstobeintothedevelopmentalprocessofparticipationpracticewithsocialpartners,thereforeexchangeofpositiveexperience isofutmost importance.Currently thecollaborationbetweenpreschooleducationinstitutionsandparentsmanifestitselfmostlyinparentsmeetings,participationinactivities and parents donations to preschool institution, though wholesome participationshould occur on three levels – preschool institution, municipality and state. (Skolu unpirmsskolu pasparvalzu darbıbas izvertejums un ieteikumi efektivitates uzlabosanai, 2012)AlsothesurveyofstudiespublishedbyEducation,AudioVisualandCultureExecutiveAgency(EACEA)onearlychildhoodeducationandcaresupportsthebeliefinintensive,earlyandchild-focused education in combination with family participation, parent education and supportactivities. (Pirmsskolas izglıtıba un aprupe Eiropa: socialas un kulturalas nevienlıdzıbasrisinasana,2009)

Currently existing indicators and tools are available fromEducation Initiative Centre (non-governmentalorganizationinLatvia),whichhastranslatedandadapted/elaboratedmaterialsbasedonInternationalAssociationprojectStepbyStep(ISSA),wheremajorityofpreschoolsinLatviawere involved. In the frameof theprojectaworkgroupwasmadeandStepbyStepProgramandTeacherStandardsforPreschoolandPrimaryGradesweredevelopedin1999.StepbyStepisacomprehensivemethodologyforchildrenattheagesincebirthto10yearsandfor families of these children. The developed methodology and materials are foreseen forteachers, parents and university teachers. It is based on child- oriented approach andparticipation of parents and society in children`s education (Step by Step Programme andTeacherStandardsforPreschoolandPrimaryGrades,2002).

Specialistsonpreschoolmethodologyworkedwiththesematerials,whentheyweretranslatedinLatvian (year2013), andadapted the criterions forquality evaluationof teachers.Theseindicatorswereelaboratedbutstillnotimplementedasasystem–theymightbeemployedinseveralpreschools/municipalitiesinLatvia.InLiepajatherewasanattempttoelaboratetheindicatorsforqualityevaluationofspecialistsinpreschool

methodology(viceheadsofpreschools),buttheideafailedasmajorityofthesespecialistswereagainstthefactthatsomebodywouldevaluatethem.Currentlythereareexistingcriteriaforpreschoolteachers`self-evaluationthatisusedasatoolinLiepajapreschoolinstitutions.Itcanhavevariablesfrominstitutiontoinstitution,anditisnotusedasasystemictool(seetable1).


Criterionsforself-evaluationCriterionPedagogue`sworkwiththefamily

Qualityindicators

- Informsfamilyabouteverydayactivitiesandachievementsoftheirchildren(letters,phonecalls,individualmeetings,notesetc.)

- Gives opportunities for children and parents to develop educationalmaterials.Informsaboutfees(nodebts)ontime.Organizesindividualmeetingswiththe family, inorder todiscuss thechild`sachievementsanddifficulties, andobtaininformationaboutexpectationsofparents,theirgoals,concernsandneeds.

- Designs informationboard and creates its content (plans of activities, informationaboutthat,activitiesingroupsetc.)Organizesdifferenteventsandinvolvesfamiliesinthem.

- Invitesparentstotakepartingroupactivities(workshadowing).- Findsoutthesphereofoccupationofparentsandtheissuesthatparentscanshare

with children as experts, thus being involved into the process of education(professions,hobbiesetc.).

- Pedagogues provide parents with a possibility to learn and share experience onchildren`s development and education (parent meetings, seminars, thematicalafternoonsetc.).

- Collaboration with the institutions (orphan justice centre, social services etc.), inordertoprovidechildrenwiththecaretheyneed.

BestpracticesoffamilyparticipationatnationallevelGood practice examples found in Latvia, show that parents also participate actively in theadministration of the preschool and are a part of the network within the community.SummarizingthestudiescarriedoninLatvia,itcanbeconcludedthatpreschoolsofferdifferentkindsofparticipativeactivitiesforparents.Theircontent,volumeandfrequencycandifferfrominstitution to institution, but as the most popular kinds of participation at preschooleducationalinstitutionsarementionedthefollowing:

• ParentBoard;

• Self-government;

• Activitiesorganizedforchildrenandparents,forexample,concerts,workshops,sportsday, festivities and celebrations, excursions, joint work, involvement in everydayroutineetc.;


• Individualmeetingswithpedagoguesandadministration.

Examplesofgoodpractices

“ParentAssociationofLatvia”–foundedin2011.Itsmissionistodevelopandstrengthenpotential of parents and their opportunities to collaborate in education promoting theirinvolvement in improvementofenvironmentof theeducational institution.TheAssociationimplements theproject onparent education and collaborationParent-To-Parent (P2P), andtakespartinorganizingEuropeanParentassociation(EPA)conferences.

“ParentForumofLatvia”–onMay,12th,2012inRigatookplacethefirstParentForumofLatviaontheissuesconcerningpositivechangesandstrengtheningofparentroleinthesystemof education. There were present 130 parent organizations and representatives of schoolboards,aswellasparentsfromalloverLatvia.ThegoalofftheForumistogivevoicetoparentson necessity of changes in the education system, put forward proposals to theMinistry ofEducation and Science, The Saeima and Cabinet of Ministers about further activities onstrengtheningtheroleofparentsandadvocatingchangesinthesphereofeducation,aswellasdevelopamodelofcollaborationandagreeuponrepresentationofinterestsintheeducationpolitics.

“OpenParents”–itistheorganizationsthatunitesthreeBalticassociationsofparents:“ParentAssociationofLatvia”,“ParentForumofLithuania”and“ParentassociationofEstonia”.Theyhavedevelopedtheprojectforeducatingparents“OpenParents”,whichforeseestoenhancecollaborationwitheducationalinstitutionsforchildrenandstrengthendevelopmentofparentcompetencecentres.

Thefollowingpracticesareconnectedwithschools,asthereareschoolsthatprovidepreschooleducationaswell,andweconsiderthemasexcellentopportunitiesforparentstocontinuetheirparticipation through school years.“Friendly School” – a movement initiated by childrenrights protection institution, whose mission is to improve psychosocial environment ofeducationalinstitution,inordertogroundrelationshipsamongchildren,parents,teachersandadministration on mutual respect and honesty. The main goals of their mission are: 1) toimprovemutualcollaborationamongchildren,parents,teachersandschooladministration,aswell as collaboration with other institutions and municipality; and 2) to ensure regularpreventiveworkonexclusionofviolenceineducationalinstitutions.

Programme for children development – implemented in primary school in Zakumuiza,which motivates children develop themselves as successful, friendly persons needed forsociety.Theprogrammehasbeendevelopedtogetherwithparentsandteachers,whoagreedon5 themostvital characteristics theywould like todevelop in their children.Everyweekchildrenreceiveasticker,ifaprogressisnoticeableinthechild`sbehaviour.


Familyparticipationpracticesatlocallevel

Inordertostudyfamilyparticipationpracticesatlocallevel,apilotstudywasperformedwiththegoaltofindouttheunderstandingoftheconceptfamilyparticipation,existingsituationinpractice, and its advantages and disadvantages. Participants were preschool teachers andspecialistsinpreschoolmethodology,selectedbypurposefulrandomsamplingstrategy,andthedatacollectiontechnique-amethodofquestionnairewasapplied.

Understandingoftheconcept

Theresultsrevealedtheawarenessoftherespondentsonthetopic.Theconceptparticipationwascharacterizedasamutual interaction thatactively involveseverybody -a child, family,teachers-towardsreachingacommongoal.Itisinvolvementineverydaylifeofthepreschoolgroupand institutionaswell.Among thekeywords thatcharacterizeparticipationadialog,discussion, common goals, involvement into the processes, ability to compromise, interest,opinion, appropriate and responsible decision making, information exchange, everydaychallengesandtheirresolutionsandteamworkwerementioned.

Therewas separated a termof pedagogical participation – thatmeansmutual and creativeactivityofchildren,parentsandpedagoguestowardsreachingcommongoals;oneofthem–development of the child`s personality. Particular emphasis was put on the quality ofcommunication that underlie successful collaboration. The more qualitative is the contactamongthepersonsinvolved,thebettersupportisgiventothechild.

Participation is necessary topromote the child`s holistic development that is influencedbyseveral factors: family, pedagogues, peers and society. All agents have to be interested inparticipative activities to ensure the quality of child care and education, thus assisting todevelopchild`sindividualabilitiesandskillswithinsupportiveenvironment.

Theoverallgoalofparticipationistoeducatechildren,developtheirpersonalitiesandensurereadinessforschooleducation.

Existing situation in local practiceParticipative activities that occur locally, can becharacterizedasperiodical(aseparateevent)andregularcollaboration(organizedactivitieswithinlongtermperiod).And,although,therespondentsexpressedtheoreticalawarenessofthetermparticipation,theexamplesandpracticestheydescribedweremoretendedtowardscollaboration.Preschooleducation institutionshave localregularcollaborationpartners, forexample,children libraries,LiepajaDoll theatre,swimmingpool,ChildrenandYouthcentre,Liepajadepartmentofthestatepolice,shoppingcentres“Kurzeme”,“Baata”etc.,association„Dižvanagi”,LiepajaUniversity,Musicschool,LiepajaBoardofEducation,LiepajaMunicipality,schools,socialservicesandothers.Mostoftencollaborationpartnersaretheones,whoinitiatecooperation, although preschool institutions also are active in establishing contacts. Very


important is the initiative of parents, who in majority of cases are representatives ofcollaboratinginstitutions.However,collaborationwithparentsalmostalwaysoccurupontheinitiative of preschool institutions and their invitation.Collaboration with parents exist indifferentways–meetingsofparents,generalmeetingsforparents,whosechildrenwillbegintoattendpreschool,involvingparentsindifferentactivities,boardofeducation,e-mailofthegroup, information exchange folders, volunteering, parent participation in the period ofadaptation,informationdays,shadowingactivities.

ChallengesTherewerenoticedalsothefollowingchallengesandproblems–oneofthemostfrequentisparents’occupationandbeingoverloadedofatworkthatresultsinlackoffreetimethatcouldbespenttogetherwiththechild.Parentswouldliketohavemoreinformationaboutculturalactivitiesforchildren,moreactivitiesfreeofcharge,andcreativeworkshops,inordertodeveloptheirchildren`sknowledge,skillsandabilities.Preschoolinstitutionsandfamilieshavetothinkabouttheformsandpossibilitiesofcollaborationwithcommunitypartners,aswellasexpressmoreinitiativeincollaborationactivitiesandmatchthetimeofactivitieswitheveryday routine at preschools. There are still many institutions, which refuse to take inchildrenonastudytour.Alsothemunicipalitycouldbemoreresponsiveintermsofprovidingthe transport for such study tours.Therehas tobe improvedparentsunderstandingof thepedagogicalprocessimplementedatpreschoolinstitutions,andraisedtheirawarenessofbeingresponsibleforthechild`sdevelopment.

As the result of the study, a model has been developed that can be implemented in earlychildhood education in Latvia to extend family participation by the activities offered, thuspromotingparticipationculturewithinpreschooleducationinstitutions.ThedevelopedmodelisreflectedinFigure1.

Figure1Modelforstrengtheningfamilyparticipationinearlychildhoodeducation(Pavitola,Grava,Mikelsone,&Pole,2016)


Conclusions1. Theoreticalstudiesgiveevidencethatthereexistavarietyof termsthatcharacterize

participation, for example, taking part, collaboration, acting together, involvement,inclusion,decisionmakingtogetheretc.,thereforeitwassufficienttorevealtheessenceof the concept participation, that reflects positive relationships among educationalinstitutions,families,andcommunities,andprovidesfamilyservicesandsupport,thusincreasingparents`awarenessandinvolvement,aswellascreatesanetworkwithinthecommunity.

2. Participation inensuringeducationprocess is stated in several regulations inLatvia,however, it turns a little attention to family involvement and participation in theprocesses of early childhood education. Latvia seems to be into the developmentalprocess of participationpracticewith social partners, therefore exchangeof positive


experienceisofutmostimportance.Currentlyeachpreschoolinstitutionseeksfortheirown individual solutions, how to improve psychosocial environment and involveparentsintothelifeofapreschoolinstitution,thusundertakingmutualobligationsandresponsibilityontheprocessesoccurringatpreschools.

3. As the result of the study, a model is developed that can be implemented in earlychildhoodeducation inLatvia toextend familyparticipationby theactivitiesoffered,thuspromotingparticipationculturewithinpreschooleducationinstitutions.

Portugal

IntroductionWiththisdocument,weaimtopresentageneralperspectiveontheparentalinvolvementinEarly Childhood Education and Care in Portugal. We start from a conceptual/operativeexplicitation ofwhat is understood by “school-families” relation (purposefully in the pluralform...)as it isunderstoodbyresearchers; so that ina secondmomentwemayelaborateadynamicportraitof thehistoricalevolutionand the legislative frameworkwhere thisplural(“school-families”)relationisinserted.Wewillafterwardsexplicitthestate-of-the-artortheformal bidimensional (0-3 years old and 3- 6 years old) educational system where EarlyChildhoodEducationandCareisinsertedinPortugal.

Centeredonthisspecificcontextandsupposedlystrivingtoprovideananswer,we’llpresentareflection on the type of specific academic training and the profile of profile of the EarlyChildhoodEducationandCareprofessionalinPortugal.Afterwardswe’llfurtherexploresomeforms of parental involvement/participation in school, as well as some difficulties(hindrances/obstacles)thataremostlyfoundinthePortuguesecontext.

Finallywe’llpresentresearchworksinthisthematic,aswellassomeprojectsthatseemtousrelevant for thepartners in theEQuaPproject.Asa complement to this studywe includearesearchonthemainbibliographicreferencesinPortuguese;acollectionofbestpracticesinthecontextofparentalinvolvementthatwe’vealreadygatheredfromournationalpartners;alistofthestakeholdersthathaveworkedwithus;aswellasadocumentthatwe’vebeenusingfor thedisclosureof theEQuaPproject activities to the community of Portuguese languageinterestedparties.


1.Theschool-familiesrelation“A educação é (...), competênciadepais e educadores, que, de forma compartilhada, devemencontrarascoordenadasadequadasdeatuaçãoedecolaboração”(Arribas,2004:393)

“Educationis(...),competenceofparentsandeducators,which,inasharedway,mustfindtheadequatecoordinatesofactionandcollaboration”(Arribas,2004:393)

Createbridgesamongcultures,amongthedifferent instancesandsocialactors isoneofthechallengesofpostmodernsociety.Welive,accordingtoHargreaves(1998),atimeofchangeand of turning the page in this decade of the XXI century. The postmodern family valuesautonomyandindependenceoverthetraditionalfamilyvalues,inwhichtheunionamongthememberswasthemainovertone.Thecultural,socialandethicalpluralityhasinvadedallthesocieties, and people from all over theworld. The globalization phenomenon and the newtechnologies narrow frontiers and limits, it is the end of definitive certainties. Stoer andCortesão(1999)callattentionto the fact that theschool-familyrelation isarelationamongcultures,thatdirectsustotheimportanceofaneducationofinter-multiculturalnature.School,family and community are the threemajor institutions in the children’sworld,which havesharedresponsibilities.Ifwestrengthentherelationsbetweenthesethreepillarsofthechild’slife,wearecontributingforthepersonalandeducationalsuccessofourchildren.

AccordingwithSarmentoandMarques(2006:59),“Thepracticesoftherelationoffamilieswithschoolshavebeenapproachedindifferentdimensions:theparentsexpectationstowardstheschools,thepracticesofrelation,theparents’associativism,theschoolmediatorsintherelationof the schoolswith the families, the legislative support for the parents participation in theschoolcontext.”Thesedifferentapproachesreiteratethedefinitionof thedifferentroles foreachof the social actors involved in this relation (families/ guardians, school, children andcommunity).

Theschools-familiesrelationtransformsitself,inpractice,inavastmultiplicityofschool-familyrelationsthatvary,andwillbedifferent,accordingtothewayofbeing,thinking,valuingandacting ineachcontext,whichdirectsustoanecologicalandsystemicapproachofthe inter-relationsoftheinterventioncontextswherethesesocialactorsmove.

Itisthereforewhyweprefer,andcallattentionto,theuseofthecomplexconceptof“schools-familiesrelation”;aswellasalltheimplicationsthatthiscanbringinthetheorizationfieldandattempts to build “systematic and universal” solutions with the aim of favoring parentalinvolvement: a school-family relation can only be understood in its context, however, thiscannot be an impediment for the development and adaptation of a set of best practicesapplicableindiversecontexts(toolbox)-thatcharacterizesoneoftheobjectivesoftheEQuaP


project.

Wenotethatinseveralstudiescarriedoutthere’snotmuchimportancegiventothechildren’sparticipationinthesocialdynamicsthatariseinschools,withtheresultofbeing“rareorevennon-existent,inPortugal,thereferencestothechildren’srolesinthatrelation”(SarmentoandMarques,2006),whichmakesitdecisivetocenterourparticularattentionontheroleofthechildintheschool/family/communityrelations

According to Davies, parents’ intervention in school can take two forms: participation andinvolvement.Thisauthorusestheexpression“parents’participation”toreferto“modalitiesofparents’ intervention that suppose some power or influence in fields such as planning,managementanddecision-makinginschoolnotaspassivereceiversofinformationorservices”(Davies,1994:387).For “parents’ involvement” thisresearcherunderstandsall the formsofparents’activityintheeducationoftheirchildrenathome,inthecommunityorintheschool.

Itunderliesthepracticesofparentalinvolvementtheacceptanceofthecooperationchallenge.Cooperationpromotestheindividualself-esteem,foremostofthechildren,parents/guardiansand early childhood teachers. To accept cooperation implies the sharing of power anddecisions,respecttowardsthedifferentsocialactors,whereeachonemustfeelrespected,withanactivevoiceandparticipative.Whenthisdoesn’toccurwecanfindourselvescontributingtosubvert the family-school relation, changing it, in the words of Pedro Silva (2003), into a“booby-trapped relationship”. This is characterized by a reproduction of school and socialinequalities, but also by provoking the “Pygmalion effect” that, according to Silva, leadseducatorsto,inamoreorlessconsciousmanner,createmorepositiveexpectationstowardstheinterestedandactiveparents,andregardthesilenceoftheotherparentsthatdon’tquestiontheirchildren’spathasasignofnotcaring,whichmanytimesdoesn’tconformwithreality

2.HistoricalretrospectiveandPortugueselegislativeframeworkThePortugueseeducationsystemclearlyestablishesthe importanceofaclosechild-school-families relation, there having been in the last years of the XX century a legislativereinforcement,thatinstitutesthroughlegaldispositionstheestablishmentofpartnershipsandpracticesofparentalinvolvementinPreschoolEducation.Inparallel,it’sworthrememberingthehistoricalpathinPortugalrelativetofamilies’interactioninkindergarten.

The first contexts of attending to the child, non-private, start in the XVIII century, andhadmainlyaguardingfunction,withoutpedagogicpreoccupations.

With the implantation of the 1st Republic, there is an importance attributed to children inpreschoolage,despitetheachievementsbeingsparse,duetolittleinvestmentintheeducators’


trainingandtheexistenceofarestrictnumberofkindergartens(Sarmento,2005).

WiththeadventoftheNewState,1926-1960,inspiredbytheSalazaristideology,therewasaregression in the social representation about children education, a non- valuing of thepedagogic value of kindergarten, that lead to the closure of kindergartens, delegating thatresponsibilitytothefamilies,inparticulartothemothers.In1934comestheendofmandatorycrèches;andchildhoodeducationisperceivedasanevil,thereisadefenseofanauthoritarianPedagogy (Barroso, 2001). From 1948 to 1974, childhood education essentially assumes acompensatory functiontoovercomefamilyshortcomings, inparticular inchildrenfromlessfavouredsocioeconomicbackgrounds.

In the 1960s,with industrialization, in parallelwith themassivemovement ofmen for thecolonialwar;themigrationoffamiliesfromsmallvillagestocitiesandtheentranceofwomeninthelabourmarket,weassisttoanincreaseinthesocialsearchforchildren’sguarding.Inparallelthechildhood,inthishistoricperiod,overtheinfluencetheideasofFreinetandJoãodosSantos(Barroso,2001),resultsfromthestudiesproducedinthemeantimeinthefieldofPsychology,Sociology.

Afterwards,withtheVeigaSimãoReformin1973,theconditionsareripeforthe“creationofofficialpreschooleducation(establishedonlyin1978),beingconsideredthat, inaccordancewithspecialistsandformotivesofpedagogicandfamiliarnature,itshouldremainoptional”(Sarmento andMarques,2006, p.69). In 1974,with the 25th April Revolution, come strongsocialchangesandnewformsofparticipation,thereistheappearanceofworkerscommissionsandparentscommissions,existingastrongsocialinterventioninallsectorsofsociety.

In1977thecreationoftheofficialpreschooleducationnetworkisestablished,andin1978thefirstkindergartensofthepublicnetworkarecreated.1986ischaracterizedbyaphaseofsocialandpolitical“normalization”,andthere’sstrongofficialinvestmentinpreschooleducationwiththecreationofanInterministerialCommissionforChildren’sEducationandProtection,whichhadthefunctionofguaranteeingthenationalnetworkofchildren’seducationandprotectionservices(ibidem).

Thepresenceofparentsintheeducationalinstitutions,inaformalmanner,startstobeallowedwith theputting inplaceof the“democraticmanagement”(Decree769/A/76.)Law7/77ofFebruary1representsanimportantmarkinthePortugueseeducationsystem,inasmuchasitis the first lawon“ParentsAssociation”but this lawonlyapplies tomiddleschoolandhighschool,andittakesalmost10yearsforittobeextendedtoprimaryandpreschoolteaching(Decree315/84ofSeptember28).


Afterthelegalizationoftheparentsassociationsit’screatedtheSNAP(NationalSecretariatofParents Associations) and later on is converted to the CONFAP (National Confederation ofParents Associations). Parents are now legal partners with full rights in school life,collaboratingandbeingco-responsibleintheestablishmentofarealandconcretepartnershipbetweentheschool,thefamilyandthesurroundingcommunity.

ThereformulationoftheAssociationsoftheParents/GuardiansAssociations(APEE)happenedwith the publication of Decree no 372/90 enshrining the rights and duties of parents andguardiansasmembersoftheadministrationandmanagementbodiesofthepreschool,basicand secondary public education establishments and respective structures of educationalorientation.

HowevertheAPEErefersomedifficultiesintheprosecutionoftheirobjectivesduetothefactthat:

• Thereisnoparticipation/collaborationofparents/guardians• Shortageofinformationregardingtheorganizationandfunctioningoftheschool• Lackofparentswhoarespecialistsinschoolthemes• ParentshavingtheideaofalackofrepresentativityintheParentsAssociation.

Themodelofdemocraticmanagementofschools,inforceinPortugal,appealstothecreationofpartnershipssothatthefamilyandtheschoolbothbeseenastwosocializinginstitutionsthat must be conceptualized in an ecological perspective. The parents and guardiansassociationsareanexampleofpersonalandorganizationalpartnership.

The publication of Decree n.o 125/82, of April 2, promulgated the creation of theNationalEducationCouncil(consultingbody)withtheparticipationofuniversities,teacherssyndicates,researchcentres,youthassociationsandparentsassociations.

WiththecomingintoforceoftheEducationSystemBasicLaw(Lawn.o46/86ofOctober14)thedemocraticpracticesandparticipativeprocessesinthedefinitionofeducationpoliciesatthe national level are guaranteed: “The administration and management of the educationsystemmustassurethe fullrespect for thedemocraticrulesthataimfortheprosecutionofpedagogicandeducationalobjectives,namelyinthedomainofsocialandcivictraining”(Lawn.o46/86)andestablishesthat“Theeducationsystemmustbeequippedwithstructuresatthenational,autonomousregional,regionalandlocallevelsthatassuretheirinterconnectednesswith the community through adequate participation levels of teachers, students, families,councils,entitiesrepresentativeofsocial,economicandculturalactivitiesandalsoinstitutionsof a scientific nature” (Lawn.o 46/86, Article 43). This law comes to recognise the role ofpreschooleducation in theeducationsystemandclarifies thatPreschoolEducation is, in its


formativeaspect,“complementarand/orsuppletivetothefamilyeducationactivity,withwhichit establishes a close collaboration” with a view to the promotion of the educational andpersonal success of children as citizens with full rights. The Education System Basic Lawunderlinesthattheintervenientsoftheeducationalprocessareprioritarilythestudents,theteachersandthefamilies(line1ofArticle3).

In the legislative framework, the Framework Law of Preschool Education, Law n.o 5/97,determines that “Preschool education is the first stage of basic education in the process oflifelong education, being complementary to the family educational action,withwhichmustestablishacloserelation, favouringher full insertion insocietyasanautonomous, freeandsolidarybeing.“Onitsturn,weassistatthistime,inPortugal,toanevolutionintheterminologyof“childhoodeducation”(orestablishmentsofchildhoodeducation)thatcan,inthecaseofthePrivate Institutions of Social Solidarity (IPSS), be more encompassing, and simultaneouslyguaranteethecaringandeducationofchildrenfrom0to3andfrom3to6yearsofage.ThisLaw 5/97 reinforces the importance of the involvement of the families in the educationalprocesses,highlightingasoneofthepriorities“...promotetheparticipationofthefamiliesintheeducationalprocessandestablishrelationsofeffectivecollaborationwiththecommunity”.ThislawreinforcesthecommitmentoftheStateinthepromotionofthechild’seducation,incooperationwiththefamilies.

TheMinistryofEducation,throughitsPreschoolEducationNucleus,publishestheCurricularOrientations forPreschoolEducation (OCEPE,Actn.o5220/97of July10) thatas thenamepointsoutarenotaformalcurriculum,butorientationsforalltheestablishmentsfinancedbytheState,betheypublicorsocialsolidarity,orthatestablishtheprincipleofuniquepedagogictutelageonthepartoftheMinistryofEducation.

With the publication of Decree n.o 75/2008 of April 22, Chapter III (Administration andmanagementregime)inArticle10underlinesthat“itmustbesafeguardedtheparticipationofrepresentativesoftheacademicandnon-academicstaff,ofparentsandguardians,ofstudents,ofthecitycouncilandofthelocalcommunity”,andinpoint2ofthatarticleareidentifiedthefollowingbodiesforthedirection,administrationandmanagementoftheschoolsgroupsandnon-groupedschools:a)Thegeneralcouncil;b)Thedirector;c)Thepedagogiccouncil;d)Theadministrativecouncil.Specificallyinregardtothecompositionofthegeneralcouncil,strategicdirectionbody,therearerepresentativesoftheacademicandnon-academicstaff,ofparentsandguardians,(ofstudents,inthecaseofgrownupsandsecondaryeducation),ofcitycouncilsandofthelocalcommunity,namelyrepresentativesofeconomic,social,culturalandscientificinstitutions, organizations and activities. This decree that regulates the schools’ autonomy,administrationandmanagement frameworkaimstoensuretheparticipationof the families


andof the communities in the strategicdirectionof the teaching establishments and in theeducationprocess.

The Decree n.o 137/2012, of July 2, that republishes the Decree n.o75/2008, of April 22approvestheRegimeofAutonomy,AdministrationandManagementofPublicEstablishmentsofPreschoolEducationandofBasicandSecondaryEducation,underlinesthat thebodiesofadministration and management are maintained “... but there is a strengthening of thecompetencesofthegeneralcouncil,attentivetoitslegitimacy,asarepresentationbodyfortheteaching agents, the parents and guardians and the local community, namely institutions,organizationsofeconomic,social,culturalandscientificnature”.

AfterwardscomesLawn.o85/2009,ofAugust27,thatestablishestheregimeofcompulsoryeducationandconsecratestheuniversalityofpreschooleducationforchildrenfrom5yearsofage.

SubsequentlytotheprinciplesestablishedintheUnitedNationsConventionontheRightsofthe Child and in the context of the Action Plan for the Integration of the Persons withDisablementorIncapacity2006-2009,itwascreated,underDecreeno281/2009,publishedintheDiaryoftheRepubliconOctober6,theNationalSystemofEarlyInterventioninChildhood(SNIPI) in Portugal. The SNIPI operates through the coordinated action of the Ministry ofSolidarity, Employment and Social Security, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health,togetherwiththeinvolvementofthefamiliesandofthecommunity.TheoperationalizationoftheSNIPIpresupposestheassuranceofasystemofinteractionbetweenthefamiliesandtheinstitutionsand,atthefrontline,thoseofhealth,sothatallcasescanbedulyidentifiedandsignaledasrapidlyaspossible.Therefore,“shallbeactivatedthenecessarymechanismsforthedefinitionofanindividualplan(IndividualPlanofEarlyIntervention-PIIP)attentivetotheneedsofthefamilies,tobedraftedbyLocalInterventionTeams(ELI),multidisciplinary,thatrepresentalltheservicesthatarecalledupontointervene.”(Decreeno281/2009).Theearlyinterventionprofessionalsgroundtheiractioninseveraltheoreticalmodelsimportantforthecomprehensionofthefunctioningofthefamily,basedonasystemicapproachtothefamily,wehighlightBronfenbrenner(1979)andHobbsetal(1984)perspectives.Thesemodelsstresstheimportanceofknowingthechildinherfamilyandenvironmentalcontext,asasupportforthedevelopment of the work of the education professionals with the families. If parentalinvolvementisanessentialcomponentinthehealthydevelopmentofthechild,thatwillbeevenmoresointhesituationofthechildwithadevelopmentaldeficit.Intheperspectiveofinclusionwe highlight some of the presupposes that structure the action of the early interventionprofessionals:

• “Regardthefamilyastheunityfortherenderingofservices


• Recognizethestrengthsofthechildandofthefamily.• Provideananswerfortheprioritiesidentifiedbythefamily• Individualizetherenderingofservices• Giveananswertothepriorities,inconstantchange,ofthefamilies.• Supportthevaluesandthewayoflifeofeachfamily”(Mcwilliam,2003:11).

AccordingtoRegulationn.o293/2013ofSeptember26,theEarlyInterventioninChildhood(IPI)constitutesaprogramwithasetofmeasuresofintegratedsupportcenteredonthechildandonthefamily,includingactionsofpreventiveandrehabilitatingnature,inthecontextofeducation,healthandsocialaction.Thisprogramisaimedatchildrenbetween0and6yearsofage, with alterations in body functions or structures that limit their participation in theactivities adequate for their respective age and social context or with a severe risk ofdevelopmental deficit. It is recognized “the important impact that the experiences andopportunities offered to children in the early years of life have in the development of theindividualand,onitsturn,ofthepreponderantrolethatthefamilycharacteristics,thepatternsoffamily-childinteractionandtheresourcesandsupports(formalandinformal)ofthefamily,havedirectlyandindirectlyinthechild’sdevelopment,isthatwhichprovidesthegroundingforandcharacterizes thecurrentperspectiveof IPIasanapproachcenteredon the family”(Decreeno281/2009).

Theevaluationofthisprogramhasdemonstrateditspositiveeffects,notonlyontheshortandmediumterms,butalsoonthelongterm,namelyinthepreventionofunderperformanceandschoolabandonment,intheresourcetostructuresofspecialeducation.TheEarlyInterventionin Childhood Program (PIIP) constitutes an organizing instrument for the families and theprofessionals involved (social service workers, psychologists and therapeuts) through anadequate diagnosis, taking into account not only the problems, but also the developmentpotentialofthechild,togetherwiththealterationstointroduceintheenvironmentinorderforthatpotentialcanexpressitself.Assuch,theobjectivesofthisprogramare:assuringchildrenoftheprotectionoftheirrightsandthedevelopmentoftheircapacities;detectandsignaleverychildwithearly

interventionneeds;intervenewithchildrenandfamilies,accordingtotheneedsidentified,soastopreventorreducetherisksofdevelopmentaldeficit;supportthefamiliesintheiraccessto services and resources of the social security, health and education systems; involve thecommunitythroughthecreationofarticulatedmechanismsofsocialsupportandintegrate,asearlyaspossible, intheessentialdeterminantsregardingthefamily,thehealthservices,thecrèches, the kindergarten and the school. (Dec. Law no 281/2009).


3.OrganizationofchildhoodeducationinPortugalThe educational responses for children between 0 and 3 years of age aren’t a part of theeducationalsystem.Amongtheresponsesascomplementarysolutionsforchildcareoutsidethefamily spacewe have the crèches, constituted as private nonprofit establishments of socialsolidarity(PrivateInstitutionsofSocialSolidarity-IPSS)withcooperationagreementswiththeMinistryofSolidarity,EmploymentandSocialSecurity,orprivateforprofit,withalicensetooperateapprovedbythisMinistry.

In2011theNationalEducationCouncil(CNE)approvedbyunanimitytheRecommendationno3/2011 on Education from Zero to Three years, this General Recommendation conceiveseducationfrom0to3asarightofthechildrenandofthefamilies.It’stheMinistryofSolidarity,EmploymentandSocialSecuritythatoverseesandregulatesthistypeofestablishmentsandthatrecommendstheelaborationofpedagogicguidancelinesforworkincrèche.

The crèches can operate as independent establishments or can be integrated in othereducationalestablishments.

InPortugal, theeducationsystemisorganizedindifferent levels:preschooleducation,basiceducation,secondaryeducationandhighereducation.

The preschool education covers children from 3 years of age until the age of entrance incompulsoryeducation(BasicEducation),withitsattendancebeingoptionalandrecognizingthatthefamilyhastheprimaryroleinthechildren’seducation.

Compulsoryeducationstartsat6yearsofageandhasadurationof12years,encompassingBasicEducationandSecondaryEducation.

SchooleducationcontemplatesBasicEducation,thatcomprisesthreesequentialcycles,withthe1stCyclehaving4years,the2ndCycletwoyearsandthe3rdCyclethreeyears.SecondaryEducation encompasses a three-year cycle (10th, 11th and 12th years of education) and isorganized in a differentiated manner, according with different objectives, centered on theaccess to post-secondary studies or on preparation for active life. Higher Education coversuniversitiesandpolytechnichighereducationestablishments.


Fonte:Euridyce

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/index.php/Portugal_pt:Redirect

ThenetworkofPortugueseinstitutionsofpreschooleducationiscomposedbyestablishmentsofpublicandprivatenature.PreschooleducationestablishmentsoftheMinistryofEducationandScienceandoftheMinistryofSolidarity,EmploymentandSocialSecurityarepartofthepublic network. Part of the private network are the for-profit establishments, private andcooperativeeducation institutions, and thenonprofitprivate institutionsof social solidarity(IPSS).

It’sincumbentontheMinistryofEducationandSciencetopedagogicallyoverseeassuringtheeducationalqualityoftheestablishmentsofthenationalnetworkofpreschooleducation.

Atthisleveltheeducationalactivityisoftheresponsibilityoftheearlychildhoodteacher,whichorganizestheeducationalenvironmentanddevelopsactivitieswiththepurposeofpromotingthe development and the integral learning of the child in accordance with the CurricularOrientations for Preschool Education (OCEPE) which, not being a program, allow for acurriculummanagertodevelopitwiththechildren.

It’s worth adding that the children’s groups, in preschool education, are composed by amaximumof25and,inthecaseofhomogeneousgroupsof3-year-oldchildren,thenumberofchildrentrustedtoeachteachercannotbemorethan15(Ordern.o5048-B/2013,ofApril12).When the groupshave childrenwith special educational needs of a permanent nature, andwhoseindividualeducationalprogramthusdefinesit,cannotexceed20children,norcontainmorethan2childreninthoseconditions.

4.TeachertrainingandtheSpecificityoftheEarlyChildhoodTeacherProfileTeachertraininghighereducationinstitutionsinPortugalhaveintheareaofinitialandlifelong


trainingofearlychildhoodteachersrevealedpreoccupationsofcontemplatingintheirtrainingoffertheareaofParentalInvolvement,atthelicenciatura,masteranddoctorallevels.Withtheever-increasingappearanceofstructuredpracticesofparentalinvolvementinthecontextofpreschooleducation,wefindthisthematicasanobjectofstudyinthetrainingandresearchdevelopedinthehigherlevelinstitutions.

Weconsiderthatthetrainingofchildhoodeducationprofessionalsandtheirsensitizationtothisthematic,beforestartingtheirprofessionallife, isinfactcrucialfortheexerciseoftheiractivity.

ThetrainingofEarlyChildhoodTeachers,asagentsofhumandevelopment,inourperspective,cannotbe limited to themereacquisitionofknowledgeanddevelopmentofdexteritiesandcompetences.Weconsiderthatthistrainingmustalsohaveadirectinfluenceinthehumanandpersonaldevelopmentofthefutureearlychildhoodteacher,otherwiseitsuseandqualitycouldbe called into question (Neves, 2005). The professional singularity of the early childhoodteacherarises,accordingtoOliveira-Formosinho(2002),fromsomecharacteristicsofthesmallchild thatdistinguish it fromotheragegroups.Thesmallchildpresentscharacteristics thatcannotbesectorized,thechildisanintegratedwhole,global,thatisdevelopinginthedifferentdevelopmentlevels(affective,social,cognitive,psychomotor,...)throughtherelationsthatsheestablisheswiththedifferentcontextsoflife.Thisglobalityofthechildrequiresonthepartofthe teacher a great responsibility and intervention supported by a scientific training thatspreads out across several domains. On the other hand, the physical, emotional, socialvulnerabilityofthechildrequiresonthepartoftheteachersacarefulattentiontothesocio-emotionalaspects(Oliveira-Formosinho,2002).

Thespecificityoftheactivityofanearlychildhoodteacheristhereforefoundinacontinuous“caring”actionandsimultaneouslyinapedagogicactionwithaviewtotheglobaleducationofthechild.Silva(1991)considersthatthespecificityofchildhoodeducationisalsofoundinthefactthatitis“morecenteredontheonethatiseducated

- the pupil - than on the educational process or in the educator” (quoted in Oliveira-Formosinho,2000:160).Anotherspecificityofthisprofessionsrelatestotheextendednetworkof interactions (with children, parents, teaching assistants, other professionals, local andcommunitaryauthorities)forwhichtheteacherisresponsible(Neves,2005).

IntheDecreen.o241/2001,ofAugust30,Specificprofileoftheprofessionalperformanceofthe early childhood teacher constitutes a fundamental guidance framework, both for theorganizationofthecoursesthatbestowprofessionalaccreditationforteaching,andenunciatesthecompetencesexpectedofearlychildhoodteachers.Thesepresentthemselvesasreferential,


ideals,thatguidetheperformanceoftheteachersinanevolutivemanner,thatis,theymustreadjust,includenewcompetencesaccordingtotheneedsandsocialdemands.

In a succinctmanner, this document highlights that a teachermust reveal competences inseveraldomains:

-Organizationof space andmaking available diversified and stimulatingmaterials aspedagogicresources;

-Organizationoftimeinaflexibleanddiversifiedmanner;

-Mobilizationofeducationalresources;

-Creationofsafetyandwell-beingconditionsforthechildren;

-Observationofeachchild,thesmallgroupsandthebiggroup,withaviewtoaplanningtaking into account the development of the teaching and learning process, theknowledgeandthecompetencesthatchildrenhave;

-Planningactivitiesinseveralcurriculardomains;

-Evaluationoftheenvironment,andofthepracticeandprocessesofteachinglearning;

-Favour the affective security, the autonomy, the involvement in activities, thecooperationamongchildren;

-Involvementoffamiliesandcommunities;1

-Promotion of the emotional, personal and social development, the curiosity, thedispositiontolearn,theproblem-solvingcapacityinchildren;

-The teachermustalsodevelopan integratedcurriculumat the levelof thedifferentcurricularareas.(Cfr.Decreen.o241/2001)

5.Schoolsandfamilies─partnershipsforasuccessfullearningIt is incumbent upon the school to promote and incentivize positive attitudes towards thesuccessfullearningofthestudent,forthattheschoolmustintegratethecultureandthevaluesof the community towhich it belongs.Knowing that the school is a privilegedplacewherecultural diversity is present, it’s crucial the way in which teachers build “pedagogicdifferentiation mechanisms” (Stoer & Cortesão, 1999) that according with the principle ofequalityofopportunitiesforaccessandsuccess,makespossibletheconcretizationofa“policy1Boldisours.


ofdifference”,policywhichfavoursandisgroundedonamultidimensionalitywheredifferentvariables interact, such as social class, genre, ethnic background, among other (ibidem).Therefore,itisincumbentupontheteachertheroleofworkingwithherstudents(trainingformulticulturaleducation)

andforherstudents(trainingformulticulturaleducation)creatingpedagogicmechanismsthatareadequatetothecontextandthestudentswithwhichtheywork.

For theprosecutionof thiseducationalprocessconducive to thechild’ssuccess isofcapitalimportancetobuildprojectsandpartnershipsbetweentheschoolandthefamily.Forthatitisnecessarytheestablishmentofdifferenttypesofpartnerships,inawiderperspective,whereinitiativesdevelopedbythedifferentservicesandinstitutionsinthecontextofmunicipalities,health,educationandsocialsecuritymustbearticulated.

The logic of the uniformization of responses, result from centralizing policies, was mostlysubstitutedbythevaluingofeachcontext,understandingitasauniquereality,withneedsandcharacteristics that demand differentiated answers and solutions. This preoccupationunderlies the current autonomy and management model for educational establishments(Decree 115-A/98) that came to contemplate the constitution of socio-educationalpartnershipsamongalltheintervenientsoftheeducationalprocess,however,inpractice,notalwaystheseprinciplesarefulfilled.

6.Advantagesofparents’participationinschoolIt’sincumbentonteacherstoraiseawarenessabouttheadvantagesofparentalinvolvement,to reflect on the more adequate involvement strategies to implement in the respectiveeducationalinstitutions,accordingtotheinterventioncontext.Infact,theeducationalsuccessmustnecessarilycontemplatethetrainingofteachersandparents“...inthesensethattheybemadeawareoftheadvantageofpermanentmutualhelp,ofthepossiblewaysthatthathelpcanassume,andalsoofthedevelopmentofamutualresponsibilization”(Villas-Boas,1994:15)

Knowing that the parental involvement activities can be of several levels of collaborationaccordingtoDonDavies(quotedbySarmento,1995),theidealparticipationisatthelevelofdecision-making,soastobeabletoguaranteethechangeattheleveloftherelationpractices,wherethehierarchicanddependencerelationsbetweenparents/guardiansandteachersgiveway to collaboration relations of an horizontal disposition (Dias de Carvalho, Samagaio,Trevisan,Neves,&Brás,2012).Wefindthattherelationbetweentheschool,thefamiliesandthecommunitychangesaccordingtothecharacteristicsofthecontextswheretheyinteractandthat there is no uniformity of solutions in the face of the heterogeneity of situations and


realities.Perrenoud(2002)pointstotheneedofanequitativeandnegotiateddivisionoftheeducationalworkbetweentheparentsandtheschool,consideringthatthisrepresents,amongothers,oneoftheconditionstomaketheeducationalsystemmoreeffective.Weknowthateachfamilyhasitscharacteristicsandspecificities,possessesitsowndynamicthatitisnecessarytoknow,respectandunderstand.Eachfamilyisconstitutedbyindividualanduniqueforcesandinteractions,thatrevealthemselvestobeofgreatimportancefortheteachersthatinteractwiththechildandthefamily.

The more consistent and more benefic parental involvement practices continue to be thecommunicationpractices,andthosealmostalwayspassthroughtheteacher(RamiroMarques,2001).Inthissense,themorethefamilyknowsandtruststheeducationprofessional,theeasierthecommunication,sharingofinformationsandcollaborationwillbe.

Thebuildingofpartnershipstakestimeandishardlyestablishedwithoutmediationspecialists.Theemphasismustbeputonabasisoftrust,collaborationandreciprocity.Valuingtheirknow-howasparentsandnotfocusingtheattentionontheirshortcomings,thattheymighteventuallymanifest,leadsus,accordingtoVillas-Boas(2008),tospeakofthenecessityofsubstitutingtheparadigm-Renderingofservices(involvingarelationwithclients-ifwerenderserviceswehaveclientsthat“ispotentiallyconflict-prone”)fortheparadigm-Partnershipforlearning,asuccessfullearning.

This new paradigm implicates a new way of looking to the school-family relation, and toparents/guardians and teachers. Both are seen as responsible for the development of thechildrenandashavingtheroletocontributetoeducatecitizensintegratedinsociety.Accordingwiththisparadigmofpartnershipforlearning,forasuccessfullearning,itisnecessaryatrueinvolvement of the several educational protagonists (Dias de Carvalho et al., 2012). Thisparadigmchancenecessarilyimplicatesanindividualdimensionandacollectivedimension.Itsimultaneously involves the early childhood teachers, the educational institution and thecontextinwhichitinsertsitself,it’saboutalearningprocessthatinvolvesalltheactorsinanactiveway.Theteachersneedtoknowhowtolearnwiththeparentssothattheycanhaveapositiveinfluenceoverthemonthebasisoftheirowncompetences(Canário,2008).Familyandcommunityarethereforeseen,notassomethingforeigntotheschool,butassomethingthatisinsidetheschool,throughthestudents.“Thusthemostdirectwayofinterveningonthechangeof the relation between the school and the community is in theway inwhich students aretreated”(ibidem).

Theconstructionofpartnershipsdemandsapermanentreflectionandanalysisandmonitoringoftheinterventioncontextsbythesocialactorsthatintegratethem(earlychildhoodteachers,parents/guardians,elementsofthecommunitywherenaturallychildrenmusthavean“active


voice”),allowingforanevaluationandreformulationofinterventionstrategieswithaviewtothe global and harmonious development of the child through a close relation between theschoolandthefamily.Theparents/guardiansmustbeseenasco-builders,togetherwiththeteachers, inthechildren’seducation,developingtheirparentalcompetencesthatallowforabetterandmoreadequateperformanceoftheeducationalfunctions(DiasdeCarvalhoetal.,2012).Tothatend,it’sfundamentalforteacherstoknowtheresourcesofthecommunityinwhichtheyareinserted,usethemtoenrichthecurriculumandtheexperiencesoftheirchildrenandhelpthefamiliestoknowthemandusethem.

Theschoolmustbeperceivedasaplacewhereparentstakethemselvestobepartnersoftheteachers inwhich “the hierarchic and dependence relations are substituted by relations ofcollaborationinahorizontaldisposition.”(RamiroMarques,1987).Thetaskofeducatingmustthereforebesharedbytheschoolandthefamily,mutuallyresponsibleandsolidary,implicatingthemselvesinaprocessofpermanentcollaboration,broughtaboutthroughthecarryingoutofseveralactivities,executedbothathomeatintheschool.

7.Hindrances/obstaclestoparentalinvolvementTherearehoweverseveralfactorsthatpreventparentalinvolvement:asageneralrule,they’reparentswhoare tooanxiousor tooambitious, thathavecreatedtoo irrealisticexpectationsaboutthefutureoftheirchildren;theyareparentswithareluctanceinacceptingthelimitationsoftheirchildren;theyareparentsthataspirefortheirchildrensomethingthatisbeyondtheirpotentialities;theyareparentstoobusyprofessionally,withouttimetobewiththeirchildren,whichleadsthemtoturntheteachersinto“scapegoats”oftheirowninsufficienciesasparents;theyareparents that carryahistoryofbadmemoriesand resentmentsabout their time inschool(RamiroMarques,2001).

LuísaHomem(2002)alsohighlightsseveralfactorsthatcaninterfereinthisinvolvement:

• Questionsofpower-relatedwiththefactthattheteachersareafraidthatparentswill

challengetheirpower;

• Questionsconnectedwithpoliticalandculturalvalues-related,forinstance,withthe

factthatsomeparents(mainlytheonesfromunderprivilegedsocialclasses)areafraid

tocontactwithauthorities(teachers),consideredbythemashavingpower;• Professionalquestions─relatedwiththefactthatteachersareafraidthatparentswill

interfereintheirprofessionalknowledge;• Questionsrelatedwithpastexperiences─negativepastexperiencesofparticipationby

theparentsortheschoolcaninfluencepresentattempts;• Questions connectedwith the bureaucratization of the structures─ it’s relatedwith


schoolmassificationandthesolidifyingoftraditionalbehavioursinanattempttokeepthetraditionalschooling.

• Questionsrelatedwiththeabsenceofformalorformalizedparticipationstructures─itentailstheexistenceofformalstructureswhichprovideanincentivetoparticipation(meetings,debates,etc.).Structuresthatdeveloptheindividualparentalinvolvementareimportant.However,it’simportanttotakeintoaccountthedifferencebetweentheindividual parental involvement and the collective parental involvement. The firstattemptstoinvolveallparents,whilethesecondonlyinvolvessomeasrepresentatives.Ifthefirstleadstothebuildingofpartnerships,thesecondcanleadtosituationsofanauthenticstruggleforpowerandheightensocialinequalities.

8.ParentalinvolvementstrategiesWefindthroughthepublicationofstudiesthatthepracticesofpartnershipwiththefamiliesinpreschool education have been increasing and becoming ever more consistent. There arevarious strategies that the teachers canmake use of to promote parental involvement. It’sconsidered to be fundamental to involve froman early stage theparents/ guardians in theprocess of developing and educating their children, having as basis the creation of stableaffectivelinks,fundamentalintheconstructionofthefoundationsforfuturesuccessinschoolandthroughoutlife.Inthissense,strategiesasthefollowingcanbeputintopractice:

• Establishingapositiveapproachtodrawnearfamilies,usingalanguageaccessibletoparentslookingforinformationabouttheneeds,competencesandpotentialitiesofthechildren.

• Resourcetotheuseofthephone/internetasonemorecommunicationalstrategy.

• Provide formative meetings on thematics, addressed by invited specialists that willanswertheneedsofparents/guardians.

• Creation of “Parents Club” as networks formutual support in the education of theirchildren, functioning as spaces for reflection and sharing of problems, doubts,disquietnesses.

• Implementationofpedagogicmechanisms(individual/group),inaccordancewiththeludic experiences and/or learning situations that arehappening in thekindergarten,withthechildren’sgroupandthatmakethebridgeSchool-Family.

• Creationofinformalgatheringmoments,withparents/guardiansinthekindergarten.

• Carryingoutofjointactivities,betweenthefamiliesandthekindergarteninsignificantplacesinthecommunity.


• Promotionofsocialeventsorganizedbytheinstitutionofpreschooleducation.

• Participation in their children’s portfolios of learning/evaluation, contributing withrecords(photosofsituations,worksandcommentaries)onsignificantmomentsinthedevelopment and learning of their children, also allowing for an interactivecommunication throughmomentsofdialoguewith theparentssustained inconcreteevidences/documentationaboutthechild.

9.Mediationinthepromotionoftheschool-familyrelationParentalinvolvementrepresentsoneofthedimensionsoftheeducationalsystemthatimpliesthe negotiation and sharing of power, facts that, on their own, demand a rapprochementbetweenteachersandparents/guardians,entailingcompromisesandsharingofknowledge.Onecouldsaythatitisnecessarytoimplementaconstructivistpedagogybetweenthefamilyandtheschool.Theearlychildhoodteacherscannotbythemselvesovercometheobstaclestoparentalinvolvement,butcancontributethroughchangesofattitude,believinginthebenefits,creating spaces to receive parents and asking for the collaboration of other educationprofessionals(psychologist,socialworker...)(RamiroMarques,2001).It’salsoworthnoting,inthe construction of the school-family partnership, the importance of mediators, fromsociologists,anthropologists,animators,socialeducators,culturalmediatorsandothersocialagentsthatcanevencomefromthelocalcommunityitself(betheyparentsornot,eveniftheydon’thaveanyacademicdiplomas,butwhich,forseveralreasons,possessanadequateprofileforthedesiredfunctions)fortheinterventioninagiveneducationalcontext(DiasdeCarvalhoetal.,2012).

We are aware that the building of partnerships takes time, and that it’s hardly establishedwithoutmediationspecialists.Tobesuccessful,therelationmustbebuildonthebasisoftrust,collaborationandreciprocitybetweenalltheintervenients.Aswesee,thehistoryoftheschool-familyinteractionhasyetaveryrecentpath,and,inpresent-daysociety,theco-existenceofmultipletypesoffamilies,withverydiversifieddynamics,cannotbeignored,whichleadsustoquestionifthisrealityispresentinthereferentialsandparadigmsonwhichthestudiesandresearchesproducedarebased,aswellasiftheemphasishasbeeninpromotingeducationalcontinuity between the families and the school over the valuing of the differences andspecificitiesthatcharacterizethem.Besidesthesevariables,onecannotforgettheexplicitationofthesocialandparticipativeroleofthechildreninallthisprocess.

AgreeingwithSarmentoandMarques, itbecomesnecessary “theassumptionof childrenaseffectivesubjectswithrightsandassocialactorswhich,despiteheavilyconditionedintheiractionbytheadult-centeredfunctioningoftheworld(...)reinventmethodologicalprocedures


throughwhichitmaybepossibletogivevoicetothechildrensothattheycannotonlytestifytheirvisionoftherelationbetweentheschoolandthefamilies,themeaningsthattheyattributetoitandthestrategiesthattheyuseintheirexperienceoftwodifferenteducationalcontexts,butalsocreateconditionsforthemtoassumeapropositionaldiscoursethatwillmorphintoaprocessofemancipatorydevelopment.”(SarmentoandMarques,2006:83).

10.Scientificworks,projectsandinterventionpracticesWiththe“legality”ofthefamilyinvolvementinthepreschooleducationcontextsestablished,it’sinterestingtounderstandhowthescientificworksandinterventionprojectsinthiscontextinPortugalhavebeencharacterized.

One can see that this theme is considered for research in master and doctoral degrees indifferenthighereducationinstitutions,namelyintheUniversityofCoimbra,intheUniversityofMinho, in theOpenUniversity, in the InfanteD.HenriquePortucalenseUniversity, in thePaula Frassinetti School of Higher Education, etc. However, the master’s dissertations anddoctoraltheses,carriedoutinthePortuguesecontext,thatfocustheimportanceandthetypeoffamilyinvolvement,specificallyinchildhoodeducation,aresomewhatscarce.

Somepostgraduateanddoctoral researchescarriedout inPortugalaremainlygrounded inpsychologicalapproaches(Pimenta,2012),othersfocusontheparticipationrepresentations(Mesquita,2001;Carvalho,2008;Pereira,2009;Silva,2011),butalsosome“new”participationpractices(Brito,2013).

MauroPimenta(2012)hasdevelopedadoctoralthesisthatfocusonthepossibilityofdifferentpatternsofparental involvement inwhichheanalysesthepossibleassociationsofagreaterinvolvementoftheparentsandthepsychosocialadaptationofthechildrentotheschoolcontextandaimstounderstandthestressfactorsand/orbenefitsfeltbytheparentsinthemanagementoftheworkandfamilyandtheirrelationwiththeparentalinvolvement,havingparticipated,indifferentstagesofthestudy,between208and532bi-parentalfamilieswithchildrenenrolledinkindergarten.Hehasconcludedthattheparentalinvolvementtendstocorrelateinapositivewaywiththechildren’spsychosocialadaptationtotheschoolcontext,namelywiththechild’ssocialcompetence,andwithhighercognitivecompetenceindices.

IntheresearchcarriedoutbyMargaridaMesquita(2001),therepresentations,expectationsand practices (of 200 mothers and 158 fathers) relative to parenthood were analysed,characterizingitintwomaindimensions-parentalinvolvementandco-parentality-takinginto consideration two challenges like the conciliationofprofessional lifewith theparentalfunctionandfindingsocio-educationalandcaringsolutionsforthechildrenintheperiodsof


timeduringwhichtheprogenitorsdedicatethemselvestowork.Thisstudyallowedtheauthortoconcludethatparentalityincontemporarynuclearfamiliesbesidescomplexisdiverse,sinceitassociatesdifferent typesand levelsofproblemsand isalsodiversified,existingdifferentprofilesofprogenitors.

Sandra Carvalho (2008) has developed a case studywanting to know the parents’ opinionregarding their participation in their children’s kindergarten, identify the advantages of aneffectiveparticipationandproposealternativesofparentalinvolvement,concludingthatthetwofirstparticipationtypologiesofJoyceEpstein(1984)(basicdutiesinkindergartenandofthefamily)arethemostfrequent.Shehasverifiedthatparentsbelievethattheirparticipationisvaluedbytheirchildrenandthatitimprovescommunication,whichgoesontoimpactthedevelopment and learning of the children and concludes that there is a strong level ofsignificance between the parents’ participation and the level of satisfaction with thekindergarten,theageoftheparents,thevarioustypesofparticipation,thevaluingthattheirchildrenmake,theimprovementincommunicationandinitiative.

Relatively to thework carriedoutbyMaria IsabelGomesPereira (2009), a case studywasdeveloped,withtheobjectiveofunderstanding,basedontheparticipationtypologydefinedbyJoyceEpstein(1987),whatisthefrequencyofparentalparticipationinkindergarten.Shehasverifiedthat,likeCarvalho(2008),thetypesofparticipationthatoccurmostfrequentlyaretheones referring to duties, either family duties or kindergarten duties. She highlights thatlegislativelytheworkoffamilyinvolvementis

assured,but that it is for the institutions toarticulate facilitating factors (schedules that29allow families to participate; allow for the delivery of children in the classroom; carry outactivitiesthatdirectlyinvolvetheparents;offeratypeofparticipationthatisadequatetothecapacitiesandmotivationsofthefamilies,etc.)sothatparentalparticipationbecomesmorewidespreadandeffectiveandmobilizetheelementsoftheeducationalcommunitytoopenuptotheexteriorandpromotepartnershipandcollaboration.

SusanaIsabelRegodeBrito(2013)hasoptedforaqualitativemethodologyinthecontextoftheresearch-action,withaviewtodescribingthewholeprocessofreflectionsandchangeofpracticesattheleveloftheinteractionsestablishedbetweentheparentsandthecrèche.Shehas found that through parental involvement in educational context children have enjoyedcountless educational opportunities from the basis of exploration and experimentation,therefore fulfilling their right to participation in the building of their own learning anddevelopment,andparentshaverevealedthemselvestobeactiveparticipantsandsolidarywiththenewpromotededucationalexperience.


JoséAlexandredaRochaVenturaSilva,inthecontextofhismaster’sdissertation,hascarriedout two purposefully differentiated studies: study 1 had as its objective to understand therepresentationsthatteachers,intheprivatenetwork,haveoftheeducationalroleofthefamilyandcharacterizetheirpracticesofparentalinvolvementusinginstrumentsastheReal/IdealScaleofParents/KindergartenCooperation -ERI (Gaspar,1996), integrally filledoutby theteachersofthetwoprivatenetworkinstitutionsthatcomposedthesampleofthestudy;study2 had the pretension of evaluating, at the initial training level, through an inquiry, thecompetencesofthechildhoodeducationstudents(73students)relativetotheproblematicofparentalinvolvement.Theresultshaveconfirmedtheexistenceofapositiverelationbetweenitsvaluingandfamilyparticipation,whichisreflectedinthecontextoftheteachers’educationalpracticesandinthecompetenceslevelofthechildren.

Therewerealsovariedtheinternshipreportsfound,inthecontextofprofessionalizingmastersin the teacher training area, that incide on the parental involvement problematic. Theinternship reports reviewed mainly use a study case and research-action investigativeapproach,centeredonspecificchildhoodeducationcontexts.Severalfocusonobjectivessuchasunderstandingandknowingtherelationsthatareestablishedbetweenthefamilyandthechildhoodeducationcontextandthe influencethat theirparents’ involvementexertsonthechildren.

Sarmento(2005)refersthatoneaspectthathasnotbeenaddressedinPortugueseresearchisthe participation of the children in the schools-families interactions. This researcher hasanalysedsomeresearchescarriedout,between2000-2003,byprofessionalsthatworkwithchildrenandtheirfamilies,highlightingthefollowingconclusions:

• Overthepastfewyearsthenumberofparentsassociationshasincreased;• Whenwetalkaboutthedynamismofaparentsassociation,weareessentiallyreferring

totheworkcarriedoutbythesmallgroupthatcomposesitssocialbodies;• Inmost cases, the parents that compose the associative directions are the ones that

sharethesamelanguageastheteachers;• Evenwhenthey’renotgrouped inassociations,parentsmobilizewhentheyconsider

thattheirchildrenarefacingacommonissue;• Parents’expectationsdifferaccordingtothechildren’sage;31• Parentsofsmallerchildren(thoseincrèche)areessentiallyworriedaboutbasiccaring

(feedingandhealth);• Parents’ expectationsare reconstructed from the interaction that theyestablishwith

educationprofessionals(Sarmento,2005).Academic research hasmainly presented a theoretical foundation in different internationalauthors (Joyce Epstein, 1984, 1987, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006; Montandon and


Perrenoud,2001;Perrenoud,1987)andinnationalresearchers(Canárioetal.,1997;CorreiaandSerrano,2000;D’EspineyandCanário,1994;DonDavies,1989,1993,1994,1997;Diogo,1998,2002,2006;Estaço,2001;Homem,2000,2002;Gaspar,1996,2000,2002,2003,2004;Lima,1992,LimaandSá,2002;Stoer,1986;StoerandSilva,2005;Marques,1988,1993,1994,1996,1998,2001,2009;Palos(2002);SilvaPedro,2001,2002,2003;Silva(1994,1996,1999,2003); Villas-Boas, 2001, 2009; Sarmento, 2005, 2006; Sarmento and Marques, 2002) ofreferenceintheareaofparentalinvolvement.

Weunderstand,throughthebibliographicreviewofscientificworks,thattherehasbeen,atthenationallevel,overthepastfewyears,aninvestmentinthestudyoftherelationschool-family,namelytherelationbetweenthechildhoodeducationinstitutionsandthefamilyandthattheresultspointtoapositiveeffectof the family involvement inthedevelopment, learningandpsychosocialadaptationofchildrenineducationalcontext.

Inadditiontotheacademicresearchinthecontextofparentalinvolvement,atthenationalleveltherehasbeenthecarryingoutofinterventionprojects:

✓ProjectAPar-LearninginPartnershipAssociation(APAR)─since2006

TheLearninginPartnershipAssociation(APAR)isanon-profitassociation,whosestatusasanIPSS (Private Institution of Social Solidarity) and recognition as collective person of publicutilityhasenteredintoforceinMay2007.Thisassociationhasasitsends:createdevelopmentandlearningopportunitiesforchildrenaged0to6,alwaysthroughaworkofclosepartnershipwith parents and carers; support parents and carers in their role as the first and foremosteducators recognising that they are the ones that can facilitate a beginning of life and ofschooling with greater success for their children; contribute for the health, well-being,creativityandintegraldevelopmentofthecommunities.

Theassociationoffersaprogram,created in2006,─APar─Learning inPartnership─co-financed and technically supported by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), a private agencydirected towards the support of disadvantaged communities. It has the pretension ofcontributingforaneducationalbettermentofthecommunityinvolving,fromaveryearlystage,parentsandcarersintheeducationoftheirbabiesandchildrenuptofiveyearsold.Concernedwith the statistical data of school underperformance and abandonment, violence, teenagepregnancy,existinginPortuguesesocialhousingprojects,thefounderoftheassociation,MariaEmíliaNabuco,afterbecomingawareofthepositiveresultsthatthePEEPProject(PeersEarlyEducationPartnership)hadwithresidentsinpriorityinterventionareasinthecityofOxford,in England, wanted to adapt this project to Portuguese culture.(http://www.portaldacrianca.com.pt/artigosa.php?id=65)


✓ProjectSchool-Parents(IECandEducationalCommunitiesInstitute)

The SchoolParentsproject, created in1995, comesout of a partnershipbetween theChildStudies Institute of the University of Minho and the Educational Communities Institute.InscribedintheMETAFORMAResearchCentre,itiscarriedoutwithagroupofprofessionalsthat integrates teachers of the 1st Cycle of Basic Teaching and early childhood teachers(Sarmento&Marques,2006).

This project has the goal of promoting and investigating collaboration practices betweeneducationalcentres(schools,kindergartensandothers)andthefamiliesfulfillingthefollowingobjectives:

• Collaborateinanadequateandreflexivewaywiththeenlargededucationalcommunity;• Takeadvantageofthepartnershiprelationwiththefamily;• Promotethecontinuityoftheschoolwiththecommunitiessothatsignificantlearnings

areachieved;• Createabodyofnormsandownandspecificvaluesfortheprofession;• Establish networks of collaboration between professionals and school projects.

Theprojecthasgraduallyintegratedthereference“families”(besides“parents”)sincetheteaminvolvedcametorealisethatintheenvironmentsinwhichtheprojectiscarriedouttherearestill networks of family support,mostly based on the grandparents, and because themoreencompassingconceptionoffamilyallowsforthewideningoftheprojecttootherelementsofthelocalcommunitieswithwhompartnershipscometobeestablished.

✓ParentsXXIProject

TheParentsXXIProjectisanetworkproject,carriedoutinthemunicipalityofSantaMariadaFeira,thatpresentsamodelofworkwiththeparentsattheinterventionlevel,thataimedtobeaspaceofsharingandparentaleducation, throughthe“ParentsClub”and,atamoregloballevel, through the local radio program “Parents XXI Space”. The Parents Club was initiallyformedundertheguidanceofapsychologist,withfourgroups(of15to18persons),with80hoursoftrainingbeingscheduled,but,afterwards,oneofthegroupsendedupgivingcontinuityto the project, meeting systematically.http://www.educare.pt/noticias/noticia/ver/?id=13123&langid=1

The Paula Frassinetti School of Higher Education, a higher education institution directlyconnected with the EQuaP project, has developed several research/ intervention projectsrelated with the school-family relation; of those we highlight the following:


✓School-family:waysofbuildingrelations.TheCaseoftheJunqueiraGrouping,ViladoConde

TheSchool-familyresearchproject:waysofbuildingrelations,thatwascarriedoutbetween2010and2012,wasdevelopedbetweenthe teamof theSocialDevelopmentLocalContract(CLDS) of Vila do Conde (Porto - Portugal) and the Paula Frassinetti Research Centre(CIPAF)/Department of Training in Social Education in the context ofschool/families/communityrelations.ThisprojectwascarriedoutinaResearch-Action(IA)logic and took the Schools Grouping as a case to study in depth and in an intensive andinterpretativeperspective,tryingtofindeffectiveanswerstoconcreteproblems:thebuildingofatrainingprogramfortheGroupingrespondingtotheneedsofthegroupofteachersandtothe acquisition of work competences with families and community; the design of familyactivitieswithfamiliesintheschool,startingfromtherevitalizationoftheParentsAssociationanditsdirectinvolvementinthepromotionofstudents’success;thetrainingofmembersofinstitutionsthatworkdirectlywithfamilies.

TheprotagonistsofthisSocialInterventionProjectare,ononehand,thefamiliesabsentfromschool, that seemed tobe themoreproblematic cases,with theobjectiveof findinga setofinterventionanswersthatwouldpromotetheirpluralsuccessworkingthecompetencesoftheaggregateindifferentlevels/areasand,ontheotherhand,theteachersofthegrouping,withwhomtherewasadeepeningofthecapacityofadynamicwithactionsthatwouldqualifytheSchool-Familyrelation.

✓TheFamily’sPortofSupport(Porto)

TheFamily’sPortofSupport(PAF),thatbeganin2013,isanintervention/researchprojectofthePaulaFrassinettiSchoolofHigherEducation,consistinginthemonitoringandoverseeingoftheDynamizationandFamilySupportActivities(AAAF)inallthekindergartensofthepublicnetworkofthePortomunicipality,inpartnershipwiththeMunicipalDivisionofEducationofPortoCityCouncil.TheDynamizationandFamilySupportActivitiesaimtoensurethechildren’soversight beyond the daily period of educational activities and during the periods ofinterruptionof these activities looking to contribute for the integral developmentof all thechildrenbetween3and6yearsofage,thatareenrolledinpreschooleducationestablishments.

Thisprojecthasasitsmainobjectives:

• InvolvethefamiliesinthequalityoftheAAAF;


• OffertechnicalsupportandadequatetrainingtotheneedsoftheAAAFteam;

• ImplicatethewholeeducationteaminthedynamizationoftheAAAF;

• Implicar toda a equipa educativa na dinamização da AAAF;It’s grounded on theacknowledgementthatitisurgenttovaluetheimportanceofthefamilyandofnon-schooltimeinthelifeanddevelopmentofthechild.

FinalReflectionsAfterhavingpresentedageneralpanoramicofEarlyChildhoodEducationandCareinPortugal,wemightsay,inaconclusivewayandmakingsomefinalcomments,thatparentalinvolvementrequires a fundamental reinforcement. Understood either on the part of the educationalprofessionals as on the part of the very families that need to feel their role and theirinvolvementwiththeschoolassomethingdecisiveintheeducationoftheirchildren.Therefore,howevermuchlegalityhasbeenintroducedinPortugal,theECECcontinuestolackaneffectiveparticipation/involvement from the families. The legislation, in most cases, refers only tothematicsrelatedwith“parentsandguardiansassociations”andabout“schoolmanagement”;there lacks a overarching work tending to the building of effective parental involvementstrategies.Lawsarenecessarybutarenotsufficientforparentalparticipation/involvementtobeeffective!

Therecontinues tobea certaingeneralizedcorporatismat theprofessional levelaswellasbuildingofbarriersaroundthedeepinvolvementoffamiliesinPortugueseschools.Despitethefact,whichisundeniable,thatwe’veassistedtoanincreaseinthelevelsofparticipationofthefamilies in the past three decades. The Curricular Orientations for Preschool Education(OCEPE),Actn.o5220/97ofJuly10isthebasicdocumentwhereareclearlyestablishedthemargins throughwhereEarlyChildhoodEducationandCare inPortugalmust “flow”whichdoesn’tinvalidatetheexistenceofthedifferentcurricularmodelsexistentinthePortuguesepedagogic tradition. Inside these margins, the parental involvement is established; yet, itssituationisofapurelegalityandanchoredinlocalandparticularstrategiesatthelevelofeacheducationestablishment,thusnotexistingalineofpracticalintervention(s)establishedatthenationallevelandthatsetsclearpathssuggestingconcrete/practicalindications...

There is actually, aswe’ve acknowledged (see, furtherdown,our chapterdedicated tobestpracticesinPortugal),awidesetofbestpracticesattheeducationlevelthat,apparently,obtaingoodresultsinregardtoparentalinvolvementinschools.ManyoftheseinterventionscarriedoutinaparticularandintermittentwaybytheeducationprofessionalsaregroundedinstudiesandinscientificresearchthathasbeenconductedinPortugal.There’syettheneedtobuildordraftasetofpracticalideasofwhichtheprofessionalscanmakeuseand,inacertainway,safely


implementandsupportingthemselvesonanetworkofpartnerinstitutionsattheinternationallevelwiththesamepracticesalreadyvalidated,discussedandadapted.

Whatisnowdemandedis,precisely,asystematic(scientific)workofbuilding/developingandevaluating best practices based in quality criteria/indicators that can be disseminated andappliedinvariousEuropeancontexts-thiswillbetheToolboxtobebuildbytheEQuaPProject.Thesebestpractices,thisToolboxselectedbytheEQuaPProjectalreadyincorporatesthelegalmeasuresaswellasall its ideological/politicalgrounding:wecanperceivetheToolboxasadistillationofawholetheoretical-practicalevolutionoftheEuropeanpoliciesconcerningECECoverthepastfewdecades.SincethisToolboxisoneofthefundamentalaspectsoftheEQuaPProject,wemustunderstandthatthewholeprojectaimstoanchortheextensionofitsscientificactivitiesinjobshadowingactivities(observationinprofessionalcontexts)thatwillpotentiate,adaptandvalidatetheaforementionedToolbox.


Slovenia

1.Theoryandscholarlywork

I.ParticipationoffamiliesintheeducationalprocessintheRepublicofSlovenia

PreschoolCurriculum(Bahovecetal.,1999),nationaldocumentinthefieldofearlychildhoodeducation,outlinesseveralobjectivesofpreschooleducation.Oneofthemisimprovementofinformation and co-operation with parents. Preschool Curriculum (ibid.) identifies alsoprinciplesforrealizationoftheobjectives;oneofthemisprincipleofcooperationwithparents,referringtovariousaspectsofcooperationwithparents:providingparentswithwrittenandoralinformationabouttheprogramsinpreschool,therightofparentstoexchangeinformationabouttheirchild,therightofparentstoin-depthmeetingswitheducatorsandcounselors,therightofparentstogradualintroductionofachildinavarietyofpreschoolprograms,andtheright of parents to participate in planning of life and work of a preschool (ibid.; LepicnikVodopivec, 2010). Indoing so, educatorsmust obey the lawofprotectionof personaldeta,parents'righttoprivacy,andprovideparentswithcontinuousandsystematical informationabouttheirrightsandresponsibilities(Bahovecetal.,1999).

Cooperationamongparentsandpreschoolsisanimportantaspectofqualityearlychildhoodeducation. Pre-School Institutions Act (Official gazette of Republic Slovenia, 100/2005)explicitly requirescooperationwith families.Preschoolshave to list formsandprogramsofcooperationwith families in theiryearlyworkplan.Parentshave theright toparticipate inplanningoflifeandworkinapreschoolandinchildren’sclassesinagreementwitheducators.Theyhavealsotherighttoparticipateineducationalwork,whilerespectingtheprofessionalautonomyofapreschool.

Taking into account systemic and conceptual solutions in Slovenian preschools, based onresearchfindingsonindividualqualityindicatorsandonthebasisofalreadydesignedmodelsandapproachesfordeterminingqualityinothercountries,Slovenianauthorshavedevelopedthree basic levels of quality in preschools, and within each level aditional domains andindicatorsofqualityinpreschools(MarjanovicUmeketal.,2002).Tostructural/contextualandprocesslevel,theyaddedsocalledindirectlevel,whichisbymostotherresearchers(BarnasinCummings1994;HowesinOlenick1986;Dahlberg,MossinPence2000,in:ibid.)recognizedpartly as in the context, and partly as in the process. According to Slovenian authors(MarjanovicUmeketal.,2002),indirectlevelreferstosubjectiveconditionsandopportunities,inwhich preschool education is running/taking place (eg. The involvement of employees ineducation,employees'satisfaction,collaborationwithparents).Indicatorsatthislevelincluderelationships,inwhichachildisnotdirectlyinvolved,buthavesignificanteffectsonthework


inapreschoolaswellasonachilditself.Cooperationbetweenpreschoolandfamiliesthereforefalls in the scope of indirect level of preschool's quality, where quality indicators are thefollowing:

1. formalformsofcooperation(eg.individualmeetingswithparents,parentalmeetings,writtenmaterials for parents, bulletin boards, parents' council, lectures for parents,eventsforparents);

2. informal forms of cooperation (eg. communication with parents at thearrivals/departures of children, unplanned discussions, picnics, trips/excursions,workshops for parents or for parents and children, intergenerational meetings,participationofotherfamilyintheactivitiesofapreschool);

3. activeinvolvementofparentsintheeducationalprocess(eg.participationofparentsinplanning,executionandevaluationofcurriculum,problemsolving)(ibid).

In2010,SlovenianauthorLepicnikVodopivec(2010)conductedaresearchwiththefollowingresearchquestions:

• identify presence of formal forms of cooperation between educators and parents inpreschool,

• identifypresenceofinformalformsofcooperationbetweeneducatorsandparentsinpreschool.

Researchfindingswerethefollowing:parentalmeetingsandindividualmeetingswithparentsarequitecommon(2-,3-,4timesayear,ormorefrequently),reflectingtheprovisionofformalopportunities for collaboration with parents. Quite often, educators inform parents alsothroughbulletinboard(atleastonceaweek),andtheyregularlycommunicatealsoonadailybasis.Educatorsenableparentstotakepartinotheractivities,too(eg.events,trips,picnics,workshops),whichareimportantforparentstogettoknowtheirchildindifferentsituations.Datashowthatinmostpreschoolssuchactivitiesareimplemenbted2-ormoretimesayear(84.5%ofallsurveyedparentsrespondedthatthisisthecaseintheirpreschools)(LepicnikVodopivec,2010).

Currentwaysofcooperationbetweenpreschoolandfamilyisasolidbasisforthedevelopmentof partnership relations between them, with a prerequisites: willing to share informationequally,andthateachside(preschool/family)willtakeitsownobligationsandresponsibilitiesassociatedwithraisingchildren,whilebeingawareoftheirrightsandduties(ibid).

Awide range of issues, related to both the formal and informal forms of cooperationwithparents,stillremainopen.Oneofthemiscertainlytheissueoforganizationofformalformsof


cooperation, which includes issues of planning, implementation and evaluation of parentalmeetingsand/orindividualmeetingswithparents(time,invitations,spatialplanning,selectionofstaff,useofICT,writingreports).Finally,thisisalsoaquestionofmanagementofparentalmeetings or individualmetingswithparents, themodeof communication (verbal andnon-verbalaspect)betweeneducatorsandparents,etc.

Brusnjak(2009),inherMasterthesis,identifiesformalformsofcoolaborationamongfamiliesand preschools (eg. parental meetings, individual meetings with parents) as still the mostfrequent ones. But additionally, everyday communication at arrival/departure of a child isbecommingmoreandmorewidespread;manyparentsusethisformofexchangeofinformationdaily,themajorityusesitonceaweek.Brusnjak(ibid)foundoutthatmoreandmoreinformal,enrichment,activeformsofmutualcooperation,suchaspicnics,trips,events,etc.arepresentinpreschools.Parents least takeadvantageof thepossibilityof takingpart inplanningandevaluating thework in thepreschool, but theywantmore relaxed formsof interaction andexchangeofinformationusingmoderntechnologies,suchasemailandwebsite.Parentswantmore additional and enrichment activities that could be implemented, according to theiroppinion,byprofessionalstaffinpreschoolorbyexternalexperts.

Accordingtotheabovementionedresearchfindings,thefollowingquestionshavearose:

• Isapreschoolreadytotakethefamilyasapartnerintheeducationalprocess?• Does a preschool knows views and opinions of parents, their expectations, hopes,

possibilitiesetc.enough(indetails)?• Howtosatisfywishesofparents,childrenandeducators?

II.ParticipationofparentsofmigrantchildrenintheeducationalsystemintheRepublicofSlovenia

Eachyear,childrenofimmigrants,refugees,asylumseekersandpersonsenjoyingtemporaryprotectionareincludedinSlovenianeducationsystem(Strategijavkljucevanjaotrok,ucencevindijakovmigrantov...,2007).Ithasbeenidentified,thatmigrantchildren,whileintegratingintheSlovenianeducationsystem,havedifficultiestofollowthelifeandworkinpreschool,havedifficultieswithinclusioninthebroadersocialenvironment,whichispartlyresultofalackofadequate professional knowledge and skills of professionals for quality collaboration withmigrantparents:

• norelevantrecommendations,guidelinesforworkingwithmigrantparents;• noadequatetrainingandmaterialswithexamplesforworkingwithmigrantparents;• modestknowledgeofthekeyelementsofthelanguageandcultureofmigrants,what


couldhelptoavoidpotentialmisunderstandingsortofacilitatecontactswithparentsandencouragethemtoparticipate;

• modest knowledge and skills of teachers to promote intercultural dialog betweenSlovenianandmigrantparents;

• noadequatefinancialsupporttoassistincommunicatingwithmigrantparents(lackoffundingfortranslatorstopreparebilingualinvitations,instructions,messages,...)(ibid).

In2007,anationaldocumentAStrategyforinclusionofimmigrantchildren,pupilsandstudentsin education system in the Republic of Slovenia was adopted. In the Strategy (Strategijavkljucevanjaotrok,ucencevindijakovmigrantov...,2007),amongkeyprinciplesdefined,thereisalsoaprincipleofcooperationwithparents,asoneofthemostimportantformsofwork.Thisprinciplehastobedevelopedbyeducationalinstitutionsandtheirprofessionalstaff(Strategijavkljucevanjaotrok,ucencevindijakovmigrantov...,2007).TheStrategy(ibid)emphasizesthatparentalinvolvementcannotbelefttoeducatoralone-developmentofstrategiesandformsofworkwithmigrantfamiliesmustbepartofaschool'sprogramofwork.Developingformsofcooperationwithparentsisalsoaspecialtaskofcounselingservices(schoolcounsellors).Asfaraspossible,schoolsshouldinvolveparentsinactivitiesthatarecarriedoutbytheschool.Schoolmustdevelopawiderangeofdifferentformsofcooperationwithparents,whichwillbringtogetherparentsofbothcultures(ibid).

The guidelines for inclusion of immigrant children in preschools and schools (Smernice zavkljucevanjeotrokpriseljencevvvrtceinšole,2012)identifymeasuresinthefieldofeducationfor inclusion of immigrants and the realization of the Strategy for inclusion of immigrantchildren,pupilsandstudentsineducationsystemintheRepublicofSloveniaaspartofanationalstrategy for the inclusion of immigrant children. Within guidelines and ideas for theimplementationof theprinciples, relating tocooperationwithparents,Theguidelines (ibid)statesthatwhenincontactwithparentsofimmigrantchildren,theirprivacy,culture,language,worldviewandvaluesneedtoberespected,andwhencommunicatingwithparents,aspecialattentionhastobepaidtoconstantlyverify ifapersondidunderstandthemessage,andtorequesttheexpectedfeedback.

Amongtheinstructionsforpreschoolsisalsostatedthatitisnecessarytoestablishacontactwithimmigrantparentspriortoenrolmentofachildinthepreschool,andagreetothegradualenrollmentintothepreschoolandwaysofacquiringknowledgeofSlovenelanguage.Itisalsonecessarytoensurethatparentsareinvolvedinthelifeandworkinapreschool;whentheyenroll their child in preschool, they have to be informed what are their rights andresponsibilities and about the characteristics of the Slovenian education system. It is alsonecessary (in accordance with the possibilities) to use interpreters and parents and theirrelativesincludeinaworkprogramofapreschool,sotobeinvitedtothepresentationofthecultureandlanguagetootherparentsandchildren(ibid).TheStrategy(Strategijavkljucevanja


otrok, ucencev in dijakovmigrantov..., 2007) proposes »themed days« in preschools,whenparentscanpresentthemselveswiththeirculturalorlinguisticuniquesness,andworkshopsforchildrenandparentscouldbeorganizesforshowingspecificmanualandotherskillsspecifictoaparticularculturalenvironment.

Inallofthis,principleofautonomyisexposedandshouldberespected,soeacheducationalinstitution itselfmust prepare an implementation plan activities that include and take intoaccountthecharacteristicsanduniquesnessesofachild/pupil/studentandinaccordancewith applicable regulations and Guidelines (2012) seek the most appropriate solutions toconcretechallenges,whileaschoolcanrelyonexperienceofothereducationalinstitutionsinsimilarcases(ibid).

Intheframeworkofdiplomathesis(Fatic,2013),asurveyonasampleofpreschoolteachers,whohavemigrantchildrenenrolledintheirclassrooms.Thepuropseoftheresearchwastoidentifykeychallengeswhichteachersfacewhenintegratingimmigrantchildreninthegroup.Thesurveyresultsshowedthatpreschoolteachershavemostproblemswithunderstandingoflanguage.30%ofteachersindicatedthatparentsduetoalackoflanguageunderstandingdonotcollaboratewiththemandtheydonotparticipateinavarietyofadditionalactivities;theyalso do not participate at individual meetings or parental meetings. Similar results wereidentifiedalso inaresearch in2011(Jagodic,2011)onthetopicofknowledgeofSlovenianlanguageasaprerequisite for thesuccessful inclusionofchildrenof foreigners inSlovenianpreschools. A considerable amount of teachers (39,58%) stated that, when working withforeignchildren,theyhadthegreatestdifficultiesincooperationwiththeirparents.

III. Participation of parents of children with special needs in the educationalsystemintheRepublicofSlovenia

Itcouldbesaidthatthereisalmostnogroupofchildreninpreschool,inwhichwouldnothavebeenatleastonechildwithspecialneedswhorequireadditionalhelpwitheducation.

Cooperation with parents when in a group of children a child with with special needs isenrolled,takesplaceatvariouslevels:cooperationwithparentsofachildwithspecialneeds;cooperation with parents of other children in the classroom; and cooperation with otherparentsinapreschool.SuchkindofcooperationsareforeseeninInstructionstothecurriculumforprescoolprogramswithadaptedimplementationandadditionalprofessionalassistanceforchildren with special needs (Navodila h kurikulu za vrtce..., 2003). Additionally, Instrucions(Navodilahkurikulu zavrtce..., 2003) says thatparentsof all children shouldbe fairly andprofessionallyacquaintedwiththevalueand importanceof jointeducationofchildrenwithspecialneeds.Preschoolscandosothroughpreschool'spublicationinwhichtheypresenttheentireprogramofworkandlifeinapreschool.Inaddition,itmakessensethatprofessionals


providing direct assistance to children with special needs, present themselves at parent-teacher meetings. In this way, parents learn that also children with special needs may beenrolledinclassroom/preschool(childrenwhoneedspecialcareandattentionnotonlyfromteachersandteachers'assistants,butalsofromotherprofessionals),andontheotherhand,theybecameawarethatsomedaymaybealsotheywillneedahelpfromdifferentexperts(ibid).

Different professionals cooperate with parents of a child with special needs: preschoolteachers, preschool teachers' assistants, special pedagogues and other professionals. It isimportantthatallprofessionalshavecorrectandprofessionalattitudetowardsthem(parents).Each of them takes note of a child's progress, each of them from their point of profession.Commontalks/meetingsareintendedforcomprehensiveanalyzes.Practitioners/professionalslisten to parents, respect their experienceswith a child in the treatment, education and ineverydaylife(ibid).

Aspecialpadagogwhotreatschildren,involvesparentsactivelyindesigninganindividualizedprogram,inmonitoringchild'sprogress,andgiveadvisesonhowtoworkwithachildathome.Specialpedagog,togetherwithparents,discoversachild'sstrongareas,potentialchallengesandobstacles,andthusaffecttherealisticexpectationstowardsachildandprofessionals.Inadditiontothis,variousformsoftrainingandcounselingareofferedtoparents.Well-informedparentswillcarryoutitsprimaryandirreplaceableroleofparentingeasier,andtheywilltrusttheprofessionalworktoexperts(ibid).

Nevertheless,astheJurisic(2008)pointsout,parentsofchildrenwithspecialneedsareoftennot treated in a way which is described above. Reality is for many parents a differentexperience. Joint cooperation, as Jurisic (ibid) notes, is in practice most often limited to ameetingatwhichparentscomeornot;thereissomeonewhopresentachild'sindividualplan(IP),whichwasdrawnupbyateacherhimselforexpertgroup.ParentstelliftheyagreewiththecontentoftheIP(inmostcasestheydo),andsometimestheyproposesomething.Inmanycases,beforethismeeting,parentsdonotevenknowwhatIPisandwhatteachersexpectofthem,andoftenafterthattheydonotknowanythingmore.

IV.ParticipationofRomaniparentsandothermarginalizedgroupsofparentsintheeducationsystemintheRepublicofSlovenia

IntheSlovenianeducationsystem,alsoRomanichildrenareincluded.AppendixtothePreschoolCurriculumforworkwithRomanichildren(DodatekhKurikuluzavrtce...,2002)stressesthatcooperationwithRomaniparents,whenenrollmentofRomanichildreninapreschoolistakingplace,isofspecialimportance.Itshouldbenotedthatcooperationwithparentsisakeyalreadyintheprocessof informingRomaniparentsaboutpreschoolprogramsanddecision-making


abouttheenrollmentoftheirchildrenintheseprograms(ibid),sincetheenrollmentrateofRomanichildreninpreschoolprogramsisextremelylow(VontaandJager,2013).CooperationwithRomaniparentsisalsocrucialforachild'sdevelopmentandeducationalsuccesslaterinschool.InNationalevaluationstudyonschoolsuccessofRomanipupilsinSlovenianelementaryschools(ibid),factorsattheschoollevel,associatedwithschoolperformanceofRomanipupils,have been identified. Among the prognostic factors for the pupil's school success, twoimportantfactorsdirectlyrelatedtoearlychildhoodeducationwereidentified,namely:

• enrollment of Romani children in preschool programs before entering elementaryschool;

• cooperationwithparents.

Appendix to thePreschoolCurriculumforworkwithRomanichildren (DodatekhKurikuluzavrtce...,2002)stresses,thatpreschoolshavetobuildtrusttowardsRomanifamilies,andexplainto them that theyarenot trying to changeor »steal« their children.Preschools shouldalsodemonstrate the important role of education in later life for children, the benefits ofbilingualism and multiculturalism, and the importance of maintaining their own culturalidentity while integrating into mainstream culture. As practice shows, visits of preschoolteachersatachild'shomearewellcomedalreadybeforetheenrollmentinapreschool,aswellas visits of parents with children in a preschool. To acquaint parents with a preschool'sprogram,towhichtheyhavealegalright,itisnotenoughjusttogivethemapublicationofapreschool,butduetopoorliteracyofmostparents,preschoolstaffneedstopresentandexplainthe program orally and in person. The same applies to any other information with whichparentsareinformedinapreschool(ibid).

Resman (2008) states that good cooperationbetweenpreschool andparents is not easy toachieve,andit isparticularlydifficulttoachieveitwithmarginalizedgroupsofparents.Thereasons for this may include (ibid): stereotypes towards certain groups of parents; toopaternalistic attitude; lack of knowledge; lack of understanding of parents; family, socialenvironmentandeconomicconditionsoftheirlives.

Therearestillverystrongstereotypespresentamongprovidersofeducationalprograms,suchas:Romaniparentsandothermarginalizedgroupsofparentsareindifferentinrelationtotheirchildren; they do not care what is happening with their children; they are unprepared toparticipate,etc. (Resman2008;Vonta,2013).NationalEvaluationStudyonSchool successofRomanipupilsinSlovenianelementaryschools(Vontaetal.,2011)revealedthesameresults.

In relation to forms of cooperation between preschools and Romani parents, more or lesstraditionalformsofcooperationareinplace(Komacetal.,2010;Vontaetal.,2011;VontaandJager,2013),whilesomeevenpointoutthatinthecaseofcooperationwithRomaniparentstheydonotmakeanydifferenceinhowtheycooperatewiththem.Thismayindicatethatthey


areimplementingantidiscriminationpolicyandprincipleofequality,but inreality,positiviediscriminationshouldbeinplace.Whilethey»treatallofthemthesameway«,theygenerateeven greater differences among Romani (and/or other marginalized) parents and otherparents.Marginalizedparentscanfeellackofmotivationorlackofinteresttocooperatewithteachers/preschoolbecausepreschoolsdonotadapttheirstrategiesofcooperationtoparents'needs,interestsandabilities.

In the scope of a European project,European dimension in parent education (Vonta, 2009),whichwasimplementedinfourEUcountries(Estonia,Greece,Latvia,Slovenia)from2007to2009, and was focused on the integration, motivation and empowerment of socially,economically or otherwise disadvantaged parents (parents of children with disabilities,migrant families,minority families,Romani families,etc.),astudyonneeds,aspirationsandinterestsofparentsregardingthecontentthey(parents)wanttostrengthenintheirparentalpractice,was carriedout. Parentswould likepreschools toorganizemeetings anddifferentmaterialstosupportthemintheirparentalrole-thatundoubtedlyrepresentsafundamentalprerequisite fora successful cooperationbetweenparentsandpreschoolprofessionals, andalso shows parents' wish for participation. To realize their wish and also their right toparticipate,weshouldrespondtotheirneeds,aspirationsandinterestsadequately.

2. Methods and practices in the local and national level (Specificpracticesatlocalandnationallevel)Asitwaspresentedinthefirstpartofthisdocument,threeformsofcooperationwithparentsarepresentinSlovenianpreschools:

1. formalformsofcooperation,2. informalformsofcooperation,3. activeinvolvementofparentsintheeducationalprocess(MarjanovicUmeketal.,2002).

Those forms of cooperationwith parents are, according toMarjanovic Umek at al. (2002),»quality indicators of indirect level of preschool quality«.All three formswill bepresentedbelowandhighlightedwithexamplesfrompractice.

Togetinsightwhatkindofmethodsandpracticesinthefieldofcollaborationwithparentsarein place in Slovenian preschools, we have invited 35 preschools from whole Slovenia, allmembersofNationalNetworkofStepbyStepPreschoolsandPrimaryschools1,topresenttheirbest practices. We received 70 examples of good practices from 17 preschools. In all 70analyzedexamplesofgoodpractices, informal formsofcooperationwithparentsandactive1OperatingwithinEducationalResearchInstitute,DevelopmentalResearchCenterforPedagogicalInitiativesStepbyStep.


involvement of parents in the educational processwerepresented; not a single example offormalformsofcooperationwaspresentedasanexampleofgoodpractice.Wecannotknowforsure,but,aswewillseebelow,formalformsofcooperationaresomethingwhatisobligedtoimplement,somaybethisisthereasontheteachersdonotseesuchformsofcooperationasexamplesofgoodpractice.

I. Formalformsofcooperation

Formalformsofcooperationare:

• Individualmeetingswithparents(»talkinghours«)Theyarethemostcommonformsofcooperationbetweeneducatorsandparentsandarepartofpreschoolteacher'sworkobligation.Theyareimplementedinaformofindividualinterviewswithparentsaboutachild'sdevelopment.Inadditiontothat,parentsexpecttoexchangeinformationaboutraisingtheirchild,andpossiblyalsoprofessionaladviceonhowtodealwith educational issues andvarious specific situations athome.Theyareusuallyimplementedonceamonthandaparentcandecidevoluntarellywhetertocomeorno.Inspecialoccasions,teachercanalsoinviteparentstotheindividualmeeting,speciallywhenteacherdeemsitisnecessary(developmentaldelaysetc.)(IntiharandKepec2002). • ParentalmeetingsParental meeting is a form of cooperation with parents, which is intended to addresscommonissuesofthewholegroupandisnormallyusedfortransmissionofinformationtoparents.Teacherspresentparentsnecessaryinformationaboutlifeandworkinapreschool,theypresentanannualworkplan,theyagreeonformsofcooperation,theyharmonizetheirwishesandrequirementswiththewishesandexpectationsofparents,etc.Parentalmeetingsareusuallycarriedouttwotimerperyear,ormoreifnecessary(C�adez,2005).• Writtenmaterials/messagesforparents,bulletinboardsWritten messages are useful especially when they are intended to inform parents, butcertainly they cannot and should not replace personal contact between educators andparents. With written messages, teachers inform and invite parents to other forms ofcooperation.Bynoticesonbulletinboards,theyinformabouttheactivitiesinandoutsidethepreschool(ibid).• Parents'councilParents'counciliscomposedofonerepresentativeofparentsfromeachgroupofchildren;representativeiselectedatparentalmeetings.TheParents'councilmayproposeabove-standard programs; gives its approval to the headmaster's proposal of above-standardprograms; is involved in the development of the proposal of preschool's programdevelopment;givesanopinionontheannualworkplan;givesanopinionaboutcandidates


fortheheadmaster;discussesheadmaster'sreportsabouteducationalissues;dealswithcomplaintsfromparentsconcerningtheeducationprocess;electsrepresentativestothePreschool'scouncil;mayadoptitsownworkprogramofcooperationwiththepreschool,particularly in termsof integration into the local environment;may establish or set upworkinggroupsonspecificareasofeducationalworkandprojectsaloneorincollaborationwith preschool staff; designs and gives an opinion in the appointment process ofheadmaster and perform other tasks in accordance with the law and regulations(OrganizationandFinancingofEducationAct,1996,Article66;LawonAmendmentsandSupplementstoOrganizationandFinancingofEducationAct,2008,Article22).

• WorkingmeetingsofrepresentativesofPreschool'scouncilPreschool's council represents the highest body of a preschool. It is composed of fiverepresentatives of staff, three representatives of preschool's founder and of threerepresentativesofparents.Attheirfirstmeeting,theypresentplannedactivitiesandparentscan give their proposals, which are implemented in the scope of preschool's financialpossibilities and professional reflection. (Okrožnica - Sveti vrtcev in šol..., 2009).

II. Informalformsofcooperation

Informalformsofcooperationincludeboth,thecommunicationwithparentsatthearrivalsanddepartures of children, as well as unplanned interviews (Marjanovic Umek et al., 2002).Moreover,asindicatedbyMarjanovicUmeketal.(2002),andasshownbytheresultsoftheanalysisofbestpractices,implementedatthenationallevel,variousotherformsofinformalformsofcooperationwithparentsarepresent,suchas:

• creativeworkshopsforchildrenandparents(eg.makingtoys,etc.).• workshopsforparents(eg.teapartyonaspecifictopicaboutchilddevelopment)• picnics(eg.theautumnpicnic,etc.).• sportevents(eg.anightwalktothenearbysurroundinghill,etc.).• trips(eg.avisitoffarm,etc.).• various final meetings (eg. on topics of completed projects, in the form of charity

bazaars,etc.).

Basedonthereceivedexamplesofgoodpractice,wecanidentifysomecommoncharacteristics(underlinedinthetextbelow)oftheabovementionedformsofcooperation.

Theanalyzedexamplesofgoodpracticesaddress5targetgroups:

• children• parents


• grandparents• otherrelatives,eg.sisters,brothers,aunts,etc.• representativesoflocalcommunity.

Themajority ofmeetings are intended for children and their parents, but occasionally alsograndparents and other familymembers attend (eg. EarthDay – participants have cleanedplaygroundandsurroundingsofapreschool),aswellasrepresentativesof localcommunity(eg.meeting,devotedtocelebratethearrivalofspring).Atthesametimeitshouldbepointedoutthatsomemeetingsareheldonlyforparents,eg.aworkshopintheformofteapartyonaspecifictopicaboutchilddevelopment).

Parents,towhomsuchmeetings,inadditiontochildren,areintended,canparticipateintworoles:

• asactiveparticipants• asfacilitatorsorco-facilitatorsofmeetings.

We identified that parents are not included just as active participants, but also asfacilitators/implementersofspecificactivities,eg.puppetshow,implementedbyparentsfortheirchildren.Parentswereinvolvedinplanning,implementationandevaluationofthewholeprocess.

Thosemeetingsarebasedoninitiativesandneedsof:

• parents• educators.

When planning activities with parents/families, teachers often follow on the level ofpreschool/groupofchildrenagreedprioritiesofeducationalwork,ortheylinkthemtocurrentprojectstakingplace inthegroup/preschool,eg.meetingat theendof theprojectontrafficsafety.Teachersplantheiractivitieswithparents/familiesalsoonthebasisofneedsastheyidentifythemattheirworkwithchildrenandtheirparents,eg.differentactivities(inthegroupofchildren,withallparents,otherteachers)forsuccesfulinclusionofachildofdeafparents.Occasionally,teachersplantheiractivities/meetingswithparentsalsoonabasisof»urgent«issues(eg.stubbornnessinchilddevelopment).

Intermsoftimedeterminant,informalmeetingsareconductedinformsof:

• one-dayactivities(eg.artworkhops,etc.);• two-days activities (eg. camping: families slept in tents at a preschool's yard, and

preschoolteacherspreparedanumberofactivitiesfrochildrenandtheirparents);or


• longer-term activities (eg. parents are involved in project on a specific topics, forexample»Spaceflight«-parentsareinvolvedinpreparingnecessaryrequisites,theysetthescene,filmtheactivityetc.).

Intermsoflocation,meetingsaretakingplace:

• inpreschool(insideandoutsideofapreschool)and• outsidethepremissesofapreschool(firehouse,culturalcenter,medicalcenter,

farm,etc.).

Irrespectiveofdiversityofcontentsandformsofinformalmeetings,mostlyallmeetingsareplanned in terms of the following objectives, which can be classified into three categoriesaccordingtoeachgroupinvolvedinthemeeting/activity:

A)fromtheperspectiveofpreschoolstaff:

• buildingtrustwithparents• betterknowledgeaboutparentsandachild'sfamily• betterunderstandingofachild(child'sbehaviorinthepresenceofparentsmay

bedifferent)• greaterconnectednesswithchildrenandparents• improvedcommunicationandcollaborationwithparents• greaterinvolvementofparentsintheeducationalprocess• strengthening professional competences in the field of planning and

implementationofactivitiestopromotedifferentareasofchilddevelopmentandactivitiesforcooperationwithparents

B)fromtheperspectiveofparents:

• buildingtrustwithteachers• betterknowledgeofteachersandworkinapreschool• betterunderstandingofachild(child'sbehaviorinapreschoolenvironment,in

apresenceofateachermaybedifferent)• bettermutualunderstandingoffamilies• greaterconnectednessbetweeneducatorsandparents,• greaterconnectednessofparentswithchildren,• greaterconnectednessbetweenfamilies• improvedcommunicationandcollaborationwithteachers• greaterinvolvementofparentsintheeducationalprocess• strengtheningofparents'parentalcompetencies


c)fromtheperspectiveofchildren:

• buildingtrustinpreschoolteachers• greaterconnectednessbetweenchildrenandteachers• greaterconnectednessbetweenchildrenandparents• greaterconnectednessbetweenchildren• improvedcommunicationandcollaborationwithparentsandteachers• promotionofdifferentareasofchilddevelopment

Examplesofgoodpractice,addressingmigrantfamilies,familieswithaminoritybackground,socio-economically(SE)disadvantagedfamiliesetc.initsobjectives,content,ordiversitiesofmodesofimplementationofactivities,arenotverycommon,buttheycouldbedetectedamongexamples,thatwehavereceived.Inmostcases,preschoolteacheshavepointedoutthattheydo not have children from families with a migrant/minority background or from a SEdisadvantaged family in their group of children. Those teachers who have thosechildren/familiesincludedintheirgroup,andrecognizetheneedtoadaptformsofcooperationaccording to families' needs, first try to achieve that these families attend events that areplanned and (at first, as passive participants). When they achieve this, preschool teachersprovideallnecessarymaterial foracertainactivity(inordernot tomake familiy's financialburden even greater) or choose such an activity in which families can use waste/naturalmaterial.When organizing different events, teachers offer differentways for parent/familyparticipation:investmentoftheirtime(preparation/cleaning)ratherthanprovidingfinancial,materialresources.Or,forexample,arrangemeetings/events,whichprimarypurposeistohelpfamiliesinneed(donations,rentorexchange).

III.Activeinvolvementofparentsintheeducationalprocess

Inthisformofcooperation,parentsandfamiliesareinvolvedintheeducationalprocessitself.Inmostcases,parentsorgrandparentsspendadaywiththeirchildreninapreschool,basedon advanced joint planning between teachers and parents, for example: presentation ofparent'sprofession,creatingwithclay,presentationofgamesfromthepast,etc.Or, teacherinvolveparentsinplanningofactivitiesforthewholeschoolyearinadvance,andinevaluationofimplementedactivitiesattheendofschoolyear.Migrantfamilies,familieswithaminoritybackground, socio-economicallydisadvantaged familiesaremainly invited (only) topresenttheirlanguage,culture,andfromwhichtheycomefrom.


SwedenInSwedenECECbeginsatthefirstyearofachild’sageandlastsuntilthe7thyear.TheSwedishParliament and the Government set out the goals and guidelines for ECEC and primary schoolthroughtheEducationActandtheCurricula.ECECisregulatedintheEducationActbuthavetwodifferentcurricula.ECEChashaditsowncurriculumsince1998(revisedin2016),andthepreprimaryclassisincorporatedintheschoolsystem.Thecompulsoryschoolandthepreprimaryclass,aswellastheleisure-timecentersshareacommoncurriculum(NationalBoardofEducation,2016).Thepreprimaryclassisavoluntarytypeofschoolwithinthepublicschoolsystem.MostSwedishchildrenattendpreschool(morethan83%ofallchildrenbetween1-5yearsold)andtheleisuretimecenters(morethan90%ofallchildrenbetween6-9yearsold)(TheNationalBoardofEducation,2014).Thepreschool as an educational institution has a long tradition in the Swedish society. In 1998 thepreschoolgottheirowncurriculumandalsobecomeapartofthenationaleducationalsystem.Inthecurriculuminvolvementofthechildren’sguardiansisclearlystatedwithastandpointfromademocraticperspective.

IntheSwedisheducationalsystembothchildren/pupilsandguardiansrighttohaveinfluenceovertheeducationisanimportantvalueandclearlystatedintheEducationalAct(2010:800).Acentralgoal in thepreschoolsdailywork isalso toestablishaco-operationbetween thehomeand thepreschool.Inthecurriculumit’sstatedinthefollowingway:“Theguardianisresponsiblefortheirchild’supbringinganddevelopment.Thepreschoolshouldsupplementthehomebycreatingthebest possible preconditions for ensuring that each child’s development is rich and varied”. Thisquoteshowstheimportanceofthatboththeguardianandthepreschoolhasresponsibilityforthechild’supbringinganditisofimporttohaveamutualunderstandingofeachother.Asastartingpointforthisunderstandingistocreateaknowledgeofthefamilyandthechildbutalsothatthepreschoolisclearaboutitsgoalsandwhatitsworksinvolves.

Tocreatethemutualunderstandingbetweenthefamilyandthepreschooltheworkisdonebothinaformalandinformalway.Theinformalwaysincludesforexamplesthedailymeetingswhenachildarrivesanddeparturesfrompreschool.Theformalwaysisforexampleteacherparents’conference,parents- meeting and different kinds of documentation to make learning outcomes visible indifferentforms.

Furtherontheinvolvementshouldtakepartindifferentareasinthepreschool.Onespecificarewhichisregulatedinthecurriculumistheperiodoftransition,whenthechildstartsatpreschool.InSwedenthetransitiontopreschoolisaperiodwhentheguardians,thechildandthepreschoolteachersmet.Oftentheintroductiontothepreschoolextendsforaperiodofonetotwoweeks.Duringthatperiodoftimethepreschoolteachersandtheparentsgotapossibilitytomeetandtocreaterelations.Duringthetransitionperiodinformationaboutthechildisalsoofimportantandofimportanttogainingknowledgeofeachandeverychild’suniqueneeds.Toensurethatthechild


andparentsensureagoodintroductioninthepreschoolsthatisclearlyformulatedinthecurriculumasaspecificgoal.

In the Swedishpreschool the guardians alsohavea formal right tohave influenceand in everypreschooltheheadofthepreschoolisobligedtoensurethatthereisaforumwhereparentsareabletogetinformationandtodiscussthepreschool.Inthecurriculumitiswritten:“forensuringthatparentsreceiveopportunitiestoparticipateandexerciseinfluenceoverhowgoalscanbemadeconcreteinpedagogicalplanning».Thisquotationmeansthattheparentshouldbeabletohaveinfluenceovertheevery-dayactivitiesinthepreschoolfromdifferentaspectandnotjusthaveasayatspecialoccasions.

ResearchaboutfamilyinvolvementinSwedishpreschoolislimited.StudieshasbeenfocuseduponspecificareaslikeparentsteachersconferenceswhereresearchconductedbyMarkström&Simonsson(2013)showsthattheconferenceasaformisanimportantarenaforinteractionandcollaborationbutcanalsobeunderstoodintermsofnormalizingpracticenotonlyforthechild,theparentsandthepreschoolasaninstitution,butalsoforthepreschoolteachersthemselvesintheirroleasprofessionals.


PartB-Researchguidelines

EnhancingqualityinEarlyChildhoodEducationandCarethroughParentParticipation:astateofplayinsevenEuropeancountries

Nikoloudaki, E.1, Chlapana E.1, Van Laere K.2, Manolitsis, G.1, Vandekerckhove, A.2, &Grammatikopoulos,V.11UniversityofCrete,Greece2VBJK(CentreforInnovationintheEarlyYears),Belgium

1. Introduction

Thepurposeofthisdocumentistopresentageneralpictureonparentparticipationinresearchand in internationalpolicydocuments.Throughout this text,differentapproachesofparentparticipationaredescribed,rangingfromaratheroutcome-related,instrumentalviewontheissue to a more intrinsic and fundamental democratic approach of developing quality inpartnershipwithparents.Thisdocument isbasedon literaturereviewsof theUniversityofCrete,theGhentUniversity(DepartmentofSocialWorkandSocialPedagogy),VBJK,(CentreforInnovations in theEarlyYears) and theUniversityofParma, andonadditional inputby allpartners and on findings throughout the project. Besides findings on the value of parentparticipation1, common challenges in developing andmaintaining parent participation andpossiblewaysofovercomingbarriersarepresented.Inaddition,anoverviewisgivenontheexistingECEC systems, goodpractices andquality indicators forparentparticipation in thepartnercountriesoftheEQuaPproject.Finally,conclusionsandfurtherconsiderationsabouttheimportantroleofparentparticipationareputforward.

2. Gettingparentparticipationontheagendaandwhy2SincetheCouncilRecommendationonChildcarein1992,EarlyChildhoodEducationandCare(ECEC)hasgainedanincreasinglyprominentpositiononEuropeanpolicyagendas. Initially,the main rationale for investing in ECEC was driven by socio-economic concerns aboutemployment, competitiveness and gender equality (Council of the European Communities,1992).However, over the years thequalityof ECECprovisionhas emergedas a crucial

1SeealsotheEQuaPprojectproposalandthecountryreports.


factor for promoting children’s cognitive and social development, and, in turn, forenhancingtheireducationalchancesinthelongterm.Thedeepeningofthediscussiononthe characteristics of ECEC provision that are associated with good quality emerges asparticularly important for the improvement of the educational offer at local level and for astrengtheningoftheskillsandcompetenceofECECstaff(seee.g.theEQF,2014).Atthesametime,thesuccessfulpedagogicalapproachesandeducationalexperiencesdevelopedinmanyEuropeancountriestellusthatECECqualityisalsotheresultofaparticipatoryprocessthatinvolveon-goingnegotiationswithallstakeholders–children,parents,practitionersandlocalcommunities– rather than ameasurableoutcome that couldbepredeterminedby scientificevidence(Dahlbergetal.,2007;EuropeanCommission2014;EuropeanCommissionNetworkonChildcare,1996;OECD,2006;UNESCO,2008)

Although there is a growing consensus on the importance of parent participation in ECEC,different discourses and underlying assumptions can be identified (Hughes, & MacNaughton,2000).Theunderlyingassumptionsandperspectives,astheywillbedescribed,alsogivewaytoavarietyofconceptsandterms,suchascollaborate,cooperate, involve, include,makedecisionstogether,acttogetheretc.Severaltermsareoftenbeingusedinterchangeably,which does not always lead to more clarity in the debate: ‘parent participation’, ‘parentalengagementorinvolvement’,‘familyinvolvement’.Asdescribedbelow,researchandpoliciesoftenstresstheimportanceofparentparticipationor parental involvement in relation to educational attainment of underprivileged children.Whilethisisnotproblematicassuch,itdoesbringtheessenceofparentparticipationtoamereinstrumentallevel.Indoingso,accordingtomanyotherscholars,severalofthesestudiesandpoliciesrepresenta‘democraticdeficit’andleavelittleroomforparentstoalsogetinvolvedindefininggoalsandmodalitiesoftheirownparticipation(Brougère,2010;Canella,1997,Doucet,2011; Garnier, 2010; Vandenbroeck, Hughes, & Mac Naughton, 2000; Vandenbroeck, DeStercke.,&Gobeyn,2013;VanLaere,2017).Recognizingparentsasthefirsteducator-inlinewiththeprinciplesoftheUNConventiononthe Rights of the Child - leads the way to an increased attention that is noticed on theimportance of a reciprocal relationship between parents and ECEC professionals as ‘afundamental element to build a co-constructive educational project between children,educatorsandtheiradultrelatives’(GuerraandLuciano,2014;Rayna,S.,Rubio,M.N.,&Scheu,H.,2010).Beinginvolvedincaringforandeducatingyoungchildren,is,orshouldbe,thereforequite inconceivable without involving parents in a process of shared responsibility or co-education.TheCRCcommittee,initsGeneralCommentnr.7onchildren’srightsinearlychildhood(par.29b)clearlyrecognizes,overandoveragain,thatparentsarethefirsteducatorsandstatesthat


‘Inplanningforearlychildhood,statepartiesshouldatalltimesaimtoprovideprogrammesthat complement theparents’ roleandaredevelopedas faraspossible inpartnershipwithparents including through active cooperation between parents, professionals and others indeveloping “the child’s personality, talents andmental andphysical abilities to their fullestpotential”(art.29.1a)’

Boththisspecificinterestin,andthiscomplexityofparentparticipationwerethereasonsfordeveloping the EQuaP project (Enhancing Quality in early childhood education and carethroughParticipation),aimingatdevelopingqualityapproachesofECECinwhichparentsareconsidered and approached as important stakeholders and participants in children’s’education.Partners fromsevenEuropeancountries(Belgium-Flemishcommunity,Greece, Italy,Latvia,Portugal,Slovenia,andSweden)participatedintheEQuaPprojectandhavedemonstratedthecontext,goodpracticesandqualityindicatorsofparentparticipationintheircountries.Theyhavealsoparticipatedinactivities(includingjobshadowing)andprojectmeetingsinordertoexchange ideas and promote and improve parent participation practices in their country.Duringdiscussionsinthisproject,aconsensusgrewontheideathatparentparticipationisamatterofprinciple,awayofworkingandnotonlyamethodtoreachcertaingoals. ParentparticipationshouldbepromotedandsupportedinECEC,andcanbemeaningfulintermsofqualityevenwithoutprovenresultsintermsofeducationalattainmentofthechildren.

Forthepurposesofthisdocument,weclarifysomekeytermsthatregularlywillbeused:

- ECEC

Therehasbeensomedebateonhow to label theprovisions for childrenundercompulsoryschoolageandtheirfamilies.Inthisreport,weusetheterm‘EarlyChildhoodEducationandCare’(ECEC),sinceit isthetermmostcommonlyusedininternationalandEuropeanpolicydocuments,aswellasinOECDreports.Somecountriesarecharacterisedbyasplitsysteminwhich childcare centres and preschool education is organised for different ages, under theauspicesofdifferentgovernmentaldepartments.OthercountrieshavemoreintegratedECECsystemsinwhichearlychildhoodcentresexist forchildrenfromtheage0until6.(Bennett,2003;EuropeanCommission,2011;Kaga,Bennett,&Moss,P.,2010).Toaddtothecomplexity,thedividebetweenagegroupsand institutions(childcare/preschool) isoftennot theonlydivide in the early childhood system. In ‘split’ systems in particular, services tend to befragmented,withdifferenttypesofservices(e.g.public,private,private-for-profit)existinginparallel(Urbanetal,2011).Parentparticipationaswell,showsdifferentfeaturesthroughoutthisdivide.

- Practitioner


AstheSEEPROandtheCoReproject(Oberhuemeretal.,2010;VanLaereetal.,2011)madeperfectlyclear, therearemanydifferentprofessionalsworking in the fieldofECEC,bearingdifferent names according to the country and the type of services they work in, thequalifications they have, or the functions they fulfil. Their namesmay vary from teachers,teacher’assistants,childcareworkers,pedagogues,...WhenwetalkaboutthepeopleworkinginECEC,weusethetermpractitionerthroughoutthedocument.

- Parent

Withoutdenyingtheroleofotherfamilymembersintheeducationofchildren,theterm‘parent’isusedinthisproject.Thewordparentisusedtorefertothoseadultswithinafamilywhohavethe legal responsibility for the children andwho actually raise them. This can be the legalparents,guardians,adoptiveparents,fosterparentsandsoforth.


ImportanceofaparticipatoryqualityapproachoftherelationshipbetweenparentsandECEC

1.1 TheEuropeanUnion

Onapolicylevel,theimportanceofparentparticipationispromotedinseveralEUdocuments.TheEuropeanCommissionhasputforwardtheprioritiesthataffirmthecomponentsofqualityineducation,whereaccess,participationandparentalinvolvementineducationaredefinedasthe main keywords (European Commission, 2014· Lindeboom & Buiskool, 2013). ParentparticipationisamongtherecommendationsofEuropeancooperationinqualityevaluationinschooleducationformulatedbytheEuropeanParliamentandtheCounciltotheMemberStates(2001/166/EC). A European report of quality in parent participation (2001), has alsoidentifiedparentparticipationasanimportantquality indicator ineducation.MoreoverandspecificallyforECEC,theEuropeanQualityFrameworkforECEC(2014)isveryclearonthematter of parent participation, considering it as one of the fundamental issues for thedevelopmentandmaintenanceofhighqualityECEC(p.8): “parentsare themost importantpartnersandtheirparticipationisessential.Thefamilyisthefirstandmostimportantplaceforchildrentogrowanddevelop,andparents(andguardians)areresponsibleforeachchild’swell-being, health and development. Families are characterised by great social, socio-economic,cultural and religious diversity – and this diversity should be respected as a fundamentalelementofEuropeansocieties.Withinacontext that issetby thenational, regionalor localregulations, thefamilyshouldbefully involvedinallaspectsofeducationandcarefortheirchild.Tomakethisinvolvementareality,ECECservicesshouldbedesignedinpartnershipwithfamiliesandbebasedontrustandmutualrespect.Thesepartnershipscansupportfamiliesbydevelopingservicesthatrespondtotheneedsofparentsandallowforabalancebetweentimefor familyandwork.ECECservicescancomplement the familyandoffersupportaswellasadditional opportunities to parents and children.”However,whiletheinvolvementofschoolleadersandpractitionersisensuredtosomedegreealmosteverywhere,thepracticeofprovidingchildren,parents,andrepresentativesofthelocalcommunitywiththepossibilityofexpressingtheirvoice,andtakingtheiropinionintoaccount,isstilllesssystematic.

ThepolicycommitmenttoECECatEuropeanlevelischaracterisedbytherecognitionthatECECprovisionhastobeofhighquality(EuropeanCommission2011,2014).Definitionsofqualityin ECEC vary considerably across countries. Despite these varieties, there is a consensusamongstscholarsandinternationalnetworksthatqualityinECECshouldbecontextualisedandincludeacontinuousrevisionofunderstandingsandpracticesfortheimprovementofECECservicesinever-changingsocietalconditions(Penn,2009;Urbanetal.,2011;Dahlbergetal.,


1999;DECET2007;ChildreninEurope,2008and2016;ISSA,2010).Consequently,qualityisanon-goingprocessratherthanassomethingthatiseitherachievedornot.

1.2 International research: ambivalent notions on parentalinvolvement

In terms of how parent participation relates to ECEC quality, research and internationaldocuments seem to cover the whole range of different perspectives and underlyingassumptions, ranging fromthe ‘instrumentalist’ to the ‘essentiallydemocratic’approach. Insomedocumentsserieswealsonoticechangesthroughouttheyears.

TheStartingStrongreports (OECD,2001,2006,2013)place thequestionofquality in thecontextofdemocraticECECgovernance.Beyondtheminimumstandardensuredbythebasicregulations,definingandassuringqualityshouldbeaparticipatoryanddemocraticprocess,involving different groups including children, parents, families and practitionerswhoworkwithyoungchildren(OECD,2001,2006).

“Atcentrelevel,touchstonesofademocraticapproachwillbetoextendtheagencyofthechild and to support thebasic right of parents to be involved in the educationof theirchildren.Inthisapproach,theearlychildhoodcentrebecomesaspacewheretheintrinsicvalueofeachpersonisrecognised,wheredemocraticparticipationispromoted,aswellasrespectforoursharedenvironment.Learningtobe,learningtodo,learningtolearnandlearningtolivetogethershouldbeconsideredascriticalelementsinthejourneyofeachchildtowardhumanandsocialdevelopment.”(OECD2006,18)

These first two Starting Strong reports clearly underlined that parental involvement is notaboutteachingparentshowtobeinvolvedorholdparentssolelyresponsibleforthedifficultiesachildmayhave.TherelationshipbetweenECECstaffandparentswasunderstoodas‘atwo-wayprocessofknowledgeandinformationflowingfreelybothways‘inordertofostercontinuityin children’s learning and experiences between ECEC and the home (OECD 2001, 117).Accordingly, professional development should be more oriented on how professionals canlearntolistentoparentsandlearnfromtheknowledgethatparentsfromdiversebackgroundscontribute,whileatthesametimebeingawareofthepowerdynamicsthatareatstakebetweenparentsandECECcenters(OECD2006,2001).

Althoughresearchontheimpactofearlylearninghasexistedforover40years,itisespeciallyinthelastdecadethatinternationalpolicydebates(e.g.OECD,EuropeanCommission,UNESCO,UNICEF, World Bank) massively adopted an early learning perspective. Many studiesemphasizedtheimportanceofqualityearlylearningofpreschoolchildrenasafoundationforreachinghigheducationalattainmentandemploymentinlaterlife(UnicefInnocentiResearchCentre2008,MatthewsandJang2007,Melhuishetal.2015,LesemanandSlot2014,Shonkoff


andPhillips2000,BarnettandMasse2007,Heckman2006).ThelastStartingStrongreportstressed that, influenced by academic studies especially in the field of neuroscience, ECECservesasacrucialfoundationforchildrenbyfosteringthedevelopmentofcognitiveandnon-cognitiveskillsthatwouldmatterforsuccesslaterinlife(OECD2013,2015).

WecouldthenseehowtheformeremphasisonthedemocraticapproachofECECdisappearedin themost recent Starting Strong reports and consequently the nature of the relationshipbetweentheECECprofessionalsandparentschangedaswell:parentsandcommunitiesneededto collaborate with ECEC staff to foster skill development and stimulate the healthydevelopment of their children. Especially since there was recurrent available researchevidencethatcorrelatedparentalinvolvementinearlylearningofchildrenwithbetterlearningoutcomesandlateracademicsuccess(Arnoldetal.2008,Carter2002,McWayneetal.2004,Sylvaetal.2004,Fantuzzo,Perry,andChilds2006,Halgunseth2009,Marcon1999,MiedelandReynolds2000,Eldridge2001,Castroetal.2004,GalindoandSheldon2012)3.

In studies on the early childhood programs, significant positive results of parentalinvolvementwerefoundinhelpingchildrentransitiontokindergartenandsucceedduringtheprimarygradesandevenhighschool(Barnard,2004;Carter,2002).Thiswasespeciallythecaseamongchildren ina societaldisadvantagedpositionand thoseat riskof school failure(Carter,2002).Childrenaremoremotivatedtolearnanddevelopkeyemergentskillsthatarenecessary for success in later life (McWayne et al., 2004). Greater parent involvement inpreschool was also associated with stronger pre-literacy skills of children (Arnold, Zeljo,Doctoroff, & Ortiz, 2008). Some assume that when parents and practitioners cooperate,childrenwillbeaffectedasmuchaspossible(Smith,etal,2013;Westmoreland,Bouffard,O’Caroll,&Rosenberg,2009).“Whenfamiliesofallbackgroundsareengagedintheirchildren’slearning, theirchildrentendtodobetter inschool,stay inschool longer,andpursuehighereducation”(Henderson&Mapp,2002;p.73).

Itisalsoobservedthatifparentsareinvolvedearly,atthepreschoollevel,theyaremorelikelyto continue being involved at the next educational levels (Barbour, 1996; Lindeboom &Buiskool,2013).Furthermore,whenparentsandpractitionersworktogether,theycandeliverclearandconsistentmessagestochildren,encouragingthedevelopmentofpositivebehaviorsconcerningtheemotionalandsocialdevelopmentoftheirchildren(Smith,etal.2013).Otherprogramsaimingattheimprovementofemotionalhealthandthemanagementofbehavioralandemotionalproblemshavealsobeenimplementedwithpositiveresults.(Evangelou,Brooks,&Smith,2007;Evangelou,Coxon,Sylva,Smith,&Chan,2011;Goff,Evangelou,&Sylva,2012;Sylva,Scott,Totsika,Ereky-Stevens,&Crook,2008).Thekindofparentinvolvementbymeansofinformingparentsaboutissuesofhealth,healthyeating,exerciseandpromotingphysical

3Althoughthefirststudiesonparentalinvolvementwerepredominantlysituatedincompulsoryeducation,thenotionofparentalinvolvementalsohasgainedgroundintheacademicfieldofECEC(JinnahandWalters2008,HughesandMacNaughton2000).


activityarealsoverycommoninallstagesofeducation.(Herman,Nelson,Teutsch&Chung,2012;McCurdy,McPhil,Winterbottom,Mehta&Roberts,2010;Tomporowski, Lambouine&Okumura,2011).Sylvaetal(2002)arguedthatparentparticipationprogramscontributednotonly to theacademicandcognitivedevelopmentofchildren,butalsopositivelyaffectedtheparents’andpractitioners’behavior.Involvingparents,inearlychildhoodeducationandcare(ECEC)isacknowledgedasakeycomponentnotonlyfortheirchildren’seducation,butalsoforthe improvement of children’s development in general. This has been reported in severalstudies(Berthelsen&Walker2008;Epstein,1995;Epstein,2011;Smith,Robbins,Stagman,&Mathur,2013).

Besides the beneficial outcomes for children, parent participation is also considered as anessentialpart,andevenaprerequisiteforECECquality.InthecomprehensiveCAREresearch(2016), the document on European Framework for Quality and Well-being Indicatorsformulates the parent participation as an indicator for quality (p. 20-21): “The centrecommunicatesandengagesindialoguewithimportantstakeholders,foremosttheparentsofthe children, on a regular basis via accessible media, taking parents’ language and medialiteracy skills into account. The centre actively involves parents, and builds collaborativepartnerships with them, in developmental and educational goal setting, in curriculum andpedagogydevelopment,inimplementationandevaluationofcurriculumandpadagogy,andinthe periodic review of the pedagogical plan.” And furthermore adds that: “The centre issensitive to differences in views, values and priorities between centre and parents. Hence,where possible, alternative views, values and priorities are recognizably incorporated inpedagogicalplansandpractices.Wherethis isnotpossible,differences inviews,valuesandprioritiesarerespectfullydiscussedinconstructivedialogues,inwhichprofessionalknowledgeisbroughttobearontheissues.Consensusissoughtthroughonreconstructedorreconsideredviews,valuesandpriorities.”1.3 Bridgingtheeducationalgapbymoreparentparticipation?

AddingthefactthattheeducationalgapbetweenchildrenwithhighSESandlowSESisverypersistent (OECD,2013,2016), increasedparental involvementhasbeenadvocatedasameanstoclosethisgapbyseveralinternationalorganisations(EuropeanCommission,2015,OECD,2006,2012).Alreadysincethe60’iestherelationshipbetweenparentalinvolvementandchildren’s educational attainment has been of considerable interest to educational andsociologicalscholarsandpolicymakers(LareauandMunoz2012,Brooker2015).Itiswidelyassumedthatparentalinvolvementinchildren’seducationinschoolandathomecouldpreventschoolfailureandallegedlymaycontributeto‘bridgethegap’betweenchildrenwithlowerandhigher educational attainment (Barnard 2004, Carter 2002, Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler1995).That iswhyincontrasttotheearlierOECDreportsthatwereorientedonparents in


general,parentalinvolvementinthelatestOECDreportswasconsideredespeciallyimportant‘in low income, minority communities where differences in socio-economic background andculturalvaluesaboutchildrearingandeducationarelikelytonegativelyaffectchilddevelopment(OECD 2012, 222)’. Consequently, parents in a societal disadvantaged position are moretargetedfromadeficitperspectivetoworkactivelyonthedevelopmentandlearningoftheirchildrentoachievelateracademicsuccessandschoolcompletion.

Several of the studies that show the positive impact of parental involvement on children’soutcomesbasethemselvesupontheEcologicalSystemsTheoryofBronfenbrenner(1979)andtheOverlappingSpheresofInfluencemodelofEpstein(1995,1987,2004).Thesetheoreticalmodels emphasize that schools, families and communities have shared responsibilities ineducatingandsocializingchildren(Fischer,Dowrick,andMaynard2007).InEpstein’smodelseveraltypesofparentalinvolvementareputforwardintermsofwhatparentscandoathomeandintheschoolenvironmenttohelptheirchildrenperformwellatschoolandin later life(Epstein1995,Epsteinetal.1987,EpsteinandSalinas2004).

Atthesametime,scholarsinthefieldofsociologyofeducationlikeLareau(1987,1996,1999)havecriticizedthislineofthoughtforseveralreasons.AfirstproblemisthatEpsteinpromotesa model of consensus by using terms as for example partnership and common goals. Byassumingaconsensus,thistheoreticalmodelfailstoacknowledgepatternsofunequalpowerbetween diverse parents and schools (Lareau and Shumar 1996, Todd and Higgins 1998).Secondly,when this theoreticalmodel ofEpstein is translated into educationalpolicies, thefocusisonincreasingindividualparent’sparticipationineducationstartingfromthepremisethatallparentsareequal.AccordingtoLareau(1987,1999,1996)andothersociologistswhobase themselvesontheBourdieusianconceptofculturalcapital, theequityofparents isaproblematicassumptionsinceparentshavetodealwithunequalfinancial,socialandculturalresourcesandparentshavedifferentskillstoactivatetheirculturalandsocialcapitalinorderto createaneducational advantage for their childwithin the school system.Byoverlookingthesedifferences,itisarguedthatitishardforparentsfromworkingorlowerclasstocomplywiththestaffrequestsforparental involvementwhicharepermeatedbysocialandculturalexperiencesofintellectualandeconomicelites(Horvat,Weininger,andLareau2003,Lareau1987,LareauandShumar1996,LareauandHorvat1999).Consequently,severalscholarsalertthatschools’effortstoinvolveparentscanparadoxicallycreategreaterinequitiesinchildren’slearning,creatingdisadvantagesforchildreninlow-incomepositions(Gillanders,McKinney,and Ritchie 2012, Horvat, Weininger, and Lareau 2003, Lee and Bowen 2006). Bydecontextualising theencountersbetweenparentsandschoolsandresponsibilisingparentsindividuallytoinvolvethemselves,parental involvementriskstobeameanstoconfirmandincreasesocialinequalityratherthanchallengingit(Clarke2006).

AnoverviewofsimilarcritiquecanbefoundintheworkofJanssen(2017andreferencesthere,forthcoming)whereherecognisesthatthediscourseonthesocio-economicbenefitsofECEC


mainlyfocusesonreducinginequalitiesamongyoungchildrenatschoolentry,preventingearlyschool leaving and closing the educational gap.What is thenproblematic, is howproposedsolutions (educational interventions with a focus on children’s outcomes) are set in a‘seemingly self-evident, objective, and incontestable way’ and by doing so neglect thedemocraticpoliticsofeducationpoliciesandreducingittoatechnicalpractice.Whichbringsusagaintothecritiqueoninstrumentalisingparentalinvolvement.Inaddition,itgoesagainsttheadvocacy forasocialconstructivistapproach indealingwiththerealityofdiversityandcomplecityinECEC(Urbanetal,2011,Peeters,2008,PeetersandVandenbroeck,2011).

1.4 Questioningtheinstrumentalisationofparents

Severalscholarscontestedtheinstrumentalisationofparentswithinthedebatesonparentalinvolvement. In the last OECD reports for example, the two-way dialogical process ofknowledgeexchangebetweenparentsandstaffwasleftout(OECD,2012).Bypredefiningthepurposeandmodalitiesofparentalinvolvement,thegovernmentandECECstaffmanagestothinkforparents,yetnotwithparents(RaynaandRubio2010).Parentscanhelptheirchildrentoachievethelearningoutcomesthattheschoolorgovernmenthasset.Hence,theyarelessinvolvedindiscussionsonthekindofpreschooleducationorsocietytheywantfortheirchildandthemselves(Garnier2010b,Vandenbroeck,DeStercke,andGobeyn2013,Brougère2010,Doucet 2011a, Hughes and Mac Naughton 2000, Lawson 2003). Based on a.o. Foucault,Dahlstedt(2009) introducedtheconceptof ‘parentalgovernmentality’ inwhichparentsareindirectly recruited into the teacher’s project to foster pupils learning in line with theconventionoftheschools(Dahlstedt,2009).Inthisinstrumentalisationdiscourse,participationhas an inherent preventive value in terms of avoiding school failure. Parents need to beactivatedtoadoptamorepresentroleinthelearningoftheirchildren.

Oneof the side effectsof thisdiscourse is thatnon-participationofparents is consideredaproblem.(Bouverne-DeBieetal.2013;Bouverne-DeBieetal.,2012;Brougère2010).

InoneofthelastOECDreports(2012)forexampleOECDcountriesrepeatedlyreportedthatespeciallypoorandmigrantparentsdonotengagethemselvesenoughinpreschoolsbecauseofalackofinterestandcarewhichaccordingtootherscholarsisconsideredapervasivemyth(Crozier andDavies 2007, Tobin, Arzubiaga, and Adair 2013, Lawson 2003, Doucet 2011a,OECD2012).Onthecontrary,fewqualitativestudiesdemonstratedthatparentsareabsolutelyinterestedintheirchild’seducationbutfacemanyproblemslikeunclearexpectationsonbehalfofthepreschool,experienceofinstitutionalracism,feelingsofintimidationbythestaff,andthedaily struggle to survive (Tobin, Arzubiaga, and Adair 2013, Garnier 2010a, Crozier 2005,Jeunejeanetal.2014,Doucet2011b,Vandenbroeck,DeStercke,andGobeyn2013).Anotheressentialfeatureofthisinstrumentalisationdiscourseisthatparentswhodonot‘participate’needtolearntoparticipate.Doucet(2011a)andDahlstedt(2009)problematisedthatwaysto


increaseparentalinvolvementareactuallycodesorimplicitstrategiestosocializeparentstothemainstreamwhitemiddleclass norms but still within a inequitable educational project(Doucet2011a,Dahlstedt2009).

Bouverne-DeBie(2013,2012)andBrougère(2010)contestedthepopulardiscourseontheinstrumentalisationofparentsbyunderliningthatparticipationisanontologicalfact:peopleliveinaparticipatoryworldandrealparticipationconcernscreatingsocietalpossibilitiesandspacesfordialogueandnegotiation,notnecessarilyinaconsensuswaybutalsowithspacefordissensus as society consists out of multiple, often contradictory interests, values anddefinitionsofwellbeing(Bouverne-DeBieetal.2013,Bouverne-DeBieetal.2012,Brougère2010, Doucet 2011a). Some scholars accentuated that more dialogue will not improve therelationshipunlessthepoliticsofknowledgefromtheparentsandthestaff,underpinningthecommunication,arethoroughlyanalysed:Inwhatwayscantheparentalknowledgeofchildrenequally be as acknowledged as the practitioner’s knowledge of children? (Hughes andMacNaughton2000,Brougère2010,Cardona,Jain,andCanfield-Davis2012).OneofthemainissuesaccordingtoLightfoot(2004)enHughesandMacNaughton(2000)forexampleisthatmanypreschool programs start from the assumption that only one normative path for childdevelopmentandlearningexists,whichoughttobemasteredbypreschoolstaff.Consequentlytheknowledgeofparentsisconsideredsubordinatetothe‘expertise’knowledgeofpreschoolstaff even in caseswhere preschools genuinelywant to respect parents’ wishes and homecultures(Lightfoot2004,HughesandMacNaughton2000).ThescholarlyworkofFreire(1996)onthe‘cultureofsilence’clarifiedhowinthesedominantschoolsystemsparentsexperienceaninternalizedoppressionwhichoftentranslatesitselfintoaconformitywiththedominantnormsofthepreschool(Freire1996).

In line with this instrumentalisation critique, children as well tend to be made passive inpracticesonparentalinvolvement.

ThechallengeishowECECcentresvaluetheactualparticipationandinterestofparentsanddevelop positive democratic approaches of creating quality together. A similar approach isfoundinliteraturefocusingonworking‘with’familiesinsteadof‘onbehalf’ofthem(seeGuarraandLucianoandreferencesthere,2014;Rayna,Rubio,&Scheu,H.2010),whichcreateswaymoreopportunitiesforexchangeandpowerfulreciprocityandthusavoidingtheriskofpowerimbalance.

ParentparticipationinECECpractice:whyandhow?


2.1 Theneedforreciprocity

Although Bronfenbrenner is often used in research to instrumentalise parents,Bronfenbrenner’soriginalreadingsweren’tmeantinaninstrumentalway!Takingastepbackand lookingat the issue inabroaderperspective,wecanseehowBronfenbrenner’s(1979)ecologicalapproach,highlightsthemanyinteractionsbetweenhumansandthe(actorswithin)theirsurroundingenvironment.Environmenthasagreatinfluenceonhuman’sdevelopmentalprocess. In education, practitioners, parents and children are all considered as part of theschoolsystem,andBronfenbrenner’secologicalapproachhasfavoredincreasedattentionforthe position and role of parents. According to that approach, participation is a reciprocalprocesswhere practitioners, parents and children act together and influence each other inordertobuildtruecooperativerelationships.Thechildalso,isconsideredasadynamicentitythatdevelopswithintheenvironmenthe/shelivesin,withbothfamilyandschoolbeingthetwomajorcontributors.

2.2 Parentsasassets

HendersonandMapphavestressedthat“programsthatsuccessfullyconnectwithfamiliesandcommunity invite involvement, arewelcoming and address specific parent and communityneeds.”Theyexplainthat“relationshipsmatter.”Howparentsandcommunitymembersareviewedandtreatedbyschoolstaff—asassetstotheprocessofraisingachievementratherthanasliabilities”andthe“levelofsocialtrustcanpredictthequalityoftheschool.”Oneofthebestwaystoseeparentsasassetsistoinvolvetheminshareddecisionmakingaroundchildren’slearning, development, and social life in the classroomand school.Henderson et al. (2007)identify four core beliefs that should serve as the foundation for the work ofeducators/schools/earlyyears’programsinengagingfamilies:

1) Educatorsmustbelievethatallparentshavedreamsfortheirchildrenandwantthebestforthem.

2) Educatorsmustbelievethatallparentshavethecapacitytosupporttheirchildren’slearning.

3) Parentsandschoolstaffshouldbeequalpartners.

4) Theprimaryresponsibilityforbuildingpartnershipsbetweenschoolandhomerestsprimarilywiththeschoolstaff.

Practitionersarealsopositivelyaffectedfromtheirco-operationwithparents,andthroughthatco-operation they can positively affect their work with the children. It is important forpractitioners to be aware of children’s needs and background in order to provide theappropriatesupportforeachchild.Parentsaretheexpertsontheirchildrenandcantherefore


bethemostvaluableadvisorsforpractitioners,andwhenarelationshipoftrustisdevelopedbetweenthem,thebenefits forchildrenwillbeevenmore,affectingtheirwholepersonality(Smith, et al, 2013). In a case studyof anorthern ItalianECEC service,GuerraandLuciano(2014)describehowimprovingthecooperationanddeepeningtherelationbetweenstaffandparentshelpedtheprofessionalstoworktowardsmoresatisfyingresponsestocertain,veryconcrete,criticalissuesregardingparentsandtheir(lackof)involvementintheservice.

2.3 Notservingjustonepredefinedgoal

Luciano&Guerra(2013)considerparentparticipationasamutualprocessbetweenadultsandchildren,servingmultiplegoals:

• Parent participation is a responsibility of community services, which shall embodyparticipation not only as a democratic value, but also as a means to avoid socialexclusion.Everyparentshouldfeelwelcomedandfreetoexpresshisopinion.

• Parent participation is a responsibility of educational institutions, which need to beorganizedwithcareandpedagogicalwork.Practitionersandcommunitiesmustbeverywellinformedaboutthefactorsaffectingparentparticipation.

• Parentparticipation is a responsibility of the entire community,which is part of theprocess.Children,parents,practitioners,professionals,peopleworkinginservicesandothercitizensarepartoftheparticipationprocess.

• These people have common goals and share the opportunity to contribute to theimprovement of the educational institutions in many ways, such as by helping thedevelopmentofacommonproject,orinvolvinginmanagementdecisions

NotethattheCAREresearchaswelldefinesconstructivedialogueasaqualityindicatorbutalsopointsoutthattheremaynotalwaysbeagreementone.g.goalsandvalues(p.21).Infactitadds that different views can come up on issues like quality and wellbeing, in beliefs andpreferencesregardingchildrearingandsocializationingeneral.Thesedifferencesmayhavetodowithdifferences insocialandculturalbackground(ornot?).Even then,according to theCAREresearches, themutual trustandongoingdialoguebetweenparentsandpractitionersremainsvital.ThisprocessofsearchingforagreementandpossiblyadaptingECECpracticetoparents’ views, beliefs and preferences, does contribute to the cultural accessibility andinclusivenessofECEC.Atthesametime,thisdoesnotmeanthatcertainelementsofqualityofECEC, asdevelopedbyprofessional knowledgeand scientific evidence shouldbedeleted.Aprofessionalsystemischaracterizedbystrivingforconsensusinviews,beliefsandpreferencesthroughdialogue,andinformedbyprofessionalstandardsbasedonexperienceandscientificevidence.


Basedon the conceptof educational co-responsibility,partnershipandeducational alliance,Guerra and Luciano (2014) state that this element ofmutual accountability of parents andprofessionalstobeinvolvedandcommittedtowardsthechildrenfirstandforemost,doesshiftthefocusandmakesparentparticipationgobeyondmerelyinformingparents,oreducatingparents in ‘how to be good and competent parents’ towards creating close relationships,cooperationandco-education.

2.4 Arightbasedapproachofequityandrespectfordiversity

The ethical framework of theDECET4 principles may also serve as an inspiration for thedevelopment of an alternativeways of thinking and speaking about parent participation npreschooleducation (DECET,2007).This framework isbasedon theUNConventionon theRightsoftheChildandisappliedtopreschooleducation,asoutlinedbelow:

“All childrenandadultshave theright toevolveand todevelop inacontextwhere there isequityandrespectfordiversity.Children,parentsandeducatorshavetherighttogoodqualityinearlychildhoodeducationservices,freefromanyformof-overtandcovert,individualandstructural-discriminationduetotheirrace,colour,sex, language,religion,politicalorotheropinion,national,ethnicorsocialorigin,property,disability,birthorotherstatus”(inreferencetoArticle2,UNConventionontheRightsoftheChild,1989).DECETconsistentlyadvocatesthatallchildren,parents,practitionersandlocalcommunities:

•feelthattheybelong

•areempoweredtodevelopthediverseaspectsoftheiridentity

•canlearnfromeachotheracrossculturalandotherboundaries

•canparticipateasactivecitizensinECEC

•activelyaddressbiasthroughopencommunicationandawillingnesstogrow

•worktogethertochallengeinstitutionalformsofprejudiceanddiscrimination.

ECEC should indeed be a place where children, parents, staff, and local communities canparticipate in democratic educational practices (Jésu, 2010; Rayna & Rubio, 2010; Doucet,Lawson).ThisisnotaneasymissionduetothefactthatECECarestilloftenstrictlypredefinedandorganisedinafairlyhierarchicalway.Consideringtheexistingdiversityandsocietalpowerdifferences amongst families, practitioners and local communities, democratic practice is aconstantsearchforawaytocreateconditionswhereeveryonehastherighttobeheardand

4DECET(DiversityinEarlyChildhoodEducationandTraining)bringstogetherdifferentEuropeanorganisationsandprojectswithcommongoalsaboutthevalueofdiversityinearlychildhoodeducationandtraining.DECETaimsatpromotingandstudyingdemocraticECEC,andacknowledgingthemultiple(culturalandother)identitiesofchildrenandfamilies.Seeallonwww.decet.org


experience respect, recognition, solidarity, care and a sense of belonging. Quality in thisapproachistheinventingandreinventingofwaysinwhichECECcanfunctionforallchildrenandfamiliesbynegotiatingmeaningsamongallstakeholders.

2.5 Suggestions

Both,theOECDreport(2012)andtheEuropeanQualityframeworkforECEC(2014)givesomesuggestions on how to install and sustain parent participation in ECEC both on policy orinstitutionallevel,inspiredbyexamplesfromcountriesallovertheworld.Someexamples:

• ParentparticipationshouldbeembeddedinECECpolicy.Thisway,itisanobligationforECECtoworkonthatandarightforparentstoengage(ornot).EveryECECserviceshouldfindappropriatewaysforfamiliestoparticipate5.

• Financialresources,preferablypublicfunds,shouldbeprovidedtoparent’sassociations.Thiscan improve thequality levelof theservicesandcanstrengthentheroleofparentassociationsinthecommunity.

• ParentsshouldbeengagedinamanagementbodyoftheECECservices6.Atthesametime,however, the European Included study and a study of VanAvermaet et al (2013) havedemonstratedthate.g.formalwaysofparentparticipationsuchasschoolboardsarenotalwaysaseffectiveatinvolvingallparentsinschoollife.

• Parentscouldbealsoengagedinsettingthecurriculum7.• Practitioners and other staff should be trained to involve parents. The CoRe study

demonstratedclearlythatinvolvingparentsisaninherentpartofECECprofessionalism.ThecurriculaofmanyEuropeancountriesdonotsufficientlyprepareECECpractitionersforthis(Urbanetal.,2011;VanLaere,2012)

• Parents should be providedwith supportmaterials. Example activities,websites, toys,writteninformation,counselingetc.couldbeprovidedtoparents.

• Organizedmeetingsandactivitieswithparentsor ‘contactbooks’betweenpractitionersandparentsshouldbeprovided.

• Freeservicesforvulnerablefamiliesshouldalsobeprovided.(Atthesametime,offeringfreeservicesforsomegroupscanalsoincreasethebarrieroffeelingstigmatized.)

• ParentsshouldparticipateinevaluatingtheECECprovisions.Inmanycountries,parentshave the right to evaluate provisions or curricular activities mainly by visits andobservationsinECECunits.

5E.g.Haveparentsintheschoolboard(Manitoba,Canada).6E.g.NorwayhasestablishedanationaladvisoryboardofparentsforECEC.Theboardmakesparents’voicestobeheardinECECpoliciesandalsoprovidestheMinistrywithadviceonthecooperationbetweenschoolsandfamilies.EachECECisrequiredtohaveaparentcouncil.7E.g.InKorea,Japan,Spainandothercountriesparentsaremembersofthecurriculumreviewcommittee.InNorway,parentsareactivelyinvolvedbyestablishingtheannualplanforpedagogicalactivitiesinECECunits.Everyunitdrawsupitsannualplanandincludesparentsasitsmembers.


• Parentparticipationshouldbeevaluatedinordertoproceedinanynecessarychanges.These examples show thatmany differentways of participation can bemeaningful if ECECprovision can create theappropriateenvironment forparents to feelwelcomedand free toexpressthemselves.TheEQF(p.25)furtheraddsthat:“inordertoberesponsive,educationalpracticesneedtobeco-constructedwithchildrenandtheirfamilies.ParentalinvolvementneedstobebasedonanequalpartnershipwithECECprovidersand include:democraticdecision-making structures(e.g. parental committee) for themanagement of ECEC services; staffwith anopen-mindeddisposition towards challenging traditional practices. Parents may have differing needs totakenintoaccount-ECECservicesshouldbecommittedtonegotiatingtheirpracticeandvaluesinacontextwherecontrastingvaluesandbeliefsemerge.”

Romewasn’tbuiltinaday....Parent participation is an ongoing process, which is continuing, gradual, complex and hasseveral stages. Practitioners need to keep in mind that building true relationships andcooperatewith parents is a process that takes time. Relationshipswith parents are aboutsharingandmutualexchange,notaboutthedisputeofpower. Parentsshouldparticipateineducationinordertomeettheneedsoftheirchildren,increasethewellbeingoftheirchildrenandthentoimprovetheirschoolperformance.Thispartnershipshallaimattheestablishmentof a true relationship, with practitioners and parents learning with and from each other(Bouchard,2002;Bouchard,Kalubi&Sorel,2011;Wright,Block,&Unger,2008).Again,itisimportanttoacknowledgethepower-balanceinthisrelationship.Whileitshouldn’tbeapowerplay, it sometimes is because of the different types of knowledge at stake. Practices oninforming, instructing and motivating parents are rather top-down practices (see Jansen,forthcoming)andtheseinequalitiesinknowledge-powercanbeabarrierforparticipation.

Tobuildrelationsof trust, it is important to invest facilitatingthetransition fromthehomeenvironmenttochildcare.Practitionershavetoknowandbetrulyinterestedinparent’sviewandculture.Parentswillbetheonestogiveimportantinformationaboutchild’stemperamentandhabits.Allthisinformationexchangewillenhancethequalityoftheeducationalprocess,andwillhelppractitionerstocreatetruerelationshipswithchildren.Theconstructionofthisrelationship does not come naturally or automatically, it needs active investment of theprofessionals’work.Inreturn,gainingthiskindofknowledgeaboutthechild,willenablethepractitionerstoimprovetheirwork.Itisalsoimportantforpractitionerstorealizethatparentswouldliketoremainthefirstownersoftheirparentingprojectanddonotneedsomeonetogivethemadviceaboutwhatgoodparentingis. Parentsneedsupport, inaformofcreating


socialsupportbetweentheparentsthemselvesandthepractitioners(Geens&Vandenbroeck,2013).

3.1 Themanyvariationsinparticipation

Different models and levels of parent participation are described in literature. Althoughparticipationneedstobedevelopedinthegivencontext,withthegivenpartners,someideasormodelscanserveasinspiration.

Wright,etal(2008),noticesfourdevelopmentalstagesintheprocessofparentparticipation:

a. Non-participation:Practitionersgivecommandsandinstructions.b. Pre-participation:Practitionersinformandlistentoparents.c. Participation:Practitionersandparentsdecidetogether.d. Meta-participation:Practitionersandparentsworktogetherasasystem.

Quite often, practitioners believe that participationmeans simply informing parents aboutissuesthatcomeup,butinfactthatisonlythepre-participationstage.Everysinglestageisbuilton one another and is one of the preconditions to ensure effective participation and buildpositiverelationshipsbetweenpractitionersandparents(Duncan,etal,2010).

According to Milani (2012) there are five developmental stages in the process of parentparticipation and several practices following these stages. The stages are summarized asfollows:

a.Inform:talks&meetings,

b.Listen:severalkindsofcommunicationinordertogettothechildandthefamilybetter,

c.Facilitatetheparticipation:openclass,excursions,jointactivities,

d.Include:workshops,discussiongroups,useofchild’sjournal,

e.Support:supporttheroleofparents,meetingswithexperts,seminars.

According to Duncan, One, Royce, TePunga-Jurgens, Shaw, Eaton, & Thomas (2010), therelationshipbetweenparentsandpractitionersshouldbecharacterizedby:

• Authenticity, where partners respect each other and make efforts in building trustingrelationships.

• Sustainability,whenparentsfocusonenrichingtheirknowledgeaboutchildrenandmakerelationshipswithotherfamilies.

• Intentionality,whenpractitionerssupportparentswithspecific,caringactivities.• Embedding,thatmeansbeingexemplarandaffectthelifeofthewidercommunity.

Inordertoensureeffectiveparticipation,therearesomeprinciplesthathavetobetakenintoaccountsuchas:


• Parentsandpractitionersworktogethertosupportchildren;• Participationcreatesa two-waycollaborationandcommunication. Childrenparentsandpractitionersareequal.Parentsandpractitionersaren’tauthoritarianorstrictandchildrenarenotrestrictedintheirfeelings,senses,andattitude;

• Alldecisionsmustleadtoresultswhichareacceptablebybothsides;• Participation is a goal related to real life (Andrist, 2007; Duncan, et al., 2010).

Themostimportantfactorsaffectingparentparticipationareononehandthatparentsrealizetheycancontributetotheirchildren’sdevelopment,andontheotherhandthatpractitionersmakeparentsfeelwelcomedatschool(Smithetal.,2013).Theprimarymotivationforparentsto become involved appears to be a belief that their actions will improve their children’slearningandwellbeing.Inadditionparentsareinvolvedmoreiftheyperceivethatschoolstaffandstudentsbothwantandexpecttheirinvolvement(Henderson&Mapp,2002).Inordertobuildastrongrelationshipandnotjustanyrelationshipwithparents,practitionersshouldhavea clear plan about it, and assign roles to adults and children (Guerra &Luciano, 2009).Practitioners should alsomake positive connectionswith parents and provide a variety ofactivities and opportunities to fully engage parents. Schools must also sustain parentengagementbykeepingparentsengaged(Henderson&Mapp,2002).


3.2 Roundupconsiderations

Allinall,itisapparentthatauthentic,meaningfulandrespectfulparentparticipationdoesnotshape itself. It requires continuedattentionand it appeals stronglyuponprofessionalswhoneed to invest in this. It requires work, pedagogical support and instruments (likedocumentation), initial and on-the-job training, competence development and supportivepolicies(GuerraandLuciano,2014).

Conclusively,withallitsdifferentgoals,modelsandunderlyingvaluesandmeanings,itshouldbeclearthatthereisnorealandvaliddefinitiontobefoundfor‘parentparticipation’.Whatwedoknowisthatitisaboutasareciprocalprocesswherepractitioners,parents,childrenandthecommunityworktogether,engageinrespectfuldialogueanddefiningcertaingoalsincommon.Thesecommonlyagreedgoalsmayrefertoseveraldifferentissuesatstakeandmaybelessormoreambitious,e.g.gettingtoknowandunderstandeachotherbetter,improvingexchangeofinformationbothways,guaranteeingandimprovingchildren’swell-being,improvingqualityinECEC,etc.Theessentialpointofdemocraticandmeaningfulparticipation,remainingthatallpartiescanfreelycontributeintohowthisprocesswilltakeshapeandhow,ifany,thegoalswillbedefined.


ParentparticipationinECECinEuropeIn the field practice, there is a significant variety among the parent participation activitiesimplemented in different territories or countries, based on different approaches anddifferences in culture, curricula or laws. The EQUAP project aims at demonstrating parentparticipationpractices acrossEurope. The sevenEuropean country-partnersof theEQUAPproject have provided basic information about parent participation in their countries, as itstandsnowinpolicyandpractice8.Ashortreviewofthesepoliciesandpracticesisgivenhere.

4.1 Greece

ItwasalreadyreportedthattheGreekECECisasplitsystemwithacleardistinctionbetweennurseries (0-2.5 years) or preschools (2.5-5 years) and kindergartens (4-6 years).Kindergartensareconsideredas integralpartofGreekPrimaryEducation (up to12years).ECECinGreece isoffered:a) inpublic&privatekindergartensunderthesupervisionof theMinistryofEducation,b)Inpublicandprivatenurseriesandpreschoolsunderthesupervisionofmunicipalities.Childrenmayattendkindergartensattheageoffour,attendancehowever,iscompulsoryonlyforchildrenattheageoffiveyears.Anall-daypreschoolprogramoperatesinparalleltotheordinarykindergartenprogramwithabroadeneddailyschedule.AccordingtotheLaw2525/199,theaimofall-daykindergartenistosupportworkingparentsandreinforcetheroleofstatecareinordertoeliminateanyeducationalorsocialdiscrimination(Eurydice,1/3/16).

ParentparticipationinGreeceECECwasnotestablishedforalongtime.Onlyin2006,theGreekMinistry of Education published official policy papers regarding the value of parentparticipation. The policies related to parent participation alongwith the forms of teacher-parent cooperation are described in three official documents: The Kindergarten Teacher’sGuide (Dafermou, Koulouri, & Basagianni, 2006), the Parent’s Guide (Vrinioti, Kiridis,Sivropoulou-Theodoriadou, & Hrisafidis, 2008) and the All-day Kindergarten Guide(Aleuriadou, Vrinioti, Kiridis, Sivropoulou-Theododiadou, & Hrisafidis, 2008). These threedocumentsapartofprovidinginstructionsabouttheimplementationofthecurriculum,theyalso provide to practitioners generic guidelines about engaging parents in their children’seducation.Allthreedocumentsacknowledgeparentsasmajorcontributorstotheirchildren’sdevelopmentandprogress.

Basedontheabovethreeofficialdocumentspractitionersshouldmakesurethattheyfollowsome of the recommended practices in order to involve parents. Recommendations forenhancingparentparticipationarebasedonpracticessuchas:a)scheduledgroupmeetingswith parents of an entire class, b) scheduled individualmeetings with parents in order todiscuss specific problems, c)seminars by experts in order to inform parents about several8Seealsotheequapwebsite


scientific topics regarding their children’s development, d) parents’ groups (workshops)discussingeducationalissuese)afew-minutecommunicationwhenparentsduringarrivalanddeparturetimes,f)useofnoticeboardslocatedattheschoolentrancewithwrittenadvicesandnotesconcerningchilddevelopment,guidelinesforpracticesthatcanbeimplementedathome,or even information about practices taking place in school, g) phone communication, h)communicationdiarycarriedinstudents’schoolbag,i)participationinproceduresrelatedwithschool projects, innovative programs, visits, excursions, j) parents’ council, in order tocontributetotheschoolfunction,k)voluntaryparentalworkinschoolsorforschool.Although,there aremanyways that parents can participate in their children’s education, there is noofficialstateprogramregardingthemodesandmethodsoffamily-schoolcommunicationandparticipation.

ResearchfindingsshowthatparentparticipationinGreekECECisnotverywellestablishedandprovidelowqualityofcommunication(Manolitsis,2004;Papandreou,2009;Papandreou,Birbili, & Martidou, 2009; Rekalidou & Penderi, 2010; Rentzou, 2011). Manolitsis (2004)examinedthefrequencyandstructureofparentparticipationinGreeceandconcludedthatthemost common typesofparentparticipationwereactivities takingplaceoutsideschools, forexampleathome.Communicationbetweenparentsandpractitionersdidnotappeartobeveryfrequent.Studiesshowedthatthemostfrequentwayofcommunicationbetweenpractitionersandparentsoccursduringarrivalanddeparturetimes(Sakellariou&Rentzou,2007;Rekalidou&Penderi,2010). SakellariouandRentzou (2007)argued thatpractitionersdidnotusuallymotivateparentsforaclosercollaboration.Thoughparentsareunlikelytobeinvolvedintheirchildren’seducation,studiesrevealedthatwhenpractitionersmotivatethemtheyareeagertoget involved actively (Papandreou, 2009; Sakellariou, 2008). Practitioners seem to initiatecommunicationwithparentsmainlytoinformthemaboutthecurriculumorscheduledevents,orwhenlearningdisabilitiesandbehavioralproblemsaredetected.Usuallytheyarereluctantto collaboratewith parents, probably because they think that parentsmay involve in theirpedagogicalworkinanappropriatemanner(Papandreou,Birbili,&Martidou,2009;Rentzou,2011).

Thequality indicators of parent participation inGreecewere extractedby limited researchfindingsandbasedmainlyonsomeofficialreports.Theycanbecategorizedata three-levelframe. At the lower level, parents are able to participate mainly by being informed.Practitionersprovidenotes,encourageparentstobeinvolvedintheprogramofpreschoolorattendaclass,whiletheprogramisrunning,communicateinformallywhenthechildarrivesorleavespreschool. Atthegoodlevel,parentsaremoreactively involved. Theyareverywellinformedabout theeducationalprocedures, theyareusually invitedtoparticipate inschoolactivities,andhavetheopportunitytoobservethegroupinwhichtheirchildwillbeenrolled.Practitionersalsomakesurethatthereisaspecificspaceforparentsinschool,andpreparescheduledindividualmeetingswithparentsthroughouttheacademicyear. Attheexcellentlevel,parentsarepartoftheschoolsystem.Theyparticipateintheevaluationoftheschool


program(interviews,questionnaireforparentsetc.)or/andtheycanbemembersoftheschoolboard.Theyarealsoinformedbywrittennotesabouttheirchildren’sacademicachievements,have access in their portfolios, and participate in workshops offered by experts or thepractitionersintheschool.

4.2 Portugal

TheFrameworkLawofPre-schooleducation(Lawno.5/97,10thFebruary),definesECECasthefirststepintheeducationalsystem.Italsorecognizesitasacomplementofparents’roleintheirchildren’seducation. Preschooleducationisanoptionalcycleforchildrenfrom3-5year-olds,butfromtheschoolyearof2016/17on,theuniversalityofpreschooleducationisrecognizedforchildrenfrom4-6yearolds(Lawno.65/2015,3rdJuly).Thereisapublicandaprivate network of early childhood education institutions, which are complementary. ThePublic network is composed of education institutions under theMinistry of Education andtheMinistryofLabor,SolidarityandSocialSecurity.Theprivatenetworkiscomposedoffor-profit and non-profit education institutions. Those are private and cooperative educationinstitutions,inthefirstcase,andprivateinstitutionsforsocialsolidarity(IPSS),inthesecondcase.AlltheseorganizationsprovidingeducationalservicesinPortugueseECECfrom3-5yearsoldremainunderthetutelageoftheMinistryofEducation;Educational“services”tochildrenunder3yearsoldisduebytheMinistryofLabor,SolidarityandSocialSecurity.

InPortugal,parentparticipationwaslegalizedin1986,almostadecadeaftertheendofthedictatorship period. The most common way of (collective) participation was ‘parents’associations,’whichwereincorporatedinschoolmanagement.Ithasbeenseenoverthepastdecadestheemergenceandgrowthofvariousformsofparticipationoffamiliesinpreschooleducation.The individual or collective partnership with families, have shown the importance foreducators to meet the different social and cultural backgrounds of the children and theircontexts,whenplanningtheireducationalaction.

UntilnowparentparticipationinPortugalcouldbecharacterizedaslegalized,butlackingofaclear national implementation strategy and official guidelines. In 2016 the ‘pre-schoolcurriculumorientations’(MinistryofEducation,2016)—REFERENCE:Dispatchnº9180/2016of19JulymightbeconsideredasthelegalregulationsforparentparticipationinPortugalECEC.ThesenormsandregulationsfortheinterventionofearlychildhoodeducatorsemphasizetheimportanceofprofessionalstopotentiatethefamilyinvolvementinECEC,alsopresentsomeconsiderationsonhow todoso.Focus the importanceof the relationship that theeducatorestablisheswith each family, considering that both are co-educators of the same child; thecommunicationisvitalandithastotakeplacethroughinformalexchanges(oralorwritten)oratplannedtimes(meetingswitheachfamily).


These “Preschool curriculum orientations” present some strategies that potentiate allparents/familiesparticipationineducationaldynamics(forexample,invitingparentstotakepartinpreschoolactivitiesorinformingthemabouttheachievementsoftheirchildren)andincollective organizational relationship of the educational establishment (for example, thecreationofparentsassociationsandtheirparticipationintheeducationalproject).

Therelevanceofthepartnership,individualandcollective,withfamilies, isalsogiveninthesense of facilitating the transition of children from family environment to crèche, to startpreschooleducation,forothereducationalcontextsandalsoforprimaryeducation.

Recently,scientificresearchalongwith‘goodpractices’andparentparticipationprojectshascontributedinestablishingeffectivestrategiestowardsanactiveparentparticipation.Severalresearch practices and studies developed in Portugal have addressed quite successfullydifferent dimensions of the parent participation in school life. New research topics haveemerged around the relation between family and school; some of them focusing in theimportance of putting the child's point of view as the central perspective in an effectiveparticipationofthechildandnotreducingparticipationtotheactionofchildhoodeducatorsandfamilies.

4.3 Belgium-Flemishcommunity

TheFlemishsystemofECECisasplitsystemwithacleardistinctionbetweenchildcare9(0-2.5/3y)andkindergartenorpre-school (2.5/3y -6y).Therearemanydifferencesbetweenthese two sectors10, but worth mentioning here is that in the childcare sector, parentparticipationhasbeguntobeamoreimportantpartoftheworkthaninthepre-schoolsector.

Childcare

Parent participation is considered to be quite important in Flemish Community childcareprovision. It ismost often viewed as ‘a process of building trust, dialogue, reciprocity andaction’.Parentparticipationhasbeendeveloped inpracticeandhasbeen legallyembeddedsince2014(decreeof20/04/2012intoforceasof01/04/2014,art.3and6).Inordertogettheirlicenseallchildcareprovisionsarelegallyobligatedtoinvolveparents.Thedecreegivessome minimal conditions that childcare services need to implement towards parents: Anobligationtoevaluatethesatisfactionandtheworkinthechildcare,regularconcertationandcommunicationonthepedagogicalapproach,theworkwiththechildandincaseofproblemswiththechild,anydecisionofthelicensingauthorityandaccessforparentstoalltheplaceswherethechildisbeingcaredfor.Parentsalsohavetherighttocomplain,askandlearnaboutthepedagogicalprocess.

9Childcareisprovidedingroupsettings(crèches)orwithaccreditedchildmindersathome.10Differentministries,differentqualifications,differentworkingconditions,differentadult/childratio,differentsafety,hygieneandotherregulations,differentimage....


InFlemishchildcare, there isalsoapedagogical framework,accordingtowhichparentsareconsidered as ‘partners by excellence’. Parent participation is considered a high-qualityindicatorhere,andpractitionersinvestonbuildingstrongrelationshipswithparents.Theideais to meet regularly with parents exchanging information about the children, discussingpedagogical issues, and ideas in order to collaborate and shape their children’s care andeducation together. Childcare isnotreplacingorcompensating theeducationathome, it isaddinganothereducationalcontexttoit.

Thebasicprinciplesare:

- Thebeliefinthefamily’scompetenceandstrength:parentsallwantthebestfortheirchildren.ECECpractitionersneedtorecognizethis,besensitiveandconsiderparentsasthefirsteducator.

- Reciprocalrelationships:educationathomediffersfromtheoneinECEC.Thatisnoproblemifpractitionersinvestinareciprocalrelationshipwithparentsonthiseducation. This means engaging in an ongoing process of being attentive andhavingconsiderationforeachother’sfeelings,experiencesandmeaning-making.Onlywhenparentsfeelrespected,safeandrecognisedasparent,onlywhenopenandhonestcommunicationispossible,childcarecanbemeaningfulforall(child,practitioner,parent).

- Childcare is a meeting place: meeting parents of other children can be veryvaluableandsupportive.Parentscanexchangeviews, ideasandexperiencesonraisingyoungchildrenwithinan informal setting.Thisway theycanoffereachotherinformationbutalsoemotionalandsocialsupportinparenting,outsidetheprofessionalcontextoffamilysupport.

Professionalsdonotonlyworkwithandforthechildren,buttheframeworkalsoappealstotheirresponsibilitiestowardsparents:

- Shape children’s education together: ECEC respects the education at home andcontinuesthisinwithinacontinuousdialoguewiththeparents,bothmothersandfathers.Inthiswaytheycanlearnandunderstandthesocial,economic,culturalandpedagogicalcontextofthehomeenvironmentofthechildrenandusethisinthe childcare work. Childcare professionals need to relate to them withconsiderationandrespect fortheirvaluesandbeliefs.Theparent’s feelingsandideasoneducationcanbe ‘translated’ in childcare,but thisdoesnotmean thateveryparent’sideasshouldbefollowedblindly.TheECECprovidersalsohaveavisiononhowtorelatetochildrenandtheissueistokeepcommunicatingaboutthat.

- Broaden the educational scope of home/family: in ECEC settings children canexpandtheirhorizonandmeettheoutsideworld,otheradultsandpeers,livingin


a larger group, experiencing otherways of play, other languages...Thisway thelearnabouttheother,andsodotheirparents.

- Facilitate participation in society: thanks to ECEC, parents can engage in otherthings as well, such as work, training, higher education and they can bettercombinetheirfamilylifeandtheirworkorotheractivitiestheywanttoengagein.ECECshouldbeflexibleenoughtosupportthisparticipationinsociety.

- Recognizeandsupportconnectedness:parentstonotonlymeetprofessionalsinECEC, they also meet other parents and families. These contacts can offerinformation, support and a sense of being connected. ECEC can facilitate thismeeting aspect, by which they also foster integration, exchange of ideas oneducationandmutualrecognition.

However,weshouldalsomentionthatthesepolicydocumentsareratherrecent(decreeandpedagogicalframeworkboth2014),andisnotyetcompletelyorregularlyimplementedinallchildcare centers. Additional efforts, such as pedagogical coaching and support and self-evaluationinstruments,areinplacetoimprovethepracticeonthefield.

Pre-school

InKindergartenpractice(pre-primaryeducation,ages2,5-6y)lessattentionispaidtothemanydifferentformsofparentparticipation.However,since2004,allschoolshavetheobligationtoinvolve parents and create a participatory environment. The most common way ofparticipationisthroughschoolboards.Everyschoolhastohaveacouncilconsistingofparentsandstaff.Themembersof thecouncilhave theright tobe informedabout issuesrelated toschoolandtherighttobeheardaswell. Aspecificparents’council isoptionalandisbeingcreatedonlywhenatleast10%oftheparentsrequestit.ThereisalsoaparentdelegationisintheFlemishEducationCouncil (VLOR),which is anoverall advisory council for theFlemishgovernment.

Inmanypre-schools,parentalinvolvementisnotamainstreampracticeyet.ArecentstudybyVanLaere(VanLaereetal.,2017,forthcoming)describese.g.whatparentshadtosayinfocusgroupsonhowtheyexperiencepre-schoolandwhatpre-schooleducationmeanstothem.Someoftheresultsshowthattheyarequiteinterestedinwhathappensinpre-schoolclassesbutthattheyhavelittleknowledgeofthat.Thereisalsoquitesomeuncertaintyabouthowtheirchildrenare being cared for and supported in their education (and the differences with the homeenvironment), about the lack of information and communication, about attitudes of thepractitionersetc.Allinall,theyseemtobeinarathersubordinatepositionintheirrelationtobothstaffandtheschoolasaninstitution,whichmakesithardforthemtoreallybepartnersintheirchildren’seducation.

Inspiringpractices


InthedocumentontheFlemishCommunitytwo‘goodpracticeexamples’wereintroduced.Thefirst concerns the city policy of childcare in Ghent, where parent participation is presentthroughout theeducationalprocess. According to thatpolicy, fourgroupsare for themainactorsindevelopingahigh-qualitychildcaresetting:children,parents,staffandcommunity.Everyparentiswelcomedandtreatedwithrespectfordiversity.Thereisspecialattentionforfamilies living in more vulnerable conditions (poverty, migration, single parents, loweducationalleveletc.).Practically,parentstakepartintheactivities,joinscheduledmeetings,volunteeratschool,organizefestivitiestogetheretc.Practicehasshownthat,wheneffortsaremadebythechildcarecenters,allparentscanbeinvolved,includingthosewhoareconsidered‘nottobeinterested’.

ThesecondexampleconcernsanEQuaPpartner,Elmer,acommunity-basedchildcarewithfourcentersindifferentareasofthecapital.AsinGhent,alsoElmer’schildcarepolicyacknowledgesthe four key players for a successful educational process: children, parents, staff andcommunity.Elmer’schildcareisbasedonprinciplesofrespectfordiversityandthebeliefthateveryone should feel a sense of belonging. Every family is welcomed, included vulnerablefamilies, and all are treatedwith care and respect. Parent participation is evident in dailypractice and parents get actively involved, not only in different activities but also in policydevelopmentofElmer. Elmer’schildcareapproachforparentparticipation isconsideredtohavealsoinspiredotherFlemishchildcareservices.

AsitregardsqualityindicatorsinECECforparentparticipationintheFlemishcommunityinBelgium,thedocumentofferssomegeneralpointsofattentionandquestionstoaskratherthanalistofcriteriatobechecked.Indicatively,atthebeginningoftheschoolyearoratthestartofattending childcare, practitioners need tomake all parents feelingwelcomed, and create aclimateoftrust.Duringtheschoolyearorchildcareyears,parentparticipationshallgobeyondasetofparticipationactivities.Conditionsshallbecreatedallowingeveryonetotakepartintheirownway.Throughongoingdialogue,professionalsandparentsneedtofindtheirroleinthepedagogicalprocessanddiscoverwhatwaysworkforthem.Notallparentsarewillingorabletoparticipateinthesameway.Thus,inorderallparentstobeabletojoinin,avarietyofactivitiesshallbeprovided.Pedagogicaldocumentationismentionedinchildcareasapositivetoolforparentparticipation,togetthedialoguegoing,andbywhichparentsandpractitionerscandiscusschildcareissuesasequalsandactuallyparentsgiveveryimportantinformationtopractitioners,sothatpractitionerscangettoknowandunderstandthechildrenbetter.

4.4 Latvia

InLatvia,ECEC lastsone-yearmorecomparedtootherEuropeancountriesaschildren firstattendprimaryeducationattheageofseven.Theattendanceiscompulsoryforchildren5-7yearsandcanalsobeprovidedbyfamilies(homeschooling).Familieseducatingtheirchildrenathomemayreceivesupportatconsultativecenters.ECECforchildrenwithspecialneedsis


implemented in special early childhood educational establishments and groups. Due to thesmallnumberofplacesinpublicECECinstitutions,playcenterscanbeeitherprivate,orpublic,andfunctionasalternativestopre-schooleducation institutions.Themainpurposeof thesecentersistoprovidechildservicesforworkingparents,buttheyareobligedalsotoprovideeducationactivitiesforchildren.

In Latvia, the Education Law (Izglītībaslikums, 1999) recognizes that in order to promotequalityineducation,parentsandsocietyshallbepartsoftheeducationalprocess.TheMinistryofEducationandScienceisinchargeofdevelopingstateguidelinesforECECandalsopatternsof appropriate educational programs based on play as a leading activity (Noteikumi parvalstspirmsskolasizglītības vadlīnijām, 2012). Programs are developed based on a holisticapproach,wherechildren,staff,parentsandcommunityareconsideredaspartsofasuccessfuleducationalprocess.ThereareseveralprogramselaboratedintheRepublicofLatvia,suchasthe program of preschool education till the age of 6, the special education program forpreschools,theprogramsforminoritiestilltheageof6,wheretheRussianandPolishlanguageare taught, the integrated preschool program for 6-year olds, and the integrated preschoolprogramforminorities.

ParentparticipationinLatviaisdefinedasthecollaborationbetweenpractitionersandparentsforexamplethroughmeetings,participationinactivities,ordonationstoECECunits.AlthoughLatviacouldbeconsideredatanearlystageofparentparticipationpracticesthereare‘goodpractices’examples,whichdemonstratethatparentscanactivelyparticipateinECEC,someofthesepracticesarefollowing:

• “ParentAssociationofLatvia”was founded in2011and itsmission is toprovideparentsopportunities to involve for the improvementof theECECenvironment. Theassociationimplements a project on parent education and helps organizing the European ParentAssociation(EPA)conference.

• “Parent Forumof Latvia” took place inRiga onMay2012with representatives from130parentorganizations,schoolboardmembersandparentsfromalloverLatvia.Themaingoalof theForumwas togivevoice toparents,exchange ideas,andput forwardproposals toseveral Ministries about strengthening the role of parents and develop a model ofcollaboration.

• “Open parents” is an organization that unites three Baltic parent associations (ParentassociationofLatvia,EstoniaandLithuania)inordertoeducateparentsandenhancetheircollaborationwitheducationalinstitutes.

• “Friendlyschool”isamovementinitiatedbychildren’srightsprotectioninstitutioninordertobuildhonestandmutualrelationshipsamongparents,practitioners,childrenandschooladministrators.AnothergoalistofindwaystopreventviolenceinECECunits.


• “Program for childrendevelopment” is aprogram implemented in theprimary school ofZakumuizaainspiringtohelpchildrenbecomingusefulmemberofthesociety.Parentsandpractitionerswork togetherhavingagreedon fivevitalcharacteristics that theirchildrenshalldevelop.

Ingeneral,themostfrequentparentparticipationactivitiesinLatviaECECareparents’boards,meetingswithpractitioners&administrators,andparticipationinjointactivitiesforchildren&parentssuchasworkshops,excursions,celebrationsetc.ParentparticipationinLatviaisatadevelopmentallevelandforthisreasonqualityindicatorscannotbepresented.Though,basedon the criteria for practitioners’ evaluation, preschool practitioners are considered thatcooperateeffectivelywithparentswhenshe/he:

• Informparentsabouttheeverydayachievementsoftheirchildren.• Informparentsaboutfeesontime.• Informparentsabouttheactivitiesthattakeplaceinschool.• Provideopportunitiestochildrenandparentstodevelopeducationalmaterials.• Organizeindividualmeetingswithparentsinordertodiscussissuesthatcomeupwiththeirchildren.

• Inviteparentstotakepartinpreschoolactivities.• Organizeeventsandinvolvefamiliesinthem.• Allowparentstojointheeducationalprocessandsharevaluableinformationwithchildren.• Organizeworkshopsandsharetheirexperiencewithparents.

4.5 Slovenia

InSlovenia,ECECisthesameforallchildrenfromtheageofonetosix,andisanintegralpartof the education system. Since 1993, it has been under the supervision of the Ministry ofEducation,whichensurescontinuity frompre-school tobasic schooleducation.Thestate isresponsibleforthenationalpolicy,thelegislativeframeworkandthegeneralprogramofECEC.MunicipalitiesestablishkindergartensandareresponsiblefortheimplementationoftheECECprograms. Theymust provide places for all children ormake call for a concession. ECECeducationisprovidedseparatelyfortwoagegroups,1-3yearsand3-6years.Also,inresponsetoparents’andchildren’sneedsanduponagreementwiththelocalmunicipality,ECECunitscanofferdifferentprograms,suchasfull-day,half-dayorevenshorterones.

InSloveniaparentparticipationwasinplaceintheECECprogrambutisofficiallymentionedin1999 (Bahovec et al., 1999) in Preschool Curriculum, a document that refers to severalobjectivesofECEC. Oneof them is: the cooperationwithparents, and the improvementofinformationforparents.CooperationisdefinedastheobligationoftheECECunitstofollowseveral practices such as: provide parents with written and oral information, prepareindividualmeetingsbetweenpractitionersandparents,preparemeetingswithotherscientists,give parents the right to participate in planning the function of a preschool (Lepičnik &


Vodopivec,2010).CooperationisconsideredasanimportantaspectoftheprovidedqualityinSlovenian ECEC. According to Preschool Institutions Act (Zakon o vrtcih,uradnoprečiščenobesedilo(ZVrt-UPB2),Ur.l.RS,št,100/2005),ECECunitshavetolistformsandprogramsofcooperationwithfamilies,whentheymaketheiryearplan.Itisalsoworthpointing out that parents have the right to participate in the planning of the ECEC units’operation,oroftheactualeducationalworkwhilerespectingpreschoolpractitioners’andpre-school’sautonomy.

In Slovenia there are three levels of quality in ECEC. Taking into account systemic andconceptualsolutionsinSlovenianpreschools,basedonresearchfindingsonindividualqualityindicatorsandonthebasisofalreadydesignedmodelsandapproachesfordeterminingqualityinothercountries,Slovenianauthorshavedevelopedthreebasiclevelsofqualityinpreschools,andwithineachleveladditionaldomainsandindicatorsofqualityinpreschools(MarjanovičUmeketal.,2002).Thefirstlevelisthestructural/contextuallevel,thesecondistheprocesslevelandthethirdistheindirectlevel.Indirectlevelreferstoallthoseinformalopportunitiesand relationships inwhich ECEC education takes place. In this case a child is not directlyinvolved,butisindirectlyaffected.Cooperationbetweenparentsandpractitionersissucharelationship.Therearethreequalityindicatorsoncooperationwithparents:formalformsofcooperation (meetings with parents, lectures for parents, written information for parents,participation in several events,parents’ council), informal formsof cooperation (unplannedconversation between parents and practitioners when the child arrives or leaves school,excursions,workshops)andactiveinvolvementofparents(parentparticipationintheschooloperation,problemsolving)(Marjanovič,etal.,2002).

Inordertogetaninsightofsomeexamplesforthethreeaboveforms,35schoolsfromSloveniawereinvitedtopresenttheir‘goodpractices’aboutparentparticipation.Thefollowingformsofpracticeswerepresented:

I. Formal forms of cooperation: a) individual meetings with parents about their childrendevelopment, b) parental meetings where parents are informed about the program, c)writtenmaterialsandmessagesforparentsaboutseveralissues,d)parents’councilande)workingmeetingsofrepresentativesofpreschool’scouncil

II. Informal forms of cooperation: a) creative activities with children and parents, b)workshops forparents inorder todiscussseveral issues, c)picnics,d) sporteventswithchildrenandparents,e)tripsandexcursions,f)variousfinalmeetings-presentationsfromchildrentotheirparents

III. Active involvement: a) parents spend a daywith their children in preschool in order topresenttheirprofession,presentgamesfromthepast,cooketc.,b)parentscooperatewithpractitionersinordertoplanactivitiesforthewholeyearorevaluateactivitiesattheendoftheyear.


Examplesofgoodpractice,addressingmigrantfamilies,familieswithaminoritybackground,socio-economically(SE)disadvantagedfamiliesetc.initsobjectives,content,ordiversitiesofmodesofimplementationofactivitiesarenotverycommon,buttheycouldbedetectedamongexamples,thatwehavereceived.Inmostcases,preschoolpractitionershavepointedoutthatthey donot have children from familieswith amigrant/minority backgroundor froma SEdisadvantaged family in their group of children. Those practitioners who have thosechildren/familiesincludedintheirgroup,andrecognizetheneedtoadaptformsofcooperationaccording to families' needs, first try to achieve that these families attend events that areplannedand(atfirst,aspassiveparticipants).Whentheyachievethis,preschoolpractitionersprovideallnecessarymaterial for a certainactivity (inordernot tomake family's financialburden even greater) or choose such an activity in which families can use waste/naturalmaterial. When organizing different events, practitioners offer different ways forparent/parent participation: investment of their time (preparation/cleaning) rather thanproviding financial, material resources. Or, for example, arrange meetings/events, whichprimarypurposeistohelpfamiliesinneed(donations,rentorexchange).

QualityindicatorsofparentparticipationinSloveniawerepresentedinanextendedarticleanditisbeyondthepurposesofthepresentreviewtopresentallofthem.QualityindicatorsarepresentedaccordingtoISSA(InternationalStepbyStepAssociation),whichservesaslearningcommunityandachampion forqualityandequity forall childrenand their families,andofwhich Slovenian partner is a member. Quality indicators about parent participation, asdevelopedbyISSA,andendorsedandimplementedbySlovenianpartnerin(pre-)schoolswithwhichthepartnerscooperate,arethefollowing:

• Knowledgeandappreciationoffamiliesandcommunitiesstrengthenrelationshipswithandamongthem.

• Sensitive, respectful and reciprocal communication with families supports children’sdevelopmentandlearning.

• Servicesarebestprovidedinpartnershipswithfamilies.• Inclusionprovidesequalopportunitiesforeverychildandfamilytoparticipate.• Inclusionispromotedthroughpartnershipswithfamilies.

(Source:http://issa.nl/content/quality-framework-birth-three-services)

• Theeducatorinvitesandwelcomesfamilymembersintotheclassroomandfindswaysforallfamiliestoparticipateintheeducationalprocessandlifeofthelearningcommunity.

• Theeducator involves familymembers in shareddecision-makingabout their children’slearning,development,andsociallifeintheclassroom.

• Theeducatorinvolvesfamilymembersindecision-makingconcerningchildren’slearningenvironments.


• Theeducatorregularlycommunicateswithfamiliesabouttheirchildren,theirlearninganddevelopment,curriculumrequirements,andtheeventsintheclassroom.

• Theeducatorregularlycommunicateswithfamiliestolearnaboutachild’sbackgroundinordertogaininsightsonthechild’sstrengths,interests,andneeds.

• Theeducatorpromotesopportunitiesforfamiliestolearnfromoneanotherandtosupporteachother.

• Theeducatorusesknowledgeofchildren’scommunitiesandfamiliesasanintegralpartofthecurriculumandtheirlearningexperiences.

• Theeducatoroffersinformationandideasforparentsandfamilymembersonhowtocreateastimulatinghomelearningenvironmentandhelpstostrengthenparentcompetences.

• The educator treats every family with respect, dignity, and consideration and finds ways toinvolvethemintheirchild’seducation.

• Theeducatorandfamilymembersshareinformationregardingchildren’sprogressandinterestsandtogethercreateshort-termandlong-termindividualgoals.(Source:http://www.issa.nl/sites/default/files/Quality-Principles-final-WEB.pdf)

4.6 Italy

InItalytheexistingsystemofECECischaracterizedasa“split”systemprovidingservicesforpreschool(0-3years)andkindergarten(3-6years).It isworthmentioningthatintherecentyearsthecontinuityofthelearningprocessfrom3to14yearsiswidelydiscussed.

Municipalitiesorprivateinitiativessupervisetheservicesprovidedforchildrenbetween0-3years.AccordingtothelatestreportoftheEuropeanCommission,Italyhasalowpercentageofchildren’sattendanceinpreschoolservices(26%).Itisalsoremarkablethatinfact,thereisnota formalcurriculum,butonlysomegeneralguidelinesandtargets. ParentparticipationwasinitiallymentionedintheNationalLawin1971,wherenurserieswereofficiallyestablishedwiththeaimofprovidingatemporarysafekeepingofchildrenandassistfamilies.Nurseriesarethefirstinstitutionsthatcareandprotectchildrenafterthefamily.AccordingtotheaboveLaw,families,representativesofsocialgroupsandpractitionersoperatethenurseriestogether.Nowadays, nursery schools are recognized as places of education and learning for youngchildren.Thereisanexplicitreferencetotheparticipationoffamilies,wherenurseriesshallprovidemanyopportunitiestoparentstoengageintheirschedule.

Ontheotherhand,childrenattendingkindergartens(3-6years)havereachedthepercentageof95%.KindergartensaresupervisedbytheMinistryofEducation,UniversityandResearch.In somemunicipalitiesof Italy, thereare0-6years services, characterizedbyapedagogicalconsistencyandcontinuity.Aformalcurriculumisprovidedforthesegment3-6thatformalizestheaimsofECEC.Moreover,andsuggestsspecificeducationalmethods.Parentparticipationhasbeen legally introduced in1973,buthadbeen limitedat the conceptof representation,


failingtoprovidesufficientresults.Sincethe90snewlawshavebeenimplementedandparentparticipationisencouragedinmanywaysandisalsoconsiderednecessaryfortheeducationalprocess.

In 2014, the bill n. 1260/2014 mentioned that there is a need for educational continuitybetweennurseryandpreschoolandalsothereisaneedforparentstoactivelyparticipate.OnMarch2015,theabovelawwasreorganizedinordertoregulatetheautonomyofeducationalinstitutionsandprovideschoolsthenecessaryresourcesandtoolstoachievetheireducationalandorganizationalchoices.

The evolution of research in Italy regarding ECEC led gradually to consider preschoolinstitutionsasveryimportantplacesofeducationandwelfareandnotasplacesprovidingonlycare.InItaly,theecologicalapproachofBronfenbrenner(1979)hasdeeplyinfluencedthewayof seeing parent participation in education. The child is considered as an entity that isinfluenced by the interconnections between multiple environmental situations. ECEC andfamilyaretwoveryimportantenvironmentsforthechildandtheyhavetocooperatetohelpchilddevelopment.Theemphasisoftherelationbetweenpractitionersandchildrenhasbeentransferredtopractitionersandparents,soadultssharethecareforthechild(Bonomi,1998;Guerra, Luciano, 2009). Today, in the Italian scientific literature, parent participation isconsideredasanindicatorofqualityineducation(Bondioli,Mantovani,1997;Cagliari,2014;CNEL,2010;Milani,2008;New&Bove,2009).Milani(2008)showedthatinItaly,thereisamodelofparentparticipationthatoffersinformation,content,andrespecttoeachindividual.Parentsaregiventheopportunitytoeducatethemselvesandusetheseskillsthoughtfully.

Nowadays,inItalytherearesomeECECpractices,whichareconsideredassuccessfulingivingopportunitiestoparentstocollaborate,discussandsharewithpractitioners. Suchpracticesare:a) Aconversationbetweenparentsandpractitionersmostlyatthebeginningoftheyear,whereveryimportantinformationareexchangedfromparentstopractitioners

b) Settlingin.Itisthetimeandspaceoftransitionfromfamilytotheeducationalinstitution.Thisisafragileperiodforbothparentsandchildrenandhastobehandledwithcare.Settlingin,includesallthattime,moments,space,pieceofadvicegivenfrompractitionerstoparents,tohelptheirchildrenadjustasgoodaspossible,

c) Arrival&Departure.Allthosemomentsandshortdiscussionstakingplaceduringthearrivalanddeparturetimebetweenparentsandpractitioners.Althoughshortconversations,theyareveryimportantinexchanginginformationaboutchildren’sdailyroutines.Practitionersaccompanywhoevercomesandleavestheschoolwithparticularattention.

d) Individual conversations throughout the academic year. Conversations betweenparentsandteacheraboutseveralissuesconcerningthechild.Parentsandpractitionersexchangeinformationinordertosolveproblemsandfollowtogetheracommonstrategy.


e) Parents-educators get together. Meetings with experts, classroom meetings, parties,excursions, workshops etc. enhance parent participation in ECEC and help parents feelwelcomed and part of educational process. One should also add the “pedagogicaldocumentation” as a strategy supporting parent participation. Practitioners have theauthorityandfamiliescooperatewiththemaspartnersinadialogue.Childrenandfamiliescanexpresstheiropinion,proposeideasandsolutions,askquestionsandprovidefeedback.

4.7 Sweden

InSwedenECECbeginsatthefirstyearofachild’sageandlastsuntilthe7thyear.TheSwedishParliamentandtheGovernmentsetoutthegoalsandguidelinesforECECandprimaryschoolthroughtheEducationActandtheCurricula.ECECisregulatedintheEducationActbuthavetwodifferentcurricula.ECEChashaditsowncurriculumsince1998(revisedin2010),andthepreprimary class is incorporated in the school system. The compulsory school and thepreprimary class, as well as the leisure-time centers share a common curriculum(Läroplanförgrundskolan,förskoleklassenochfritidshemmet,2011).Thepreprimaryclassisavoluntarytypeofschoolwithinthepublicschoolsystem.Theactivitiesinpreprimaryclassesshouldbeconsideredasteachinginthesamesenseasinothertypesofschool.Leisuretimecentersareeducationalgroupfacilities,operatingduringthetimesofthedaywhenschoolsareclosedforenrolledchildren,forchildrenwhoseparentsareworkingorstudyingorforchildrenwhohavetheirownneedsofthefacilities.Generallyleisuretimecentersareintegratedwithinschools.Leisure-timecentersareaimedatchildrenupto12yearsoldwhoattendschool.

ConclusionsoftheEQUAPpartnerreview

After the above presented research findings, guidelines given by national and officialorganizationsandgoodpracticesprovidedbythe7Europeancountry-membersoftheEQUAPproject, some valuable conclusions could be drawn. These conclusionsmay offer a fertilegroundforfurtherdiscussionanddevelopmentofnewstrategiestowardsincreasingparentparticipationinECECataEuropeanlevel.• Mostimportant,parentparticipationisofficiallyrecognizedasaqualityindicatorinECECboth by the Equap partners and in relevant documents (Epstein, 1995; EuropeanCommission-Directorate-General for education and culture, May, 2001; EuropeanParliament and the council tomember states, 2001/166/EC; OECD, 2012; Sayed, 2015).Educationprogramsthatincludeparentsarethemosteffectiveones,andresearchfindingsindicatethatparentparticipationevenataminimumlevelcanpositivelyinfluencechildren’sacademicachievements(Smith,etal,2012;Westemorelandetal,2009).Parentparticipationalso shapes theways inwhichprofessionals andparents togetherestablish co-educatingpartnerships;analliancethatbenefitsallinvolvedparties.Educationallawsandcurriculumsin all 7 countries participating in the EQUAP project identify parent participation as asignificantfactorthatpractitionersandthecommunityhavetotakeintoaccount.


• Most of the 7 countries participating in the EQUAP project (Greece, Portugal, FlemishcommunityofBelgium, Italy,andSweden)haveasplitECECsystemwithacleardivisionbetweentheagesof1y-3/4yand3/4-6y. LatviaandSloveniahaveanintegratedECEC-systems for all children ages 1 to 6. In the countries with split ECEC, different parentparticipationpracticesareimplementedforthesetwogroups.InGreece,Portugal,andItalythereisanincreasinginterestforparentparticipationmostlyinkindergartens,concerningthe ages 3/4-6. On the contrary, in the Flemish community of Belgium there is moreattentionpaidinparentparticipationinthechildcaresectors(ages0–2,5/3y),whileparentsare far less involved in pre-school practice ( 2,5/3 - 6y). In Latvia and Slovenia parentparticipation practices are implemented for all ages from 0 to 6. The forms of invitingparents to participate are general, but implementationdependson each teacher and thegroupofparents.

• Althoughcurriculaandeducationallawsinall7countriespromoteparentparticipationinECEC,itseemsthatinpracticemostofthecountriesadmitthatparentparticipationisnotequally well established throughout the whole ECEC sector. The Flemish community ofBelgium,LatviaandSlovenia seem tobemoreconfidentabout theirparentparticipationpractices.Even though formal and informalwaysofparticipationare implemented in allsevencountries,furtherattemptsareneededinordertoenhanceanddeepenactionsandstrategiesparentparticipation.Also,thedebateontheimportanceandmeaningofparentparticipationneedstobeupgraded.

• Themost frequent formalwayof participation is theparticipationof familymembers inschool boards or councils, where parents can take part in decisions concerning schoolmanagementorcangive theiradvice. It seems thatall sevencountriesgiveparents thisopportunity. Latvia also demonstrated many organizations for Latvian parents, so thatparentsarenotonlyinformedaboutseveralpedagogicalissues,butalsohavetherighttomakedecisions.Italyalsomentionedawayofparentparticipation,albeitnotallthatformal.Practitionersandparentsdiscussseveralissues,parentsexpresstheiropinion,theyhaveavoiceandtheydecidetogetherwithpractitioners.Theydiscussmanagerialorpedagogicalissuesatanequallevel.LatviaandItalyusuallyfollowparentparticipationpracticesthatareconsistentwithnationalorganizations’guidelinesforparentparticipation.

• Overall, it does seem that the more informal ways of participation are most frequentlyimplemented in ECEC. Greece, the Flemish community, Latvia, Slovenia and Italydemonstratedactivitieswithparents suchas: scheduledor circumstantialmeetingswithparents, communication with parents during arrival and departure time, meetings withprofessionals about several issues, voluntary work of parents, parent’s participation inseveralactivitiestakingplaceinpreschool,excursions,partiesetc.Alltheseinformalwaysareveryimportantinordertomakeparentsfeelcomfortableandwelcomedatschool(VanAvermaetetal,2013).EspeciallytheFlemishcommunityofBelgiumhasdemonstratedtwo“goodpractice”examplesofparentparticipation inECEC in the cityofGhentandElmer.


According to their educational policies, parents are involved inmany informalways andbecome part of the educational process. These practices described by the Flemishcommunity of Belgium are consistent with either current legislation or the pedagogicalframeworkforchildcareonparentparticipation.

• Havingsaidthis,itisnottheformalorinformalcharacterofparticipationmodelsthatwilldefine itsmeaningfulnessordemocraticvalue.Thisdistinctionmaynotbesorelevantasformal participation models can still be quite powerless or not involving all groups ofparents,while informalmodels can really influence and change the practice in an ECECsetting.

• GreeceandSloveniahavedemonstratedqualityindicatorsforparentparticipationandbothconcludedthattheyareorganizedat3levels.Slovenia,asmentionedbefore,haspresentedquality indicators according to ISSA (International StepbyStepAssociation), andGreeceprovidedqualityindicatorsbasedpartiallyonthelimitedresearchfindingsandmainlyoninternational scientific findings and/or policies. A general conclusion of this distinctioncouldbethat:Ataminimum/informal level,parentsarebeinginformedabouttheschoolprogram,joininformalconversationsetc.Atagood/formallevel,parentstakepartinschoolactivities, attend school meetings and workshops etc., and in an excellent/activeinvolvementlevel,parentsaremembersoftheschoolboards,theyhaveavoiceanddecidetogetherwithpractitionersaboutmanagerialissues.

.

Implicationsandfurtherdebate

Accordingtotheresearchfindingspresentedinthisreviewandthedataprovidedbythesevencountry-members of theEQuaPproject,meaningful parent participation in ECEC should bepromoted and further developed. Not only because of the long-term effects that it has forchildren’s academic, social and emotional development (Barbour et al., 2012;Lindeboom&Buiskool,2013)butalsobecauseitshapestheeducationalpartnershipsbetweenprofessionalsandparents,thelatterbeingthefirsteducators.Processesofreciprocalandrespectfuldialogueand working on co-educating together can come in many different shapes and forms. Thechallengeliesinthecontinuoussearchforthemostappropriateways,foreverychild’sparentstobeableandwillingtoparticipateintheirchildren’seducationinameaningfulway.Itisalsoimportanttogiveopportunitiesforparticipationtoallfamilies,accordingtotheirneedsandregardlesstheirdifferentbackgroundsorneeds.Associetiesandfamiliesarechangingandbecomingmoreandmorediverse,becauseofsocial,economicandpoliticalchangesaroundtheworld,ECECpractitionershavetobeready,bytrainingandsufficientsupportthroughout,tomeetallthesechallengesandcontinuetoprovideequalopportunitiesforchildrenandtheirfamilies(OECD,2012).Differentparticipativeactionsandstrategiesneedtobedesignedinadialoguesetting,inwhichparentsareconsideredtobepartnersofECECpractitioners.


TowardsatypologyofpracticesofparticipationbetweenfamiliesandearlychildhoodeducationalservicesElenaLucianoandMassimoMarcuccio

1.Whyatypeofparticipationpractices?

Theconstructionofthequalityofeducationalservicesforyoungchildrenisanongoingprocessthatrequiresthecontributionofseveralsubjectsonmultipledimensions.Familiesandservicearetwoofthekeyplayersinthisprocess.

Reflectiononhowtoconceivethefamilycontributiontotheprocessofbuildingthequalityofeducationalservicesisafirststepinthisdirection.Manyarealreadyexperiences,evenwithestablishedformsofrelationship, involvementandparticipationof families.Ouraim, inthispaper, is to build a theoretical framework that can serve as a flexiblemap to navigate theexperiences and, at the same time, by instrument "generator" of other possible forms ofcooperation/participationbetweenfamiliesandservices.Notonlythat,italsoaimstohelpidentifypossiblepathsforthe"promotion"ofparticipation.

Thisworkrequiresacourseofabstracttype/theoristwhogoesthroughtwophases:first,thedevelopmentofadefinitionofparticipation;secondly,theconstructionofatypologyofformsofparticipationofthefamiliestotheservice.Thelattermustbedesignedwithadualfunction:a)descriptive,namelythatattemptstodescribewhatalreadyexists;b)generative/heuristic,whichaimstopromotetheidentificationofnewformsofparticipation.

Ithas to clarify that theproposal advancedhere - likeall suchproposals -born theoreticalchoices andmethodological details and that, therefore, the type to be developed should beinterpretedas"temporary"andisliabletofutureadjustmentsintheshort,Itisoffundamentalshiftsthatmayevenleadtoanovercomingit.

2.Foradefinitionofparticipation

Weassumedthattheelaborationofadefinitionofparticipationcanonlyrefertotheconceptof"relationshipbetweenfamiliesandchildcareservices."Thisreportexistsandhasvalueinthelightofthefactthataccommodateasmallchildineducationalservicesandcareforchildrentodaymeanstoaccommodatehisparentsand, ingeneral, thosewhoprimarilytakescareofhim;Thishasavaluetodayunanimouslyrecognized, thankstothestudies intheecologyof


humandevelopment (Bronfenbrenner,1979).These studieshavehighlighted the reciprocalinteraction between individual and environment and the influence that the ecologicalenvironment has on evolutionary processes, not only limited to a single environmentalsituation but extending to encompass both relations between different environmentalsituationsbothexternalinfluencesthatresultfromenvironmentalconditionsofamoregeneralcharacter(Bronfenbrenner,1979).

Within theECEC system, build a relationshipwith the families - not a report but any goodrelationship - the service requires a clear and conscious design of the report,which is thedeliberatechoiceabouttheideaofrelationshipwithfamiliesWewanttodevelop,totherolesthat youwant to assign (to the child, the parent, educator) and the objectives youwant toachievethroughthisreport(War,Luciano,2009).

We consider that the relationship with families in educational services for children maythereforeorientateandbrandthemselvesindifferentwaysbasedontheperspectivesthroughwhichweobserveandanalyze(LucianoGuerra,2013).

If,ontheonehand, therelationshipbetweenworkersandfamilies isbasedonprocessestoinform,listen,learn,communicate,ontheotherhanditseemsthatitcouldgofurther,totheparticipation,that is, tosuccessfullycarryingoutthetransitionfrom'act"to"familiesbeing,doing and decide "with" them, opening up possibilities for exchange and discussion, butespeciallypowerfulreciprocity.Inthissense,the"notice",ontheonehand,and"participation",ontheotherhand,couldthereforebetwodifferentorientations-specificanddeliberate-oftherelationship between educational services and families, or two its special connotations,prospects, guidelines, any service can choose whether or not to develop through practicalcourseconsistentwiththatchoice.Asiftosaythatnotallrelationshipswiththefamiliesarealwaysparticipatory,butcanbe,undercertainconditionsthatwillemergeinthetypewegobelowtosubmit.

Wetakeasastartingpointtoprovideadefinitionoftheterm/concept"participation"someconsiderationstakenfromsomevocabulariesoftheItalianlanguage.Inthefirstinstancewetry togiveadefinitionof theconcept ingeneraland then toproceedwith itsbounding thespecific field of interest. This type of procedure will allow us to delvemore clearly in thephenomenonwearestudyingwithout"interference"earlyduetothespecificityandcomplexityofthesubject.

Anotherimportantprerequisite istodo.Whenwespeaktoproposeadefinitionofwhatwewant to talk in the language of the ancient logic was called the '' essence '- nominal andinsubstantial-participation,thattheelementof"specific"thatdistinguishesanddifferentiatestheconceptinquestionfromotherconcepts.Webelievethataterm/conceptcannotexistasingledefinition:andthenwetalkaboutdefinitionasanexpressionof''nominalessence"oftheconcept.However,ourpositiondiffersfromthatwhichconsiders"definition"ofaconcept


anykindofanswertothequestion"what"?.ConsiderthatinthelogicofBoethius,inlinewiththis assumption, it is identified as many as 15 types of definition. To understand thepeculiarities of our position,we take for example the definition of "participation"which isoffered by Children in Europe and that we have here in four parts to carry out a morecomprehensiveanalysis:

'1.Servicesshouldembodyparticipationasanessentialvalue,asanexpressionofdemocracyandasameanstocombatsocialexclusion.

2.ParticipationrequirespedagogicalWorkThatsupportsthedevelopmentandupbringingofeachchild.

3. Participationmeans the active inclusionof the entire community: all young childrenandadults,includingparents,professionalsofallkindsworkinginservices,andothercitizens.

4. Participation enables all of these groups to contribute to the construction of a commonprojectandtoeveryaspectofthelifeoftheserviceincludinghelpinginmanywaysandactiveinvolvementinmanagementdecisionsandevaluation."

Let'slookateachofthefourpointsofthedefinition.

1.First, itstatesthatparticipationisa"corevalue".Also it issaidthat"participation" is"anexpressionofdemocracy": stands in suchaway thatparticipation is a "marker"of anotherconceptwhichisto"democracy".Atthesametimeitissaidthat"participation"isa"means"tocombatsocialexclusion: inthiswayismadeexplicit its function.Ie itanswersthequestion:Whatistheparticipation?Butinallthiswecansaythattheyhaveidentifiedthe''essence'evennominalparticipation?Wecanfindananswertothequestion:whatisthespecificelementthatdistinguishes theconceptofparticipation fromother concepts?We thinknot.Whysay thatparticipationisa"corevalue"doesnothelpusunderstandwhatisthe"specific"participationbecausemanyotherconceptscanbecalled"essentialvalues"suchas,forexample,theconceptofcare.Manyotherconceptscanbedefinedas"anexpressionofdemocracy",andmanyotherconcepts can be considered as 'means' to combat social exclusion. So even if many otherconcepts - different from that of participation - can be told what has been said about theparticipationofwhatis"specific",thatis"just"and"unique"thatdistinguishesthe"conceptofparticipation"fromotherconcepts?InrelationtothisfirstpointofthedefinitionproposedbyChildreninEurope,itremainsanopenquestionofinterpretationasplayers"shouldpromote'participationaretwo:theservices,ontheonehand,andfamiliesontheother.Ifthisstatementanswers thequestion, "Whoparticipates? ',What is the answer to thequestion:"What youparticipate?".Inadditionwearetalkingabout"promotion"thatisadifferentconceptfromthatof"participation".


2.Affirmingthatparticipation"requires"a'involvementineducation,"thereseemstomoveintermsoftheresponsetothequestion:whataretheconditionsforparticipationwillbe?Whatarethefactorsthatmakepossibleparticipation?Butagain,donotanswerthequestion:whatisthe "specific", l '"unique" in the concept of participation. Even if the word "requires" isinterpretedasasynonymoftheverb"tobe",alwayswefallbackongenericandnotspecificallytheconceptofparticipation.Infact,statethatparticipation"is"a"involvementineducation"-whichaimsto"supportthedevelopmentandeducationofeachchild"-doesnottellusanythingyetof "unique" than the conceptofparticipation. It is certainelements thathelpdefine thescopeofthesemanticconceptbutfailtorealizethatthe"heart"essential".

3.Evenwiththephrase"Participationmeanstheactiveinclusionoftheentirecommunity,"wefindourselvesinthesamesituationjustdescribedabove.Infact,inthiscase,thefocusshiftstothequestion:whatare those involved inparticipation.But itdoesnotanswer thequestion:whatistheelement"unique"participation.

4.Thefirstpartofthelastperiodofthe"definition"ofchildreninEuropeanswersthequestion:what is aneffect, a resultofparticipation?And in this case theanswer is: "to contribute tobuildingacommonprojectandtoeveryaspectofthelifeoftheservice."Themomentyouusetheword"through"itisrecognizedthatthisobjectiveisachievedthroughtwoactivities:the"support"-initsvariousforms-andthe"activeinvolvement"intheprocessesofmanagement,evaluationanddecisionofitsownservice.Inthiscasetwoelementsthatseemtobeemerging-inouropinion-gointhedirectiontoanswerthequestion:whatistheuniqueexampleoftheinvestment? In this case we can say that children in Europe to respond in this way: theparticipationis"twothings":itisa"support"isan"activeinvolvement".

Sincethedefinitionofchildrenstillleavesopencertainaspectsoftheconceptofparticipation,thenwetrytoexplaininanevenmorepreciseinwhatweintendtoproposeadefinitionofparticipation.

As we said above, the starting point is to assume that the common language of whichweconsiderbestexpressionformalizedwhatwefindindictionaries.Inthiscasewehaveassumedas a reference the maximum scientific contribution in respect with regard to the Italianlanguage.

Thedefinitionofparticipationthatwetakeasareference is this: "Directactionofapersontogetherwithotherstoachieveacertainend"(p.660).Itisadefinitionthatwebelieve-forthepurpose of this contribution - captures the "core" of the specific concept. The componentelementsofthisdefinitionarethefollowing:

1)the''directaction'(A):Whenyoutalkabout"participation",therefore,wearetalkingaboutanactioncarriedout"firsthand",ieinadirectandunmediatedbyotherelements;

2)the"person"(X)thatperformsdirectaction;


3)"other"(Y)thatperformdirectaction.TheconceptofothersindicatesoneormoreotherentitiesX;

4)theconceptof"together":theactioniscarriedoutjointly(together)between"person"and"theothers".Inthissense,then,eachperson(XandY)becomesa"part",became"part"activeintheconstructionbusiness;

5)theend(F)tobeobtainedbytheaction.

Accordingtothisdefinitionthecorrectexpressiontouseinconnectionwiththeparticipationshouldbeasfollows:

XtogetherwithYperformAtoreachF.

This is inanutshellof"un'agire togetherbetween individuals toanend."Sotheexpression"participation of families in the service" is not strictly correct because it should say"participationoffamiliesandserviceactions/activities"or"participationbetweenfamiliesandserviceaction/activity"meaningbythisexpressionfamilies(X),togetherwiththeservice(Y),carryoutatask/action(AD)toanend(F).Butinthiscasethe"families"areaspecialcaseofXandservicesareaparticularcaseofY.

Theformalaspectofthisdefinitionshouldnotscareusbecausethankstoit,infact,wecanfindawaytocontributetotheconstructionofatypologyofformsofparticipation.

Inthiswayitseemstousthatthedefinitionproposedbyuswillbeabletolocateone"specific"conceptofparticipationthatservesasaguidetoourthinking.InthedefinitionofChildreninEurope, however, we find aspects and elements that help define / adequately define theindividualelementsofthedefinitionasitisdoneindetailbelow.

3.Someconceptualboundaries:

Whendetailedsituationalparticipationinservicesforyoungchildren,isaneedforadefinitionand/ordelimitationoftheconceptualelementsthatbecomepart.

The ideaofparticipationthatcharacterizesourdefinitionandour(proposed)typeformsofparticipationischaracterizedbythefollowingaspects:

•allthoseinvolvedinvariouscapacitiesintheservicesorenteringintorelationshipwiththemcan-inrelationtoourdefinition-takeontheroleofXorY.Ourdefinitionofparticipationinearlychildhoodservicesit isspecifictodifferentactors(children,figures/familymembers,workers,citizensall).Therefore;


•takeintoaccountthespecificcharacteristicsofthedifferentactors/individuals(XandY)andtheir shared responsibility for action. In particular, in relation to the fact that it is "naturalpersonsindividual"or"organizationalsubjects".Duetothecharacteristicsof"organizationalstakeholders",itsetsoutaparticipationinmultipledimensionsandatdifferentlevels(political-institutional, pedagogical, educational, organizational, management), as is clear from theliteratureinternationally(eg.,CIE,2008;OECD,2001,2006,2012).Theserviceisseenasanorganizationthatisahealthandeducationthroughaneducationalprojectandtheeducationalchoicesthatareplacedinsideapoliticalhorizonandmanagement;

•referstoan"order"thatcannotbeattributedonlytothepromotionoflearningofthechildthatlivesandgrowsinsinglefamilynortotheoperationsoftheserviceattendedbythechild,but it is an ideaofparticipation thatmoves in ahorizonofmeaning theoretical intentionalwider,ieaimedatthedevelopmentoftheprojectofeducationanddevelopmentofeverychildandallchildren;

•methodologically independent fromrecognizingthe"value"andthe"responsibility"of thedifferentpartiesevenifsuchanappearance,alongwiththestrictlyassemblyof"legitimacy"areaspectsthat.Inthiscase,thefamilyisrecognizedasthemainresponsibleofthechildandhiseducationbutclaimstherightandtheresponsibilitytoshapethechild;

•referstotheideaoffamilyisnotlimitedneithertothemothernortoatypeofnuclearfamily,butratherextendstoallmembers,regardlessoftheforms,mannersandbythetypesoffamily,makeupthespecificfamilywhicheverychildbelongsandinwhichlivesandgrows;

•theactionthatiscarriedalongbyXandYisessentiallyanyactivityintentionallydirectedtotheachievementofafine(F),whichistheeducationaldevelopmentofthechild;

•theconceptofasetimpliestheexistenceofadimensionofcommunicationbetweendifferentactors(XandY)thatperformtheaction;

• the concept of action is understood here as "essentially" interconnected to a person(individualorcollective,naturalor legal): talkofactionalways involves talking toapersonperforming that action. In this sense, however, it should be noted that the action is hereunderstoodasa"something"thatbeganinthesubject,butthatdoesnotend"inside"thesubjecthimself.Inaddition,theactionisalwaysintentional,thatisdirectedtowardapurpose/end,asstatedinthedefinitionofparticipation.Forexample,thethinking,thewill,thefeelandimagine,canbeconsideredallactionsthatapersondoesbutthatdoesnotnecessarilyhaveaneventintheexternalworldofthesubjectandthat,moreover,donotnecessarily implyaconsequentmovementbodyperceivedbyanoutsideobserver.Astheactionofaperson,theactioncanbearticulatedindifferentsizesand/oraspectswhichconstituteit:a)thementalrepresentationof the action within the subject; b) the attribution of value to the action (consent); c) thedecision to implement the action; d) the implementation of the action, that is the


implementationofbehavior(bodymovements)-consistentwiththementalrepresentation-thatcanachievethedesiredobjective;

•similarly,wemustspeakof"organizationalaction". In thiscase,weassumethatanactionorganizationalorganization

Thechoicetofocusonlyontheparticipationbetweenfamiliesandservicestotheeducationofchildren is only methodological. This means that in order to offer a wider and morecomprehensiverangeofformsofparticipationwouldbenecessarytoconsiderotheractorsandotherfamilyservicesandintheformofparticipationwithmorethantwoplayersinvolvedorevenwithdifferentactors.Despitetheselimitations,webelievethatthedebatetookplaceherewouldbeasignificantconceptualbasisforfurtherdevelopment.


TheFocusAreasThe articulation of the concept of participation in four Focus Areas has been identified,circumscribed, negotiated and shared by the project partnerswhohave co-constructed theToolbox.

Focusarea1: Learningaboutthefamily–Knowingandappreciatingfamiliesandcommunities

The family is thekeypartnerof all educational serviceswithwhicheducatorsare called tocollaborateandactinsynergy.Thisviewpointrefersto“TheecologyofHumanDevelopment”byUrieBronfenbrenner(1979),isawidespreadperspectivethatfocusesontherelationshipbetweenhumandevelopmentandthecon-textinwhichitoccurs.Thistheoryemphasisesthatthe process of interaction between two elements occurs during a long period of time andincludesimmediatesurroundings,culturalpatternsandbodiesofknowledge.

Each growing individual is located at the centre of amultitude of relationships,whichinfluencehim/herandinturnareinfluencedbyhim/her.Whatbecomesrelevantinthistheory,intermsofimpactondevelopment,arenotonlytheindividualsituationsexperiencedbythechildinitsvariousenvironmentsoflife,fromthoseclosesttothosemoredistantfromitsdirectpresence,butalsotheinterconnectionsbetweentheseenvironments.Themorethefamilyandservicesareinterconnected,themorethechild’sexperienceswillbeconsistentandpositiveintermsofdevelopmentoutcomes.

A close interaction between services and families, aswell as ensuring continuity of thechild’s experiences, stimulates joint growth in terms of awareness and educationalintentionality.Thefirstfundamentalstepforbuildingthisessentialinterconnectionbetweenismutualknowledge,inotherwordstheabilitytowelcome,accept,andappreciatediversityas a resource for all. Educational and care services therefore plan different forms ofrelationships and meetings with families, aimed at fostering the exchange of information,dialogue,comparison,sharingofideas,sharingoftheeducationalprojectandinvolvementinthelifeoftheservicesthroughreciprocityandinclusionofallthedifferences.Itisimportantthattheservicesadoptapluralityoflanguagesandarecarefultocalibrate,asmuchaspossible,thetypeofapproachaccordingtothespecifictraitsofeachfamily.

Welcoming families, recognizing them in their different identities, enabling them tocollaborateonprojectsandinitiatives,givingthemthepossibilitytocontributeintheplanningandimplementationofactivitiesandevents,andbeingreallyopentoincludethem,allowsthose who work in the services to discover different aspects of the parents. This in turnpromotes parenting skills, active citizenship and builds new, unexpected and richerresults. Atthesametimeitallowsfamiliestofeelvalued,activeandco-protagonists inthe


educationalpathtakenbytheirchildren.Notjusttheparentsgroupbuttheentirecommunityinwhichtheservice isplaced is tobeunderstoodasanelementwithwhichclosetiesandinterconnections are being woven.This is a valuable resource for the design anddevelopmentofeducationalplanningand for thegrowing togetherofchildren,parentsand teachers. For this reason, the service providers need to showparents the educationalopportunities and services available.Forthispurpose,whatisneededisprofessionalcompetencethatisawareofitsownlimitsandknowswheretoturnwithdifferenttypesofproblems.

Topromotethedevelopmentofparentingskills,servicesshouldincreasetheopportunitiesfordiscussions on educational practices in various areas, between parents and professionals,betweenparentsandexternalexpertsandamongparents.Educationalandcareservicesshouldpro-motethedisseminationofinformationrelatedtoservicesforfamiliesinthearea,andingeneral take action to overcome social and psychological isolation that many familiesexperience in the context of con- temporary social history.Families play an important role in educating and supporting their children. The quality ofparentingisthemostimportantfactorinpreparingchildrenforasafe,healthyandproductivefuture. Educational and care services, should however, directly plan cultural and / oraggregation initiatives and promote those organized by other institutions in the area,collaborating in networks that have dual objectives.Theseare:tosupportanddevelopfamilies’skillsandresources;andtoen-couragetheconstruction of informal mutual support networks.Theaboveleadstopositiverelation-shipsbetweeneducationalinstitutions,families,andcommunities and provides families with services and support, which increases parents’awarenessandinvolvementwhilecreatingatightnet-workwithinthecommunity.


Focusarea2–Communicatingwithfamilies–Sensitive,respectfulandreciprocalcommunicationwithfamilies

The family’s need to be fully involved in all aspects of their child’s education and care isundeniable, as stated in the European Com- mission/EACEA/Eurydice (2016). In order toachievethisgoal, it iscrucialtocreatetheconditionsforafriendlyenvironment,markedbytrustandopennessbetween the familyand thechild’seducatorsand in thiswayguaranteeeffectivepartnershipandcommunication.“Parentingtheteachers”and“teachingtheparents”(Silva, 2003) is the result obtained through cooperation and close communicationbetweenfamiliesandeducators.Parentsand familiesare thechild’s firsteducators.Theyknowtheirchildbest.Byestablishingandnurturinggenuinecommunicationwiththefamilies,wecanallgainadvantages.Themainfactorforsuccessfulcommunicationiswithoutdoubtmutualtrust.When working side-by- side with families, educators should engage in a thoroughcommunicationwiththemsoastoshareinformationabouttheirchildren’sexperiences,healthandneeds,contributingtojointinterventionsthatsupportthechildren’soveralldevelopment,whilerespectingtheiruniqueness.Educatorsfacemanychallengesintheirdailyrelationshipwithfamilies.Intheserelationshipsdifferentculturescoexistasdodifferenttypes of family structures. The communication that the services have to establishwith theparents/familiesalsore-quirestimeandaffectiveavailabilityonbe-halfofalleducators:theyhavetobeabletolistentotheconcerns,desiresandexpectationsofeachparentandeachfamily.

Timeisaveryimportantfactorinthecommunicationwithparents.Thetimewhenchildrenarrivetothenurseryschool/pre-schoolinthemorningandleaveintheaf-ternoonisintendedsolelyfortheexchangeofbasicinformationaboutthechild.Theeducatormustknowhowtolisten and also understand the parents’ desire for a more comprehensive discussion andrecognisewhentodedicatemoretimetothem.Aparentshouldthenhavetheopportunitytotalktotheeducatorwhowillbeabletoattendtotheirwishes,doubts,problems....

This communication method, at the basis of the school-family relationship, highlights theimportanceof the intellectual, technical, relationalandmoraldimension in thepro- fileofachildhoodeducator.Theintellectualandtechnicaldimensionsrefertothefactthattheeducatorneedstobeaconnoisseurandspecialistinknowledgeissues,therelationaldimensionislinkedtotheeducatorasagentforhumandevelopment(Formosinho,2001)andthemoraldimensionisrelatedtointeractionswithothers,namely,families:howwetreatthem,howwelistentothemandtherespectandattentionwegivethem(Neves,2015).So,briefly,itistheeducator’sresponsibility to attentively andactively listen toparents and families.Theeducatorhasofcoursetorefrainfromvaluejudg-mentsorcriticisminordertoestablishaninteractioninwhichbothpartiesareunderstoodaseducationalpartners.


For an effective communication that is open to cultural diversity, family resources andavailability,thepossibilityofusingavarietyofwaystocommunicatecanbeveryuseful.The communication channels adopted and made available by professionals of the earlychildhoodservicescanbedigital,writtennotesorformalorinformalface-to-facemeetings.Thedifferent channels can be used jointly and should be chosen according to the families’preferencesandthecontentoftheinformationtobecommunicated.

Thecommunicationstrategiesadoptedshouldensurethatalloftheinformationisreceivedbyall familiesespecially thosewho, forexample,haveadifferent first language. It is thereforeimportantthatearlychild-hoodeducatorspromoteregularcommunicationabouttheprogress,interests, needs and daily experiences of children by select- ing means which enable theinteractionwithfamiliestobecarriedouteasilyandinatime-lyandeffectivemanner.Theeducatorshavetounderstandthatthisinteractionshouldbeadialogicandbilateralprocessinwhicheducatorsandfamiliestogethershareanddiscussinformationconcerningthechildren(cf.FevoriniI&LomônacoII,2009).Engag-ingfamiliesineducationalcontextsimpliestheuseofmeansthatallowbothpartiestounderstandeachother,sincecommunica-tionisthetoolthatenablestheschool-fam-ilyrelationship(Bhering&Siraj-Blatchford,1999;Bhering&DeNez,2002).Maintainingconfidentialityonallinfor-mationaboutthechildanditsfamilyisextremelyimportantforthequalityoftherelationshipbetweenthefamiliesandtheprofessionals. At the basis of this principlewe find ethical reasons, respect for individualprivacyandreasonslinkedtotheimportanceoffosteringarelationshipoftrustthatfacili-tatesandpromotestheexchangeofinforma-tion,whichisrelevantfortheachievementoftheaimsoftheactivitiescarriedoutwiththechildren.

Theeducatormustconstantlykeepinmindthatheorsheworkswithveryvulnerablepeople.Ontheonehandwehavethechildrenandontheotherhandtheirfamilies.Theeducatorisoftenseenasapersontheycantrustandopenupto,becausetheyknowthattheinformationsharedwillnotbemis-usedandtheeducatorwilltrytohelpthem.Accordingtotheeducator’scompetences,heorshewillattempttodirectparentstotheappropriateservices,whichwillhelpsolvepossibleproblems.

The sharing of information on children and families, which is sometimes useful amongeducationprofessionals,musthavereceivedtheconsentofthefamilyandshouldalwaysaimtobringbenefitstothechildren.Acom-municationculture,basedontheestablish-mentofaneffective trust partnership between families and education professionals, facilitatestransitionsandeducationalconti-nuitybetweencontextsandthusgeneratesbenefitsforthechildren(EuropeanCom-mission/EACEA/Eurydice,2016).

The diversity of opinions and perspectives between the families, the school and the pro-fessionals connected to the education of the child (psychologists, nutritionists...) must beregardedasthegreatpotentialthatallowstheconstructionofasafeandsharededu-cational


spacewithinthecommunity.Theexchange,discussion,andoftencomparisonofopinionsareanintegralpartofbuildinganeducationalcommunitythatfeelsreallyalive.Ontheotherhand,imposingastrongopinion,forexamplethatofaprofessional,onotheropinions(offamilies...),isaprac-ticethatisstillverycommonintheschoolenvironmentbutthatgraduallybutsteadilyshouldbeeradicated.

Educators are often mediators between parents who have different views and as-pirations in the educationof their children.While communicating, it is important thatpeoplerespecteachotherandthateachparticipanthastheopportunitytofreelyex-presshisor her opinions. Furthermore, the educator should set a good example through his or herconductandactions.

Theroleoftheschool(andtheeducator)shouldthereforeconsistinwelcomingallopinionsandallowingthemtobediscussedinorderto“adapt”theschoolsystemtotheneedsofthechildren. In other words, the educational communitymust rebuild itself and adapt to thediversities it consists of. The school/educator should act as an open platform, capable ofreceivingopin-ions,perspectivesandexperiencesfromdifferentpartiesandindifferentforms,andthereafterincludingthemintheworkinawaythatleadstochangesandbenefitsforthechildren.Thus,thechildren,thataretheessenceoftheeducationalprocess,benefitfromthenewmanagement of the school and its development into a safe and inclusive educationalsystemwhichiscon-structedinafree,democraticandsharedway,throughtransparentandopencommunication.

Focusarea3:Decidingandactingtogetherwithfamilies–Partnershipandsharingdecisionmakingresponsibilities

Talking about parents participating (more) in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC),meanstalkingaboutawholerangeofevents,activitiesanddecision-makingprocessesinwhichparentsareinvolved,inonewayoranother.

It’s not always a one-off activity with a clear beginning and/or end but rather a process,designedandshapedtogetherbyECECservicesandparents.Theprocessaimsatbuildingandstrengtheningthepartnershipsnecessaryfortheeducationofyoungchildrenwhilesharingthedecisionmakingpower.

The main interest and responsibility of both parents and educators is the children’swellbeing,theiropportunitytodevelop,learnandengageinmeaningfulrelationshipsandbetakencareof.

Toachievethiscommongoalitisessentialthatparentsandprofessionalsworktogether.(By


“parents”wemeanmothersandfathers,legalguardiansandofcourseotherfamilymembersthatcanplayanimportantroleinachild’slife.Whereyoungchildrenareconcerned,itisequallyimportanttoinvolvefathersaswellasmothers.

Workingtogetherwithparentsandconsideringthempartnersinthedecision-makingprocesscanbeawin-winsituation.

-Gettingparentsinvolvedindifferentwayshelpstobuildbondsbetweenthechild’shomelifesettingandtheECECservices.Thiscancontributetothechild’swellbeing,improveitssenseofbelongingandmakehimorherfeelsafe.

-ParentscangetfamiliarwiththeECECsettingandexpresstheiropiniononhowtheirchildrenarebeingcaredfororsup-portedwhilegrowingup.Theycanalsofeeltheyreceivesupportfromtheprofessionals.

-Professionalscanlearnalotaboutthechildrentheyworkwitheverydayfromtheparents.Theycanlearnwhatthechildren’shomelifeislikeandwhattheparentscon-siderimportantinraisingtheirchildren.

ThemorewecooperatethemoremutualtrustandgrowingcommitmentwewillachievewhichcanonlyinfluencetheECECworkinapositiveway.

Acting together and sharing the decision-making responsibility are interlinked. ‘Actingtogether’isabouthowtheECECservicecanbebetteralignedwiththechildren’slifeathomebyworkingandcommunicatingwiththeparents.Thiskindofimprovedcontinuityisimportantforchildren.Tofeelsafeandcomfortable,theyshouldn’texperiencebiggapsbetweentheirlifeathome,inchildcareorinpre-school.Therolesofparentsandprofessionalsareimportantintheprocessofsharingexpertise,feelingsandconvictionsaboutraisingchildren.

Someofthe“actingtogether”initiativesareformal,othersinformal.Somedealwithchildrenindividually,otherswiththemorestructuralwayofworking.Somearedirect,othersindirect.Theworkcarriedoutisapedagogicalpartnershipnotastruggleaboutwhohasthepower.

The challenge is to design and implement participationmodels andmethods, and to keepquestioningthesetogether:dotheymatchtheexpectationsof the involvedparties?Dotheywork and change things for thebetter?Doparents andprofessionals feel comfortablewiththesemodelsandmethods?Dodifferenttalentsandcompetencesgetaddressedandused?

Therearenoperfectmodels,anddifferenttypesofactivitiesandeventscanbemeaningfulindifferent ways. For example, organising a party towhich parents and familymembers areinvitedcanbeaverynicewaytospendtimeandhavefuntogether,evenwhenparentswerenotinvolvedinthedecision-makingprocess.


There are, however, more formal settings in which parents are officially involved in thedecision-making,asinparentcouncilsorifparentsaremembersoftheBoardofdirectorsoftheorganisation.Bothexamplescanleadtopositiveresultsandincreaseparents’involvement,buttheycanalsobesetupinamoresymbolicwayandhavenogoodresultswhatsoever.Thepositive outcome of an activity depends on the development, the design, the perception ofparentsaseducators,theattitudeandtheactualwilltoseeparent’sinvolvementassomethingpositive.

Someissuesarerelevantandhavetobetakenintoaccountwhenactingtogetherandsharingthedecision-makingresponsibilities:

-Beingauthenticandrespectful.Forex-ample,don’taskforparents’opinionsifyouwon’ttakethemintoaccountorifyoudon’texplaintothemwhysomeoftheirsuggestionsorideasareimpossible.

-Inviteparentstogetengagedinissuesthattheyareinterestedinoractivitiestowhichtheycanofferaddedvalueto.E.g.someparentsliketoworkonpracticalthings,likerefurbishingabuilding, others will be more likely to engage in council meetings. Different levels ofinvolvementanddifferentmethodsshouldbeusedindifferentcontexts.

Thisway,allparentscangetinvolvedinonewayoranotherandnoonewillfeelexcluded.

-Bewillingtoreallyengageindialogue,lookforwaystosolvepossibleconflictsinapositiveway,worktowardssolutionsthatareagreeduponbyallpartiesinvolved.

-Beopenandtransparentabouthowyourinstitutionisbeingmanaged,whatthepedagogicalprojectis,whycertainchoiceshavebeenmade.

-Makeparentsfeelwelcomeandshowthemthatyoucareabouttheirfeelings,routines,culture,etc.Iftheydonotreallyfeelthat,thereisverylittlechancethattheywillgetinvolved.

- Parent participation is not an ad hoc activity. It must be embedded in an open andparticipatoryclimatewithintheinstitutionandamongtheprofessionals.

DuringtheEquapproject,partnershavelearnedfromeachotherthankstotheex-changeofexperiences and very concrete initiatives focusing on parents’ involvement. They haveexchangedpracticesondifferent‘jointactions’andintroducedsomeofthesepracticesintheirownworkcontexts.

Focus area 4: Cooperating and collaborating with the community –Sharingeducationalresponsibilitieswiththecommunity


Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is an important and vital part of the wholeeducationsystembutcanalsoberecognizedasakeyelementintheprocessoflife-longlearning(PramlingSamuelsson&Sheridan,2006).StrengtheningtheECECroleinthecommunitywiththe help of different cooperative and collaborative partnerships can be seen as somethingpositive,bothforchildrenandparentsbutalsoforthesocietyasawhole.Ac-cordingtoBronfenbrenner’stheoryof“Theecologyofhumandevelopment”,theprocessofdevelopmentisshapedbytheinteractionbetweentheindividualandtheenvironment(Bronfenbrenner,1979).

ForfamiliestheECECservicesoftenplaysacentralroleintheirdailylife.Theactivitiesthatare described in the toolbox aim to connect the family, the ECEC and different services insociety.Oneexampleofthisconnectionis invitingavarietyofdifferentprofessions intothepreschool-services.

GettinginvolvedandgainingknowledgeabouttheECECservicesisimportantbothfortheECECas an educational practice and for strengthening the social structure of a localcommunity.Several of the examples in the toolbox highlight the opportunities ofmeetingsbetweenyoungandold.

They can also create a feeling of belonging that is shared by people from the same localcommunity.Furthermore,childrenandtheirparentscancreateconnectionswiththeworldoutsidethenurseryschoolandpreschoolservices.

AccordingtotheUnitedNationsConventionontheRightsoftheChild,childrenareseenasfullcitizenswithcivilrights,whichmeansthattheyshouldbeabletomakethemselvesheardonallissuesthataffectthem(UNICEF,2016).

Inordertobeabletoexerciseinfluenceitisimportantthatyoungchildrengetfamiliarwiththesocietythatsurroundsthem.Toenablethis,childrenandtheirfamiliesneedtolearnaboutthecommunityandhowtohaveaccesstodifferentresources.Theyalsoneedtolearnthatchildrenarerecognizedbythecommunityasimportantcitizens.Thecommunityalsohastoencouragechildrentobeapartoftheinitiativesanddecision-makingactivitiesintheirarea, forexamples,inconnectiontothecreationofoutdoorplaygrounds.


PartC–IndicatorsandtoolsaddressingmoreeffectivelyparticipationasprocesscontributingtoqualityinECEC(Output3)

ThecaseofSloveniaPartner:EducationalResearchInstitute(Slovenia)

Preparedby:MatejaRežek

ThesystemofidentifyingandensuringthequalityofeducationintheRepublicofSloveniaisbasedonself-evaluation/internalqualityassessmentofpreschools/primaryschools.Directorofthepreschool/primaryschoolisgenerallyresponsibleforqualityintheinstitution,butallparticipants(teachers,children,parents)areinvolvedinprocessofsupervisingthequalityofwork.There are no quality indicators determined at the national level. Preschools and primaryschools use documents/indicators to help assess quality of their work/quality of theinstitution,inaccordancewiththeirneedsandcontext.Mostindicatorsusedinpracticefocusonthestructuralaspectsofquality.Inthedocumentweareintroducingtwoexamplesofsuch-StrengtheningFamiliesand7StepsTowardsECO-School.Theseindicatorsfocusonacertainsegmentoftheworkofthepreschool/primaryschoolsorare subject oriented. Umbrella institutions responsible for implementing thoseindicators/documents,supportpreschools/primaryschoolsinimplementation.

Lessinstruments/documentsfocusontheprocessaspectofthequality.Inthedocumentwepresenttwoexamplesofsuch-AQualityFrameworkforEarlyChildhoodPracticesinServicesfor Children Under Three Years of Age and Competent Teachers of the 21st Century. ISSA’SdefinitionofQualityPedagogy.Bothdocumentsareusedinenvironmentsimplementingchildcentered approaches. Educational Research Institute provides professional support to thepreschools/primaryschoolsinimplementationofthedocuments.

QUALITY INDICATORS USED IN SERVICES WITH CHILDREN FROMBIRTHTOTHREEAQualityFrameworkforEarlyChildhoodPracticesinServicesforChildrenUnderThreeYearsofAge(ISSA–InternationalStepbyStepAssociation,2015–draftforpeerreview)


1. TheoreticalbackgroundofqualityindicatorsTheQualityFrameworkbuildsonISSA’s11visionofasocietyinwhichfamilies,communitiesandprofessionalswork together toempowereachchild toreach their fullpotential (ISSA,2015,p.7).12Byproducingthisdocument,ISSAisacknowledgingtheimportanceofputtingtheveryyoungchildandtheirfamilyatthecentreofallearlychildhoodinterventionsandprogramsprovidedthroughaverydiverserangeofservices(ISSA,2015,p.4).

TheFrameworkisunderpinnedbythemostcurrentresearchconductedintohowchildrenunderthreelearnthroughqualityexperiencesandrelationships.Whatismore,itisalignedwithother important international frameworksandpositionpapers, suchas theEuropeanQuality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care (2014),13 Starting Strong III(2012),14anddocumentsfromUNESCOandUNICEF;aswellaspresentingnewwaysoflookingatcareandlearning(ISSA,2015,p.8).TheQualityFramework(ISSA,2015)isbasedalsoonTheConvention of theRights of the Child (CRC) (1989)15andon itsGeneral CommentNo 7(2005),16sincetheCRC(art.18.2)andAGuidetoGeneralComment7(2006,p.47,art.29.1(a))17outlineparentalandpublicresponsibilitiesforearlychildhoodeducation.

2. MethodsofuseofqualityindicatorsAstheQualityFrameworkaddressesmultipleaudiences(aimingatdevelopingintersectoralcooperationandprogramsforveryyoung18childrenandtheirfamilies),itcanbeusedacrossdifferent sectors creating a more unified and powerful voice to ensure that very youngchildren’srightsandneedsaremet,withfamilyandcommunitypartnershipsinvolved(ISSA,2015,p.21).Inourcase,followingtheproject’saimsandfocus(familyparticipation,familyinvolvement,(building)partnershipswith families),we identifiedquality indicators,whichcanbeusedbythosewhoworkincentre-basedearlychildhoodeducationandcare(ECEC)orchild care centres including administrators, psychologists and therapists. The Quality

11ISSA(InternationalStepbyStepAssociation) -An innovativenetworkofearlychildhooddevelopmentprofessionalsandorganizationsprimarilyinEuropeandCentralAsia,workingtomakequalityearlychildhoodeducationandcareaccessibletoallchildren.12ISSA(2015).QualityFrameworkforEarlyChildhoodPracticesinServicesforChildrenUnderThreeYearsofAge.Draftforpeerreview.13ProposalforkeyprinciplesofaQualityFrameworkforEarlyChildhoodEducationandCare.ReportoftheWorkingGrouponEarly Childhood Education and Care under the auspices of the European Commission (2014).http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/archive/documents/ecec-quality-framework_en.pdf (24. 3.2015).14OECD(2012).StartingstrongIII:Aqualitytoolboxforearlychildhoodeducationandcare:Executivesummary.Paris:OECDPublishing.http://www.oecd.org/edu/school/49325825.pdf(24.3.2015).15 The Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989). http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx (24. 3.2015)16GeneralCommentNo7(2005).Implementingchildrightsinearlychildhood.Geneva:CommitteeoftheRightsoftheChild.http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/docs/AdvanceVersions/GeneralComment7Rev1.pdf(24.3.2015)17AGuidetoGeneralComment7:ImplementingChildRightsinEarlyChildhood(2006).TheHague:BernardvanLearFoundation.http://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/files/Guide_to_GC7.pdf(24.3.2015).18Childrenfrombirthtothreeyearsold.


Framework(ISSA,2015)withitsPrinciplesandIndicatorsofqualitypracticeinvitesreflectiononanddialogueabout—withselfandgroupassessmentof—practices(ISSA,2015,p.22).

3. Qualityindicatorsandevidences/examples,showingtheimplementationofqualityindicators

FocusArea:1.Relationships

Principle:1.5Relationshipssupport/facilitatethechildunderthree’sroutineandnon-routinetransitions

Qualityindicator:

• Communicateswithparents/familiesregularlyabouttheroutinestheyarefollowingtoprovideconsistency.

Evidence(s): in the process of identification in the scope of another project,will be addedaccordingly

FocusArea:2.FamilyandCommunity

Principle: 2.1 Knowledge and appreciation of families and communities strengthenrelationshipswithandamongthem.

Qualityindicators:

• Learns about each family’s values, beliefs, assumptions andpractices and incorporatesthemwheneverpossible.

• Individualizesrelationshipsandservicesforfamiliesinwaysthatbestsupporttheirneeds.• Builds on family and community strengths and, where possible, acknowledges and

incorporatesthe‘fundsofknowledge’thatareapartofeveryfamilyandcommunity.• Promotesopportunitiesforfamiliestolearnfromandsupportoneanother.

Principle:2.2Sensitive,respectfulandreciprocalcommunicationwithfamiliessupportschildren’sdevelopmentandlearning.

Qualityindicators:

• Engages in on-going, responsive communication with parents/families to shareinformationaboutthechild’sexperiences,healthandneeds.

• Takestimetolistencarefully,beingnon-judgementallywithfamilies.


• Uses various ways to communicate with families that incorporate their language andcommunicationpreferences.

• Maintainsconfidentialityofallinformationaboutthechildandtheirfamily.

Principle:2.3Servicesarebestprovidedinpartnershipswithfamilies.

Qualityindicators:

• Ensureseachfamily’srightsandresponsibilitiestobeinvolvedindecision-making,withthemmakingthefinaldecisionabouttheirchild’sdevelopment,learning,well-beingandservices.

• Incorporates and respects families’ specific goals, needs and cultural practices; uponmutual agreement,modifies routines appropriately to enhance continuity between thehomeandothersettings.

• Strengthensandreinforcesparentingpracticeswhileofferingevidence-basedparentingeducationandsupportforimprovingthesewhennecessary.

• Promotestheinvolvementandengagementoffathersandotherfamilymembersinthechild’scareandlearning.

FocusArea:3.Inclusion,DiversityandValuesofDemocracy

Principle: 3.1 Inclusion provides equal opportunities for every child and family toparticipateregardlessofgender,race,ethnicorigin,culture,nativelanguage,religion,familystructure,socialstatus,ageorspecialneed

Qualityindicators:

• Makesadaptationstotheenvironment, learningexperiencesand interactionssuchthatthosewithdifferentphysicalandmentalcapabilities,orwhospeakdifferent languages,canalsofullyparticipate.

• Addressesgenderandotherstereotypes(includingpovertystereotypes)inthematerialsandlearningexperiencesprovidedtochildrenand/ortheirfamilies.

Principle: 3.2 Understanding and appreciation of the diversity that exists amongchildren,familiesandcommunitiesbuildschildren’sidentities.

Qualityindicator:

• Supportsfamilies’childrearingpractices,inadditiontoculturalandlinguisticstyleswherepossible.Wherethisisnotpossible,appropriatesupportandguidanceisoffered.


Principle:3.4Inclusionispromotedthroughpartnershipswithfamilies.

Qualityindicators:

• Dialogueswithfamiliesabouthowservicescanbeimprovedtoshowrespectforandthevalueofdiversity.

• Dialogueswithfamiliesabouthowservicescanbemoreinclusive,includingadvocacyandsupportforfamiliesofchildrenwithspecialneeds.

• Workswithfamiliesandspecialiststocreateaplanforinclusion;discussesinthisplanthesuccessesandchallenges,observationsandreflectionsrelatedtoworkingwithindividualchildren.

FocusArea:6.Observation,Documentation,ReflectionandPlanning

Principle: 6.2 Observations are most useful when documented, reflected upon andsharedwithparents/familiesandotherswhoareinvolvedinthechild’scareandwell-being.

Qualityindicator:

• Sharesobservationswithfamiliesandotherprofessionals(whenparentalpermissionisgranted)whoworkwiththechildwithaviewofprovidingseamlesscareforthechildandtoengagetheminanyinterventionsandinvolvementofotherservices.

FocusArea:7.EnablingEnvironments

Principle:7.3Theenvironmentiswelcoming,accessibleandcomfortable.

Qualityindicators:

• Arranges the space so that familymembers feel comfortable andwelcomed during anyvisits.

Qualityindicatorsusedinserviceswithchildrenfrom3-10yearsoldCompetent Teachers of the 21st Century. ISSA’S definition of Quality Pedagogy (ISSA –InternationalStepbyStepAssociation,2010)http://www.issa.nl/sites/default/files/Quality-Principles-final-WEB.pdf

1. TheoreticalbackgroundofqualityindicatorsAccordingtoISSAmembers,thefollowingfocusareasarecrucialtoensurehighqualitysupporttochildren’sdevelopmentandlearning:Interactions,FamilyandCommunity,Inclusion,DiversityandValuesofDemocracy,AssessmentandPlanning,TeachingStrategies,LearningEnvironment,


Professional Development. The seven focus areas promote practices that are guided byhumanistic and socio-constructivist principles, emphasizing developmentally appropriatepractices, individualizedapproach,and the idea that learningoccurs in interaction,and isadialogue between children and adults, as well as between children, which is marked byrespecting each other, stimulating and giving autonomy to the learner, and assuming thatchildren are competent and full citizens even while they need support from adults. ISSA’sdefinitionofQualityPedagogyrecognizesandpromotestheimportantroleoftheprofessionalasaknowledgeable,sensitiveindividualwhoguidesandscaffoldschildrenintheirjourneyofexplorationandlearningandworksinclosepartnershipwithfamiliesasthefirstteachersoftheirchildrenandcommunitiesasanaturalresourceforlearningandinquiry(ISSA,2010,p.15).19

2. MethodsofuseofqualityindicatorsISSA’sPrinciplesandIndicatorsofQualityareofferedtoeverybodytousethemasastartingpointofthediscussiononwhatwewantoursocietiestobeinthefutureandwhatwecandotohelp our children create and live in such societies. They are offered as a framework forinnovation, self-assessment,and improvement,andurge theuser toexplorenewterritorieswithchildren.Theyguidebutdonotrestrict(ISSA,2010,p.18).ISSA’sintentionisthatthisdocument(ISSA,2010)willserveasaframeworkforbuildingandstrengtheningpartnershipswith a wide range of audiences (families included), as each of us in one or another wayinfluenceschildren’searlyyearsexperiences(ISSA,2010,p.17).

Indicators of Quality are intended to begin reflection and dialogue about educator’s ownpracticeinordertobettermeettheneedsoftheirowncontextsandenvironments;theycanalso be used to identify educator’s own strengths and areas for improvement (Tankersley,Brajkovic,Handzar,2011,p.6-7).20

3. Quality indicators and evidences/examples, showing the implementation ofqualityindicators

FocusArea:2.FamilyandCommunity

19 ISSA(2010).CompetentTeachersofthe21stCentury. ISSA’SdefinitionofQualityPedagogy.Budapest,Amsterdam:InternationalStepbyStepAssociation.http://www.issa.nl/sites/default/files/Quality-Principles-final-WEB.pdf(24.3.2015).20Tankersley,D.,Brajkovic,S.,Handzar,S.(2011).ProfessionalDevelopmentToolforImprovingQualityofPracticesinKindergarten.Budapest,Amsterdam:InternationalStepbyStepAssociation.


Principle:2.1Theeducatorpromotespartnershipswithfamiliesandprovidesavarietyof opportunities for families and community members to be involved in children’slearninganddevelopment.

Qualityindicators:

• 2.1.1Theeducatorinvitesandwelcomesfamilymembersintotheclassroomandfindswaysforallfamiliestoparticipateintheeducationalprocessandlifeofthelearningcommunity.Evidences:21

o Offers a variety of activities for parents/familymembers to choose from and getinvolvedwiththeirchildrenintheprogram.

o Develops and displays monthly plans of classroom activities, including thematicprojectswithspecificopportunitiesforinvolvementoffamilymembers.

o Postswelcomingsignsand thank-you letters toacknowledge thecontributionsoffamilymembers.

o Usesparent/familysurveystofindouthowfamilieswouldliketobeinvolved,andusesthatinformationtoinvolvethem.

o Looksforwaystoinvolveallfamilies,eveniftheycannotspendtimeintheroom,bysendinghomethingsthattheycandowiththeirchildrenathomethatsupportwhatisgoingonintheprogram.

o Facilitatesfamilyparticipationbasedontheirinterests,abilities,andcultures.o Identifies barriers to greater participation by families (especially families from

disadvantagedgroups)inbuildinghomeschoolpartnershipsandseeksalternativewaystoinvolvethemorbringthemintotheschool.

• 2.1.2 The educator involves family members in shared decision-making about theirchildren’slearning,development,andsociallifeintheclassroom.Evidences:

o Has a system for getting parents’ goals for their children (such as throughconferences, written communication, regular phone calls, etc.) and incorporatingthosegoalsintoclassroomactivities.

o Involvesparents/familymembers increating IndividualEducationPlans for theirchild(ifnecessary).

o Provides tools such as children’s portfolios and written reports to help familiesreviewandassesstheirchild’sdevelopment.

o Providesparents/familymemberswiththeopportunitytobecomefamiliarwiththeprogrampriortothestartofthechild’sparticipation.

21Allevidencesinthissectionaretakenfromthisdocument:Tankersley,D.,Brajkovic,S.,Handzar,S.(2011).ProfessionalDevelopmentToolforImprovingQualityofPracticesinKindergarten.Budapest,Amsterdam:InternationalStepbyStepAssociation.


o Involves parents/family members in creating plans for the social life of theclassroom.

o Integratesparents’knowledgeintheassessmentprocessofchildren’slearning.o Empowersfamiliesandisanallytohelpthemadvocateforinclusionoftheirvoices

onissuesconcerningtheirchildren’slearninganddevelopment.• 2.1.3 The educator involves family members in decision-making concerning children’s

learningenvironments.Evidences:

o Involvesfamiliesinplanningandcreatingthelearningenvironment,classroom,andschoolsothattheirvalues,goals,andconcernsareaddressed.

o Involves families in discussions around classroom/school rules, bus schedules,programgoals,extracurricularactivities,andaspectsofcommunityinvolvement.

o Encourages families to become active as members of the classroom or schoolgovernanceteamorvoicetheirneedsandexpectationstothosewhoaregoverning.

o Involvesfamiliesinwritingtheprogram’sphilosophy,goals,operatingprocedures,etc.

o Sharespowerwithfamiliesandcommunitymemberstoimplementnationalschoolreforminitiativesattheschool/centerandcommunitylevel.

Principle:2.2Theeducatorusesformalandinformalopportunitiesforcommunicationandinformationsharingwithfamilies.

Qualityindicators:

• 2.2.1Theeducatorregularlycommunicateswithfamiliesabouttheirchildren,theirlearninganddevelopment,curriculumrequirements,andtheeventsintheclassroom.Evidences:

o Regularly provides parents/families with written information on their children,emphasizing child’s strengths, (such as children’s portfolios, child assessmentinstruments,narrativesonthechildren,etc.)andasksforparents/familiesfeedback.

o Regularlyupdateswritten informationoncurriculumrequirementsandevents intheclassroomonafamilies’informationboardintheclassroom.

o Individualizes communication with families to accommodate their schedules,languages spoken at home, and other special circumstances including emails,telephoneconferences,writtenprogressreports,etc.

o Providesinformationonhowfamiliescancommunicatewiththeeducatorandletsfamiliesknowwhattheycanexpectwillbecommunicatedtothem.

o Organizes parent education sessions based on the latest research and scientificarguments.

o Makesparentsawareofinformationrelevanttotheirkeyrole.


o Empowers families and is an ally to help them to express their views on schoolreformandcurriculumrequirements.

• 2.2.2 The educator regularly communicates with families to learn about a child’sbackgroundinordertogaininsightsonthechild’sstrengths,interests,andneeds.Evidences:

o Communicatesregularly(bothformallyandinformally)tofindoutaboutachild’sinterests, special needs, new skills observed at home, routines, special people inhis/herlife,upcomingevents,andotheractivitiesthatimpactthechild’slife.

o Adaptsplansandroutinesinresponsetoinformationlearnedfromfamilies.o Asksparentsaboutbeliefsandactionstheyfindimportantinsupportingtheirchild’s

developmentathome.o Uses informationprovidedbyparents tomeet their child’s learningneeds in the

classroom.o Empowers familiesandactsasanally togetschoolsystemsto listento families–

theirvalues,needs, strengths,goals,dreams,and importantperspectiveson theirchildren–inordertoprovideprogramsthatbestservethem.

• 2.2.3Theeducatorpromotesopportunitiesforfamiliestolearnfromoneanotherandtosupporteachother.Evidences:

o Plans activities inwhichmembers of various families formpositive relationshipswith each other and helps them share their knowledge, concerns, and interestsregarding child-rearing, including informal family gatherings such picnics,excursions,familynights.

o Providesspaceintheclassroomandtimeduringeventsforinformationexchangebyfamilies.

o Assistsfamiliesinengagingpeersandnetworksforinformationandsupport.o Createsafamily-friendlyenvironmentintheschool/classroom,includingspaceand

timetomeet,libraryresources,andannouncingopportunitiesforparentstomeet,share/learnfromoneanother,andformsupportgroupsonspecifictopics.

o Helps families exchange ideas and network with one another, such as sendingsuggestionshome,creatingagroupnetworkontheweb,etc.

o Empowersfamiliestoform,lead,andmoderatemeetings,activities,andassociationsaroundissuesthatconcerntheminthecommunity.

Principle: 2.3 The educator uses community resources and family culture to enrichchildren’s

developmentandlearningexperiences.

Qualityindicators:


• 2.3.3Theeducatorusesknowledgeofchildren’scommunitiesandfamiliesasanintegralpartofthecurriculumandtheirlearningexperiences.Evidence(s):

o Aligns resources that families and community member offer with nationalcurriculumgoalsandchildren’sinterests.

o Plans activities that integrate family and/or community knowledge, includingfolklore,oralhistory,personalexperiencesof communitymembers,music, crafts,rituals,andgames.

o Useseventsthathappeninfamiliesandcommunitytodeveloplearningactivitiesandprojects.

• 2.3.4Theeducatoroffersinformationandideasforparentsandfamilymembersonhowtocreate a stimulating home learning environment and helps to strengthen parentcompetences.Evidence(s):

o Provides/offersinformation,learningmaterials,andworkshopstofamiliesonchilddevelopmentanddemonstratesactivitiesthatfamiliescanusetofosterlearningathome.

o Invitesotherspecialiststoofferworkshopsforfamiliesoncreatingstimulatinghomelearningenvironments.

o Invites parents/family members into the classroom to observe the children’sactivities.

o Helpsfamiliesrecognizethestrategiestheyarealreadyusingthatcontributetotheirchild’sdevelopmentandlearning.

o Providesparentswithsimplestrategiestheycanuseduringeverydayinteractionswiththeirchildren.

o Empowersfamiliestobeabletoassessthesuccessofdifferentstrategiestheyuseathomeandtomakeadjustmentssothattheybuildonthechild’suniquestrengthsandneeds.

FocusArea:3.Inclusion,Diversity,andtheValuesofDemocracy

Principle:3.1Theeducatorprovidesequalopportunities foreverychildand family tolearnandparticipateregardlessofgender,race,ethnicorigin,culture,nativelanguage,religion,familystructure,socialstatus,economicstatus,age,orspecialneed.

Qualityindicators:

• 3.1.3Theeducator treatsevery familywithrespect,dignity,andconsiderationand findswaystoinvolvethemintheirchild’seducation.Evidence(s):


o Issensitivetoparents’individualcircumstances,findsmultiplewaysinwhichtheycanbeinvolved.

o Makesnonjudgmentalstatementsaboutindividualchildren’sfamilies.o LooksforwaystoprovidelearningexperiencesforchildrenWITHfamilymembers

andbuildsonwhatfamiliesalreadydowiththeirchildren.o Recognizesthatlearningoccurscontinuouslyoutsideofschoolandbuildslearning

atschoolonthoseexperiences.o Supports families to help children bring together the various aspects of their

multipleidentities.o Workswithfamiliestohelpthempreservetheiridentitiesandcultures.

FocusArea:4.AssessmentandPlanning

Principle:4.1Theeducatorregularlyandsystematicallymonitorseachchild’sprogress,learningprocesses,andachievements.

Qualityindicators:

• 4.1.1 The educator uses systematic observation and other diverse and developmentallyappropriateformativeassessmenttoolsthatreflectontheprocessandoutcomesoflearninganddevelopment.Evidence(s):

o Usesobservationresultstotrackindividualchildren’sprogressonmeetingnationalgoalsforlearningaswellastheirownandtheirfamilies’goalsforthem.

Principle:4.2Theeducatorplansforteachingandlearningbasedoninformationaboutchildrenandnationalrequirements.

Qualityindicators:

• 4.2.1Theeducatorplansactivitiesthatarebasedonthedevelopmentallevelsandinterestsofthechildrentoenablethemtoacquirerelevantcompetences.Evidence(s):

o Has individual plans for each child developed in conjunction with the child andhis/herfamily.

Principle:4.3Theeducatorincludeschildren,families,andrelevantprofessionalsintheassessmentandplanningprocess.

Qualityindicators:


• 4.3.3Theeducatorand familymembersshare informationregardingchildren’sprogressandinterestsandtogethercreateshort-termandlong-termindividualgoals.Evidence(s):

o Sharesrecordedobservationandassessmentinstrumentswithfamilymembers.o Asksfamilymembershowtheycontributetothechild’sprogressinlearning.o Thefamily,child,andeducatortogetherwritelearninggoalsanddiscussstrategies

forachievingthosegoals.o The family, child, and educator together assess how well learning goals were

achieved.o Solicits information from parents about their expectations for their child and

strategiestheyuseathometohelpthechild,andincorporatesthisinformationintoinstruction.

o Uses special interests of families in planning to provide more varied learningexperiencesforchildren.

o Asksfamilymemberstoshareideasforunitsofstudythechildrencoulddointheclassroom.

o Reflectsonandactsinwaysthatencourageevengreaterinputfromchildrenandfamiliesonwritinglearninggoalsforchildren.

o Understandsthatcertainproceduresinschoolsmightcreatebarrierstofamilyinputandworkstochangethem.

Qualityindicatorsusedinpreschools

Strengthening Families Slovenia: ISA Institute (Institute for psychological-counselingdevelopmentalprojects)USA:CenterfortheStudyofSocialPolicy

1. TheoreticalbackgroundofqualityindicatorsStrengtheningFamiliesisaresearch-informedapproachtoincreasefamilystrengths,enhancechild development and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. At its heart,StrengtheningFamiliesisabouthowfamiliesaresupportedtobuildkeyprotectivefactorsthatenable children to thrive. It is based on engaging families, programs and communities inbuildingfiveprotectivefactors:

• Parentalresilience:Managingstressandfunctioningwellevenwhenfacedwithchallenges,adversityandtrauma.

• Social connections: Positive relationships that provide emotional, informational,instrumentalandspiritualsupport.


• Knowledge of parenting and child development: Understanding child development andparenting strategies that support physical, cognitive, language, social and emotionaldevelopment.

• Concretesupportintimesofneed:Accesstoconcretesupportandservicesthataddressafamily’sneedsandhelpsminimizestresscausedbychallenges.

• Socialandemotionalcompetenceofchildren:Familyandchildinteractionsthathelpchildrendevelop the ability to communicate clearly, recognize and regulate their emotions, andestablishandmaintainrelationships.22

TheapproachwasintroducedtoSlovenianpreschoolsandeducatorsin2010-2012,asafirstcountryimplementingthisapproachoutsideUSA,whereitwasdevelopedandinitiated.Morethan1000educatorsacrossthecountrywereinvolvedintrainingforimplementationofthisapproach.

2. MethodsofuseofqualityindicatorsFourofthesefiveprotectivefactors—increasingparentalresilience,buildingsocialconnections,increasing knowledge of parenting and child development, and providing concrete support intimesofneed—areprimarilydirectedtowardsparents.Theremainingfactor—supportingthesocialandemotionalcompetenceofchildren—complementstheseparent-directedservicesbyfocusingonthedevelopmentalneedsofchildrenandthequalityoftheirprimaryrelationships(CenterfortheStudyofSocialPolicy,p.7).23

StrengtheningFamiliesisbeingusedtoreshapehowearlycareandeducation(ECE)programsengageparents in their children’sdevelopmentand tohelp thembuild strongrelationshipsbetweenfamilymembersandstaff.24

Unlikemanyotherserviceproviders,ECEprogramsprovideanopportunityforhighlystressedparentstoobtainneededservicesinanon-stigmatizingandeasilyaccessibleenvironment.Thefact that ECE staff interactswith children and parents on an almost daily basis provides acontext inwhich strong, supportive relationshipsmaydevelop.This, in turn, allows staff todeveloptheworkingknowledgeofchildrenandfamiliesneededtotailorpreventionservicestomeet individualneeds.Atthesametime,thiscloseconnectionbetweenfamiliesandstaff

22http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengtheningfamilies/about;http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengthening-families/2014/SFoverview.pdf(23.3.2015)23CenterfortheStudyofSocialPolicy.Protectivefactorsliteraturereview:earlycareandeducationprogramsandthepreventionofchildabuseandneglect.http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengthening-families/resources/body/LiteratureReview.pdf(25.3.2015).24http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengthening-families/2014/SFoverview.pdf,23.3.2015


shouldenableprogramstodetectcases inwhichtheriskofchildmaltreatment ishigh,andimmediatelyattemptappropriateinterventions(CenterfortheStudyofSocialPolicy,p.7).25

3. Quality indicators and evidences/examples, showing the implementation of qualityindicators

Qualityindicators:

• ParentalresilienceEvidences:26

o Beasourceofassistanceforeachfamilythatsufferedafire,deathorothertragedy;whenpreschoolmayhelpwithcollectingclothes,food,toys,orotherwise.

o Createaflyerandsenditthroughachildtohis/herfamily,askingparentstositdowntogetherasafamilyandanswerafewsimplequestions,forexample:Whatarethegreateststrengthsofyourfamily?Namethreethingsthatyourfamilydoorwasdoingtobecomeevenstronger.Usethegivenanswerstohighlightwhatfamiliesdo,thattheyarestrong.

• SocialconnectionsEvidences:

o Organizeactivitiestosupportfamiliesincooperationwithotherfamilies(eg.picnics,fairs,movienights,fieldtripsetc.).

o Organize regularmonthlymeetingswithparentsabout life inapreschool–whatworkswell,whatcanbeimproved;differenttopicsaboutwhichparentswouldliketotalk/discuss.

o Makeabulletinboardforparents,wheretheycancommunicateamongthemselves;forexampleforsharingskills,exchangeofservices(babysitting)etc.

• KnowledgeofparentingandchilddevelopmentEvidences:

o Inapreschool,createa“spaceforlearning”withbooks,journals,leafletsetc.aboutchilddevelopment,parenting.

o Inviteexperts,whopresenttopics,importantforparents,andareavailableforatalk(eg.doctors,differenttherapistsetc.).

o Make a “box for questions”; parents can write questions (anonymously) aboutparenting, child raising, and other questions. Questions can then be used fororganizationofparentalmeetingsonspecifictopic,equipping“spaceforlearning”withactualmaterialsetc.

25CenterfortheStudyofSocialPolicy.Protectivefactorsliteraturereview:earlycareandeducationprogramsandthepreventionofchildabuseandneglect.http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengthening-families/resources/body/LiteratureReview.pdf(25.3.2015).26Allevidencesinthissectionaretakenfromthisdocument:ISAinstitut.Krepimodružineskozipredšolskovzgojoinvarstvo.Priročnik.[Eng.Strengtheningfamiliesthroughearlychildhoodeducationandcare.Manual.]


• ConcretesupportintimesofneedEvidences:

o Organizefairwheredifferentorganizationspresenttheirmaterialsandproducts,soparentscanseewhatisavailableintheirneighborhood,especiallyservicesthatareeasilyaccessibleandfreeoravailableatminimalcost.

o Distributeamongfamiliesa listof locationswheretheycango forhelp incaseofdifferent problems they face with. The information should be easily accessiblethroughouttheyear.

• SocialandemotionalcompetenceofchildrenEvidences:

o Useeithermeetingormessagestofamily,askingwhatapreschoolandfamilycandotogethertoensureahealthysocialandemotionaldevelopmentofachild.UsetheAfricanproverb“Ittakesavillagetoraiseachild”,sayingtheessence.

Qualityindicatorsusedinpreschoolsandprimaryschools

7StepsTowardsECO-School

http://ekosola.si/sedem-korakov/;http://www.eco-schools.org/menu/process/seven-steps

1. TheoreticalbackgroundofqualityindicatorsAn international programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Eco-Schoolstoempowerstudentstobethechangeoursustainableworldneedsbyengagingthemin fun, action-orientated learning. Each school follows a seven step change process andempowers their young people to lead processes and actionswherever they can. Over timeandthroughcommitmenttotheEco-Schoolssevenstepprocess,improvementswillbeseeninboththe learningoutcomes,attitudeandbehaviorofstudentsandthe localcommunityandultimatelythelocalenvironment.TheEco-SchoolsprogrammeprovidesanintegratedsystemforenvironmentalmanagementofschoolsbasedonanISO14001/EMASapproach.27

2. MethodsofuseofqualityindicatorsSevenSteps

TheEco-SchoolsmethodologyencompassesSevenStepsthatanyschoolcanadopt.Theprocessinvolvesawiderangeofstakeholders(alsofamilyparticipationisdesired),butpupilsplaythecentralrole.Afteraperiodofparticipation,anevaluationofthesuccessoftheseinitiativesandthe methodology is undertaken, and the whole Eco-Schools programme for each school isassessed.

GreenFlag

27WhatisEco-Schools:http://www.eco-schools.org/menu/about/eco-schools-2(23.3.2015)


SuccessfulEco-SchoolsareawardedtheGreenFlag,aninternationallyacknowledgedsymbolforenvironmentalexcellence.Insomecountries,thisrecognitionhappensthroughathreelevelsystem,whereschoolsareawardedeitherbronzeandsilverawardsbeforegettingthegreenflag,oroneandtwostars.ThereisflexibilitytotheceremonyandawardingprocessbutthecriteriaforassessingschoolsfortheawardmustfollowtheguidelinesofFEE'sInternationalEco-SchoolsProgramme.28

3. Quality indicators and evidences/examples, showing the implementation of qualityindicators

QualityindicatorStep6:InformingandInvolvingOnekeyaimoftheEco-Schoolsprogrammeistoraisegeneralawarenessofyourenvironmentalactivities-throughouttheschoolandthewidercommunity-andtomakesurethatasmanypeopleaspossiblegetachancetotakepart.Actionsshouldnotjustbeconfinedtotheschool:forexample,pupilsshouldtakehomeideastoputintopractice.Involvingthewidercommunitybringsawiderangeofbenefits.Parents,neighbors,localbusinessesandthelocalauthoritycanbesourcesofadvice,information,practicalhelpandfinancialassistance.Thisisalsoanidealopportunity to raise the school's profile within the community through the production ofnewsletterstoparents,pressreleasestothelocalpaper,OpenDays,etc.29Evidences:Involvingthecommunity(familiesincluded)30• produceanewsletterthatregularlykeepsparentsupdatedabouttheEco-Schoolsprocess.

Copiesof thenewslettercanalsobesent toothermembersof thecommunity(e.g. localcouncil,parishes,localbusinesses)

• sendletterstolocalbusinessesseekingsupportforinitiatives• askresourcepeoplefromthecommunitytocometotheschooltogivetalksorofferhelpin

particulartasks• holdpressreleasespublicisingEco-Schoolsactivities,researchresultsandachievements• holdcommunity-widesurveystogatherinformationabouttheenvironmentalissuesthat

aremostlyrelevant• disseminatetheschool'sEco-Codewithinthecommunity• invite people from the community to attend the Eco-Schools celebration event

(http://www.eco-schools.org/menu/process/seven-steps,23.3.2015).

28HowdoesEco-Schoolswork:http://www.eco-schools.org/menu/about/programme(24.3.2015)29WhataretheSevenSteps:http://www.eco-schools.org/menu/process/seven-steps(24.3.2015)30WhataretheSevenSteps;Step6:InformingandInvolving:http://www.eco-schools.org/menu/process/seven-steps(24.3.2015)


QualityIndicatorsofECECservices

QualityIndicators-Focusarea1LEARNING ABOUT THE FAMILY - Knowing and appreciating families and communities

Theworkinggroup:

• Learnsabouteachfamily’svalues,beliefs,theprerequisitesofpracticesandincorporatesthemwhen-everpossible.

• Individualizesrelationshipsandservicesforfamiliesinwaysthatbestsupporttheirneeds.• Learns about the communities where children live and uses that knowledge to meet

children’sneedsinordertocreatemoreadequateapproachesforlearning.• Builds on family and community strengths and, where possible, acknowledges and

incorporatesthe“fundsofknowledge”thatareapartofeveryfamilyandcommunity.• Promotesopportunitiesforfamiliestolearnandsupporteachother.

QualityIndicators-Focusarea2

LEARNING ABOUT THE FAMILY - Knowing and appreciating families andcommunities

Theworkinggroup:

• Learnsabouteachfamily’svalues,beliefs,theprerequisitesofpracticesandincorporatesthemwheneverpossible.

• Individualizesrelationshipsandservicesforfamiliesinwaysthatbestsupporttheirneeds. • Learns about the communities where children live and uses that knowledge to meet

children’sneedsinordertocreatemoreadequateapproachesforlearning.• Builds on family and community strengths and, where possible, acknowledges and

incorporatesthe“fundsofknowledge”thatareapartofeveryfamilyandcommunity.• Promotes opportunities for families to learn and support each other.


DECIDINGANDACTINGTOGETHERWITHTHEFAMILY-Partnershipandsharingdecision-makingresponsibilities


Theworkinggroup:

• Promotesactivitiesintheservicesthatfamiliesareinvitedtoparticipatein.• Ensures each family’s rights and responsibilities to be involved in the decision-making

process.• Takes the final decision about the child’s development, learning,wellbeing and services

offeredto-getherwiththefamily.• Incorporatesandrespectsfamilies’specificgoals,needsandculturalpractices.Uponmutual

agree-mentitmodifiesroutinesinordertoenhancecontinuitybetweenthehomeandothersettings.

• Strengthens and reinforces parenting practiceswhile offering evidence-based parentingeducationandsupportwhennecessary.

• Promotes the involvementandengagementofparentsandother familymembers in thechild’scareandlearning.


COOPERATINGAND COLLABORATINGWITH THE COMMUNITY - Sharingeducationalresponsibilitwiththecommunity

Theworkinggroup:

• Ensuresseamlesstransitionswhencooperatingwithdifferentservicestosupportfamilies.• Actively engages local communities to promote children’s and families’ rights through

communityoutreachandadvocacyactivities. • Creates opportunities for community members to be involved and participate in early

childhoodser-vices’activities. • Recognisesthatyoungchildrenarepartofthecommunitiesthatplayavitalroleintheir

earlychild-hoodexperiences.


PartD–Jobshadowingandthemonitoringprocessofthetestinginnovativepractices

Jobshadowingmethod:implementation,addedvalue,facilitatingconditionsWithintheEquapproject,whichfocusesonparentparticipation,practitionersinECEChadtheopportunitytoengageinajobshadowingactivity.Thisisamethodofsharedlearning,inwhichpractitioners join their colleagues on the work floor in a different country an get activelyinvolved in thework there.This learningmethodhasproven tobeveryvaluableandmuchappreciatedbyallparticipants.Theyallwitnessedthattheyhadaneye-openinganrichlearningexperience.

WhilethisjobshadowingwasorganisedtoworkondifferentmethodsofinvolvingparentsinECEC,weareconvincedthatthislearningmethodcanbeusedonmanyotherthemesaswell.

In this document, we share the main points of interest, as well as some caveats forimplementation.

“Job shadowing is a very enriching and inspiring way to learn. It opens up your mind, as a professional and as a person.”(Narimane

Sidali)

1. Before

Announcementandinitialinformation- ClearannouncementandexplanationonwhattheJSwillentail,toeveryonewhocould

possiblegetinvolved- Useofdifferentinformationchannelstomakesureeveryoneisinformed- Provideasmanydetailsaspossible:onwhatJSis,wheretogo,languages,document

requirements(visaetc),period,whatservice...- Beawareofpossiblebarriersandconsiderhowthesecanbedealtwith(notusedtotravelfor

work,languageissue,homesituation....)- MakeitclearthatJSisnotjustanotherstudyvisit,butatimetoworkandlearnandreallyget

engagedinaquiteunknownsetting.

Whocango?- Collectinfoonwhoisinterested


- Nottoomanycriterianeedtobeputforward,butsomeareworthconsidering:basicknowledgeoflanguagesused,commitment,eagernesstolearn,abilitytoreportandgivesomefeedback

- Addedvalueofsendingduo’s(ormore)peoplefromthesamecentre,withdifferentfunctionswithintheircentre:supportingeachother,beingabletoreflecttogetherduringtheJSperiod,combinedifferentperspectivesonthejob(bothathomeandabroad),betteropportunitiestosharewithinthewholeteamacrossdifferentlevelsafterwards...

Howtoprepare?- ThepreparationisveryimportanttomaketheJSexperienceasrichandmeaningfulas

possible.- Preparationisneededontwolevels:thecontent(Whatwillwebedoing?Whatisthemeaning

ofthejobshadowing?Whygetengaged?...)andthemorepracticalarrangements(traveldocuments,reservations,timing,materials:notebooks,thefocusareas…).Itiswisetoappointa‘JScoordinator’inthisphasetotakechargeofthispreparationandallthedetails.

- ArrangeformeetingsbeforetheJStotakeacloserlookintotheissueathand,gothroughrelevantbackgroundliterature/documents,getacquaintedwithsomebasicinformationontheplacethatwillbevisited.Again,beclearanddetailedonbothcontentandpracticalities.

- Makeitclearwhatthefocusissuewillbe,whatperspectivewillbetaken,howthereportingwillbedone,whatinstrumentcouldbeusedassomekindof‘compass’.

- Itisadvisabletohaveteamdiscussionsonthecontentathand,collectideasandunderlyingconvictionsandviewsonthetopictoknowhowyoustandwithinyourownservice.

- ThedifferentJSpartnerorganisationsshouldinformoneanother(e.g.bysomekindofIdentikits:whoarewe?Whatdowedo?Staff?Experiences?Whatisourapproachon...?)Thisexchangeofinformationnotonlyhelpspeopledecidewheretheywanttogoandwhy,butdraftingthiscanalsomakepeopleevenmoreawareoftheirownworkandwhytheyworkthewaytheydo.(Writinganidentikitofyourowncentre,canbeareflectionexerciseonyourownwork:whydoyouwanttotellwhattothevisitors?Whydoyoustressthisandnotthat?Whatdoyouseemtotakeforgranted?...)

- Keeptherestoftheteam,whodonotgoJS,informedthroughoutthisprocessaswell..

2. During

“InsteadoflookingforwhatcanNOTbedone,openyoureyestoseewhatCANbedone.”(BouchraChfira)

Beingwelcomed- Receivingcolleaguesinawarmandwelcomingway.Beawarethatsomepeoplearenotused

totravelforprofessionalreasonsatallandthatthevisitingcolleagesdonotknowmuchaboutyourwork

- Trytotakenothingofyourworkforgranted.Bereadytoexplainwhateverisbeingasked.- GettheJScolleaguesreallyinvolvedinyourdailywork(unnecessarytosetupmajorevents

especiallyforthem,butdowhatyouusuallydo)


- Organisinganicedinnerorreceptiontohaveeveryoneintroducedtoeachother- InformeveryoneattheworkplaceswhereJSwillbedoneandexplainwhatthisentails,sothat

receivingcentrescanbepreparedaswell.- Besurethatyoucanofferactivitiesorworkingmethodsthatrelatetotheissueathand.

Wheretogo?- Dependingontheissueorwhattheywanttowitnessandengagein,differentplacescanbe

involved(centres,communitymeetings,workfloor...)- MakeitclearintheJSprogramwhetherpeoplewillstayinthesameserviceorcentreorwill

movearoundtodifferentworkplaces(bothhaveadvantagesanddisadvantages.Stayinginonesettingforacoupleofdayscandeepentheearningandmakepeoplereallypartofateam.Movingaroundontheotherhandoffersmoreopportunitiestoseedifferentwaysofworking.)

Reportingandregularbriefings- Adailydebriefingorreflectionmomentmakessense.Therearesomanyimpressionsthatitis

goodtolookbackonthatonadailybasis(nottoforgettoomuch).Thisalsohelpstostayfocusedontheissueathand.

- Takeamomentadaytowritedownsomenotesonwhatyouexperiencedandfeltduringtheday(littlecultureshocks,surprisingpractices,newapproaches,thingsthatmadeyoufeelgood...)makeitintosomekindof‘JS-diary’.

- Thesereflectionmomentscanalsobethestartoflookingintowayshowyoucould‘import’or‘translate’ecertainpracticeinyourownworksetting.

- ThediarycanalsoserveasafirstbasisfortheJSreportingtotheteamathome

Professionalandpersonalrelationships- Whenvisitingandreceivingcolleaguessucceedingettingtoknoweachotherwell,itaddsto

theJSexperience.Theclosertheworkingrelationships,thedeeperthelearning.- Engaginginanotherworkplace,opensopportunitiestothinkaboutyourownworkandalso

appreciatethatmore.- Jobshadowersneedtokeepalearningattitudeandanopenmind.Becuriousabouttheworkof

others;JSisnotaboutteachingthehostingcolleagueshowtodotheirjobs.- Sendregularupdatesandnewstotheteamathome

3. After- JSservesapurpose:thelearningabroadneedstobebrought‘home’.- BesuretoinformyourcolleaguesabouttheJSexperiences,thethingsyoulearned.Thisway

theycanalsogetinvolvedinthesearchonhownewpracticescouldbeimplemented- Beawarethatamerecut/pasteofpractices,methodsoractivitieswillNOTwork.Needto

adaptthingstoyourownorganisation,setting,targetgroupsandcontext- Keepafocusontheissueathand- Discussinteamwhatcouldbe‘imported’andwhatgoalthatwouldserve(theWHY?Question)- Gettingoutofthecomfortzoneandofyourownroutinealsogivesnewperspectivesandideas,

butremainrealistic.Enthousiasmisgoodbuttheregularworkneedstobecontinuedaswell.


“Listeningtotheirstories,inspiredmetomakesomechangesinourwork,evenwhenIdidnotgojobshadowing.”(Frieda)

Receivingjobshadowersfrompartnercountries- Onthereceivingendsideaswell,preparationisvital.Thinkanddiscusswellaboutwhatand

howyouwanttoinvolvepeopleontheworkfloor,whattoshowandexplainaboutyourwork.and.

- Geteveryonewellinformedaboutwhatisgoingtohappen,whoiscomingandwhatthepurposeoftheJSis.Haveeveryone(mentally)preparedtohavejobshadowersaroundforaweek

- Arrangeforawarmwelcomeandoffersomeactivitiesinthefreetimeaswell.Considerthatpeopleareawayfromhomeandtheirusualworksurroundingandthatthings,thatseemordinarytoyou,maybeveryneworstrangetothem.

- Focusnotonlyonthestrongpointsinyourworkbutalsohavethecouragetoshowwhatyou’relesssureabout,thingsthatdonotgoperfectly;inshort,thereallifeinthejob.(perfectiondoesnt’existanywhere)

“WedidnotonlyvisitElmer,wesmelledandfeltElmer.”(visitorfromSlovenia)

ReflectionandcommentsTheoverallreactionsonthejobshadowingrangefrompositivetoextremelypositive.Theword‘boost’isarecurringthemeintheinterviews..

- Possibilitytoarrangejobshadowingforashortertimeorclosertohomesomorepeoplecouldjoin

- Jobshadowingis‘contaminating’:morepeoplewanttogoandtheoneswhostayedhomealsogotinspiredbythejobshadowingcolleagues.Theoneswhodidleave,wanttodoitagain.

- Strongbondswerecreated,beyondtheworklevel.Peoplearekeepingintouch.- Jobshadowingalsopositivelyaffectstheinteractionamongcolleagues;goingawaytogether

changesanddeepenstheconnectionwiththepeopleyouworkwith.- Thechoicetocombinedifferentfunctionstoparticipatetogetherinthejobshadowinghas

actuallyenrichedtheexperience,thefollow-upandtheoutcome,aspracticesarebeingimplementedonalllevels.

- JobshadowingcanbeanextremelyimportantlearningopportunityforECEC-practitionersanditcanbeapowerfulprofessionalboostandaneyeopener.

- TheElmerjobshadowerstravelledwithcolleaguesthatwerenotalwaysworkinginthesamelocation.Thishasadvantages(gettingtoknoweachother,informationfromdifferentlocations)anddisadvantages(nottakingthesameexperiencesandideasbacktothesameworkplace,notbringingbackasharedexperience).Somewouldprefertodoitwiththeirowncolleagues,othersenjoyedgettingtoknowcolleaguesfromotherElmerlocations.

- Workingwiththefocusareaswasnotalwayseasy.Thewordingwasnotalwayssoclearandthedifferentareassometimesoverlap.Thenagain,itprovidedacommonlanguage,agood


startandcouldleadtowhatthefocusneededtobe.Itgavedirectionsatwhattolookfor.Again,investinginagoodpreparation,alsoonthefocusareas,provedessential.

- Jobshadowingispositivelyexhausting.Ifitwouldhavebeeneasierorlessdemanding,itwouldn’thavestucksowell.

- Theregularfeedbackandreflectionduringthejobshadowingisreallyvital.Sharingthethingsyousee,comparingthelittlethings(‘didyoufinditstrangetoothat…?’),discussingwhatcouldbetakenhome.

- Havingananalyticalview,anopenmind,beingcuriousandhavingareflectiveattitudedoesmakethejobshadowingalotricher.

- Jobshadowingmakesyouappreciateyourownworkaswell,becomemoreawareonhowyouworkandteachesyoutoenjoyyourownsuccessesmore.

- Insomeplacestherewashardlyanyactualparentactivitytowitnessortakepartin,whichwasapity.

Someconclusionsontheconditionsforsuccessfuljobshadowing:- Athoroughpreparationisnecessaryfordeeplearning,onbothcontentandlogisticsandon

bothends:thetravellingandthereceivingteam(onactivities,onthefocusareas,onvisitingECECprovisionandsites,onwhatyouwanttoshowanddotogether…).

- Discussexpectationsandkeeptheserealistic- Makesurethatpossiblejobshadowersfullyunderstandwhatitisallabout(e.g.explain,

translatedocuments,clearprogram…)- Beawareofpossibleconfrontationsorculturalshocksandtrytoprepareforthat

(professionallybutalsopersonally).- Beawareofanxietiesorfeelingsofpossiblybeingjudged- Combinedfunctionsinonejobshadowingteamcreateanaddedvalue.- Besuretoalsotakecareofthepeoplewhostayinthehomebase- Regulardebriefingduringthejobshadowingisneededandvaluable- Awarmwelcomeandfeelingof‘fittingintotheteam’addsalottothelearningexperience- DuringjobshadowingitisvitaltogetampleopportunitytoreallyseetheECECpracticeina

differentsetting;avoidtoomanypresentationsandformalmeetings,butreallydiveintothework.

- Structuralchanges:togetchildfreehours,addstafforrearrangetimeschedules- Questioningroutines,breakingdownwhatseemssoevident,changingtheways‘aswe’ve

alwaysdoneit’- JobshadowingcanaddtoprofessionalgrowthandinthiswaytooverallECECquality- Beambitiousbutatthesametimerealistic:theenthusiasmafterreturningissurelycontagious

butyoucan’tdoitall.- Keepthefocusontheissueatstake,inthiscaseparentparticipation.Thereissomuchtosee

andlookinto,onsomanyotherissuesthatstayingfocussedcanbequiteachallenge.- Continuetoaskquestionsduringthejobshadowingonhow,what,whoandespeciallyWHY?- Receivingteamsneedtoknowclearlywhattheywanttoshowtojobshadowers


TestingEquapparentparticipationpracticesinBrussels

Context

ForBelgium,onlythechildcaresectorintheFlemishCommunitywasconsideredforthisproject.WhileVBJKwastheresearchpartner,Elmer,with4childcarecentresinBrussels,wasthepartneronthefield.Elmer provides day-care (0-3,5 y) in Brussels in 4 different locations, all in quite vulnerable areas.RespectfordiversityandparentinvolvementaresomeofthekeyelementsinthevisionandthedailyworkinalltheElmerlocations.(Moreinfo:Elmer)

TheoverallviewofElmerandVBJKisthatparticipationisnotjustanadhocactivityoraction,butthatparticipativeworkwithparentsisaprocessofbuildingtrust,dialogue,reciprocityandaction,inmanydifferentshapesandformsandonmanydifferentlevels.Itis,inotherwordsacommitmentofeffort,notacommitmentofresult.31

Startingfromtheideathateducatingandcaringforchildrenisasharedresponsibilityofparentsandthewidersocietyboth,thenotionofparentparticipationhasbeenmoreandmoredevelopedinpracticeandhasnowbeenstructurallyembeddedinrecentlegislationandguidelines.(decreeof20/04/2012intoforceasof01/04/2014,art.3and6).Workingforandwithparentsandfamiliesisalsoamajorpartin the 2014pedagogical framework for childcare for babies and toddlers. In this framework,whichservesasaninspiringguidelineforpractice,parentsareconsideredasthepartnersbyexcellencefortheECECprofessionals.Thisway,theinvolvementofparentsbecomesanecessarypartofdeliveringhighqualityservices.Importanttokeepinmind,isthatinvolvingparentsstartswiththeprofessional;itshouldnotdependontheparent’sinitiative.

Thevisionstates:

“ChildcareforbabiesandtoddlersinFlandershelpstoensurethateverychildfeelsgoodabouthimself,ischallengedandfeelsconnectedtothepeopleandhissurroundingenvironment.Childcarewantstoshapechildren'seducationtogetherwiththeparents.Atthesametimeitaimstosupportparents intheirchild-rearingresponsibilities.Achildcarefacilitywantstobeaplacewhereeverychild,parentandpractitionerfeelsathome.Inthiswayithelpsrealiseequalopportunitiesforchildren,aswellasforadultmenandwomen.Embeddedinwarmrelationshipswithothers,childcarewantsallchildrentobeabletogrowupintoadultswhoareconfidentinlifeandcontributetoalearning,democraticsociety,wherepeopletreateachotherandtheirenvironmentinarespectfulandsustainablemanner."

Planningofthetesting–methodologyDuring the Equap project, several practitioners from Elmer got engaged in jobshadowing activities.Elmersentout15teammembersfromall4settingsandreceivedcolleaguesfromSlovenia,ItalyandSweden.Within Elmer thiswas thoroughly prepared: focus areaswere discussed, clarified, partnercountrieswerediscussed and chosen, and thepractitioners knewwhat the jobshadowingwould beabout,whattheyneededtopayattentiontoandhowtheywereexpectedtoreporttheirexperiences.32

31AlsoseetheEquapwebsiteforthebackgroundtextonparentparticipationinFlandersandthequalitativeindicators.32Seealsothetextonthemethodoloyofjobshadowing


Asanoverallimpression,wecanstatethatthejobshadowinghasbeenagreatsuccess.Alljobshadowersmentionhowithasgiventhemaboost,bothprofessionallyandpersonally,howitmadethemappreciatetheirworkinECECmoreandhowachangeofperspectivehelpstheminreflectingontheirownpractice.

Therewasnoagreementamongallresearchpartnersontheactualmethodbywhichthetestingwouldbemonitored33.VBJKchose for themethodof ‘critical friend’, interviewingandreflectingwith thecoordinatorsandpractitionersonwhattheylearnedduringthejobshadowing,whatpracticesinspiredthem,whichpracticestheywouldtestintheirownchildcentresandhowthisunfolded.VBJKalsodidsomefocusgroupswithparents,whohavechildrenintheElmercentres34.Thisway,VBJKcouldfollowElmerstaffintheirworkfromadistance,whilehavingin-depthconversationswiththemontheissueofparentparticipationandhowtoshapethisandencouragingtheminthetestingphase.

Shortlyafter thereturnof theElmer jobshadowers,ameetingwasorganised (March4th2016)witheveryone working at all Elmer locations (63 people): coordinators, coaches, child practitioners,administrativeandlogisticalstaff.

In the morning, after an introduction of the Equap project and situating the job shadowing, thejobshadowersallshowcasedtheirlivelypresentationsonwhattheyhadseeninthepartnercountries.Intheafternoon,thedifferentideasandactionswerediscussedwithinthewholegroupofemployeesofeveryElmer location, looking intowhat they found interesting or inspiring.During this brainstorm,possible actions were considered: what could be ‘imported’, what could be set up, what seemedinterestingtotryoutwiththeparentsandfamiliesofElmer?

Someactionswereplannedinall4locations,othersonlyinonespecificlocation,butalllocationshavebeen adding specific modalities of the participation actions and ideas. Common actions that wereselectedwere:communicationandgrouptalkswithparentsabouttheirfeelingsandemotionsatthestart of the day-care, involving parents in the pedagogical themes and the gathering of recycledmaterials.IneachElmersettingotherinitiativesweredeveloped,inwhichparentsparticipatesuchas:thenewbuildingproject,thegardenproject,thelibraryprojectandintergenerationalexchangewithahomefortheelderlyintheneighbourhood.

AsthiswasdecidedbyElmerteams,itmayseemthatparentshadnosayinthisatthestart.However,not all the chosen topics and actions fell from the sky. On some issues, parents had alreadymadecommentsorformulatedsuggestions.E.g.inonelocation,aquestionnairefortheparents(Nov.2015)had already revealed some discontent on the uninspired outer space and on some elements ofcommunication.Also, some comments of parents, lead to certain choices of activities. A remarkableexamplewasgiveninoneofthelocations,whereaparentcommentedonthedifferencebetweentheElmerpolicyandreality,statingthatshe‘didn’treallyfeelafterallthatshe,asaparent,wasthefirsteducator’, although this is one of the guiding principles of Elmer. (Note that it already shows howparentsdohavethespaceandfeelcomfortableenoughtogiveacommentlikethisandthattheyareinfactinformedonthemaindriversintheworkofElmer!Thisalsoshowshowparentsdohavethefeelingthat anything can be discussed in Elmer, that this is the style in which they work.)Thisshowshowtherecanbea linkbetweenparent’s inputandthechoiceofactivitiesbytheElmerteams. Otheractivitieswerenotinducedbyparents(suchasthelibrary)butweredeemedimportantwithinElmer’sapproachtostartworkingonandtryingtoinvolveparentsanyway.

Throughoutthetestedactivities,itwillbedescribedhowtheywereactuallydesigned(withorwithoutparents) and how the actionwill take place (most of them had not started on the time of the firstinterviews).

33Liepajameeting,Feb2016.34InterviewsonMay18thand27th2016(coordinators),august25th2016(practitioners).FocusgroupswithparentsonSept.13th,14th,20thand21st2016.


But,inwhateverinitiative,inwhateverphase,theissueisalsowhetheraparticipativeclimateiscreatedor not. It is only in such a climate, that parentswill be interested, confident and trustful enough toactually engage. E.g. offering a warm and welcoming start with a through policy and practice onfamiliarisation,maynotseemtobeaparentparticipationaction,butitdoescreatetheneededclimateforparentstogetinvolvedintheECECcentreandcaninfluencethewaychildcaretakescareoftheirchild. After hearing about the different actions and initiatives, we also think that it is not alwaysnecessary to have parents participate in all four phases to get meaningful and authentic parentparticipation.E.g.atfirstsight,buyingthenewbuildingseemstobeadecisionoftheboardofElmer.Butlookingatthismorecloselyweseeparent’sinputinseveralways.Firstofallparentsarepartoftheboardassuch.Also,parentshadbeencomplainingaboutthedifficultphysicalaccessibilityforstrollersatthecurrententrance.Otherparentshadbeendisappointedbecausethecentrewasfullandtherewasnoplacefortheirchild.ThoseareallreasonsthatalsoleadtothedecisiontobuyanotherbuildingforElmer.Oncethisdecisionwastaken,parents(andstaff)are involved ineveryotherstepof theway.Allinall,meaningfulparticipationremainspossiblethroughoutallthephasesinthisprocess,evenwhenparentswerenot fully involved fromtheverystart.Theycanchangethingsalong theway, theycandecidenottoget involved(meaningthattheteammayhavetoreconsidertheirchoices)ortheycanstartnewinitiativesontheirown,basedonotherexperiencesandactivities.

JobshadowingandlessonslearnedChild practitioners and coordinators of Elmer went jobshadowing in the partner countries andimplementedsomepracticesintheirowncentres.

Inaprojectlikeinvolvingparentsintherecycleproject,itbecameclearthatthisisaverylowthresholdpractice.Allparentscanjoinin.itisaquitesimplebutstronginitiativeandwithalittlebitofcreativityyoucanactuallydoalot.Theexperiencewasalsothat,themorerecycledmaterialswerebeingused(forplay, for decoration…), the more the parents felt inclined to bring materials from home.Otherprojects,likethegardenproject,willberunningforalongertimeandcanbemoredemandingtojoin (eg.Meetings in theweekend, doing the actual gardening) so it is not surprising that a smallernumberofparentswillcommitthemselvestoit.Butsomeofthemreallydoandtheyareagreatasset.

FacilitatingconditionsarevitalThejobshadowinghadpeoplelookattheworkingconditionsandcontextinthepartnercountriesaswellandalsomadethemthinkaboutpossiblesupportingfactors.Onthislevelaswell,changesintheirownworkplacewereconsideredoractuallyimplemented.

- WithinElmeraninvestmentwasmadeintheworkforce,byemployinganewteammember,whowill bemoving among the locations to step inwhere needed (a ‘butterfly’)in order to allowotherstogetsomechildfreehourstoworkone.g.documentation,childreports,preparingthesatisfactiontalkswithparents….

- Beingevenmoreawareofkeepingaclimateinwhichallquestionsareallowed.Thisdependsalotonthedailycontactswithparents.

- Viewparentsascriticalfriend:commentsmaynotalwaysbeeasytoreceive…buttheycanbearealgift.GetElmertoreviewcertainhabitsandwaysofwork.Learninghowtoconsidercriticalcommentsasasurplus.

- EmbeddingspecificactionsintomoregeneralpolicieswithinElmerwilladdtothesustainabilityofthechanges.E.g.thegrouptalkswithparentsfitintothelargerpolicyoncommunicationandwillbecontinued.

- Getthecorrectprofessionalincharge,incontrol(e.g.video’s:thechildcarerschoosewhattofilm).


- Decentevaluationisneededinordertoreallylearn.- Keep the discussionwith the practitioners going, allow them to negotiate, tomake counter

suggestions.- Noparentparticipationwithoutteamparticipation.- Communicationisessentialandmustalwaysbedoneindifferentways:dailychatswhenthey

bring and pick up their children, newsletters, posters, mail, regular reminders, one-on-oneconversations.Sometimestheeffectsaredifferentwhenachildpractitionerinformsorinvitesparents(theyseeeachothereveryday)orwhenthisisdonebythecoordinator(sometimesitcanseemmoreimportantifshe/hetakesthetimetotalkaboutaninitiativetoparents).Everytypeofinitiativeneedsitsownsetofcommunication.Apostercanserveasareminderorafirststep.Childpractitionerscanspeaktoparentsaboutaninitiativeonaregularbasisafterithasbeenintroducedbytheresponsible…Moreandmorethechildpractitionersarebecomingthemain communication channel towards parents, supported by the responsible. Butwhile thecommunicationbetweenparentsandthepractitionerswillmostoftenfocusontheirchild,thetalkswiththeresponsiblecansometimescoverthebroaderpicture.Theresponsiblecanalsoaddmoreflexibility(e.g.inworkinghours)

- Certainprojects(e.g.thegardenproject,thenewbuilding)arelonglastingprojectswithmanyimplications on different levels: it will require quite some time and energy to keep themotivationgoing, to install the feelingofco-ownershipand findingsomepride ingettingtheprojectdone.

- Certaininterventionsorfacilitiescanhelpparentstogetconvincedofcertainactionsortotakeawaytheirreservationsorconcerns.E.g.thegardenwillchangetheuseofouterspaceandthechildrenwillbeabletogooutsidemore.Tocountersomeconcernsofparents,ElmerWestandNorthboughtextrajackets,rubberbootsetc.forthechildrentofacilitateandstimulateoutsideplayasmuchaspossible.Or,theywillshowhowfunplayinginthesandcanbe,counteringtheideathatsandisdirt.

- Keepaneyeonvariationanddiversityofactivitiesandinitiatives,sothatalltypesofparentscan join. Also be aware of the parent’s possibilities (e.g. don’t ask them to bring expensivematerials,butaskforusedtoiletrolls–linkedtorecyclingproject).

- Itisalsoimportanttoshowparentsresultsonaregularbasis.Iftheybringinrecycledmaterial,showthemwhathasbeendonewithit.(E.g.showingsomeartworkwillmakeboththeparentsandthechildveryproud.)

- The jobshadowing has raised considerations on the importance of ‘child free hours’ and ofsufficientresourcestoinvestinprojects.Whilethisistrue,itwasalsonoticedthatyoucandoalotwitha littleaswell,when there isenoughmotivationandsupport. Insteadof looking forreasons not to engage in a project, the jobshadowing also gave the opportunity to turn thisaroundandtogoandlookwhatcanbedoneinyourownworkingcontext.

Someobservations- Goals and ambitions: Being over-ambitious can cause a feeling of drowning, being

overwhelmedwithallthathastobedone.Manyseemingly‘little’thingsalwaysgetbiggerintheendorleadtootheractionsandprojects.Bewaretotakecareofyourself,bewareofthedangersindoing ‘toomuch’,andstayattentiveforcolleaguesduringtheprocessofaddingnewideasandactions.Enjoyenthusiasticreactionsbutkeepbothfeetonthefloor:whenintroducinganewproject(bigorsmall)alltheotherdailyworkremainsmostlythesameandalsoneedstobedone.Trytolimitthingstowhatisfeasible,notexpandtowhatis‘dreamable’.Ensurethatthecorebusinessisstillbeingdoneasitshouldbe.

- Communicationiskey:Keeptheinternalcommunicationflowopen,listentocommentsandwhispers(andalsotowhatisNOTbeingsaid).TeammembersinElmerareusedto


speak theirmindbutgive themmoresupportwhereneeded,explainwhycertainnewapproachesoractionsarebeingintroduced.PointexplicitlytowhattheEquapprojectcanbringfortheteammembers,forthechildren,fortheparents.

- Agreementsand follow-uponplans: regularly remindcolleaguesonwhatwasdecided(makethevideofragments,lookwhatisintherecyclingboxes…)

- Participationforall:whenworkingonparentparticipation,youshouldn’tforgetabouttheparticipationofallthepeopleintheteameither.Justasparentsneedtobewelcomedandbe able to feel ‘at home’ in Elmer, teammembers need that too. They do need to getopportunities to participate. This is a responsibility of the location responsible.One does not simply get ‘lucky’ with parents who want to engage: it is also theprofessionalswho facilitateandsupport suchengagement,whohaveawelcomingandrespectfulattitude,whichmakesparentsconfidentenoughandhappytojoinin.itisalsothe team that will look out for the less ‘engaging’ parents, the oneswho are not thatverbally strong, the ones who live in more vulnerable situations… And,rememberthatparticipationremainsafreechoice;don’taddpressureorasenseofobligation,butprovideaclimateinwhichparentscanjoinandparticipate,iftheywanttoand in ways they feel comfortable in. Not all parents need to feel that they have toparticipateineverything.Somearemoreinterestedtojointheboard,otherswillredesignthegardenandothersagain,willnotfeelinterestedtojoinatall.Thatisnotaproblemassuch,buttheyneedtogettheopportunityandsupporttoparticipateiftheywishtodoso.

- Importingactionsandideas:avoidcopy-pastingprojectsyouhaveseen,always‘translate’ittoyourowncontexttokeepitviableandlonglasting.E.g.thegrouptalkwithparents(Forli)ismoredifficultinBelgianECECasthereisnocollectivedateofentry.Someparentswillindeedbeverynewtothecentre,whileothersmayhavehadtheirbabiesthereforacoupleofmonths.Thiscanhaveadvantages(moreopportunitytoshareexperiences)anddisadvantages (different situations among parents).Sometypesofparentparticipationwasmentionedduringthejobshadowingbutnotreallyseenorexperienced(e.g.campingtripwithfathers)whichmakesithardtotryoutinyourowncentre.

- Dominoeffect:thedifferentfocusareascanbecoveredwithinoneproject.Itissometimesgreattoseehowjustsuggestinganactivityormentioninganissue,cangetparentstoreactactivelyortoseehowoneactivitylinkstoanotherorresultsinmorenewactions.

- Professional support and development: Child practitioners are gettingmore andmoreusedtoandappreciativeofthepresenceofparentsontheworkfloor.Whentheyarewellsupported,whentheyknowwhattheyaredoingandwhy,thepresenceofparentsisnolongerathreatorconsideredasbeingpeepingtoms.Itremainsimportanttoframethiscorrectly(e.g.aclearinvitationforparentstojointhesingingmomentortocomeandtellstoriesdoesnotmeantheyshouldtagalongthewholeday).Goodandclearagreementsavoidfrustrationoruncomfortablefeelings,bothwiththechildpractitionersaswiththeparents (‘Would it be OK for me to leave now?’). Child practitioners are more and more supported in asking questions and not beingjudgemental.Whenparentsarrive,itisusefultohavethemdothetourandreallyshowparents everything (not only the play area, but also the kitchen, the bathroom...). Letparentsaskwhatevertheywantandhavethechildpractitionersexplainhowtheirworkis done. Working with parent’s questions, concerns, uncertainties has a continuousinfluenceonthedailyworkanditoftenworksoutforthebest.

Testingthepractices


Asdecidedontheteamday,severalpracticeswerechosentobetested,someinall4Elmerlocations,someinonelocation.Alldesignedwithaclearplan,asettiming,animplantationphaseandevaluationafterwards.

Elmercity ElmerSouth ElmerWest ElmerNorth

- Parent cafe: talking about feelings at the start of childcare (parents ofbabies).

- Involvingparentsinpedagogicalthemes- Involvingparentsingatheringrecycledmaterials- Lookingforconnectionswiththecommunity.

Intergenerationalactivity with ahome for theelderly

ParticipativeLibraryproject.

Participativegardenproject

Participation indesigning the newbuilding.

FOCUSAREA Activity1. Learningaboutthefamily ParenttalkonfeelingsatthestartofECEC(Forli)2. Communication ParenttalkonfeelingsatthestartofECEC(Forli)3. Doingtogether–decisionmaking - Recyclingmaterial(Porto,Forli)

- Getting parents involved on specific issues(Porto)

- Library(Forli)- Planning the new building (Porto, Slovenska

Bistrica)- Garden(Porto,SlovenskaBistrica)

4. Cooperative and collaborativepartnershipswiththecommunity

Linkstoandexchangesinthecommunity(SlovenskaBistrica)

Whatdoparentssay?Duringfocusgroups,parentscouldelaborateontheirviewsandfeelingsaboutparentparticipationintheElmercentres35.Intotal,duringthedifferentsessionsinall4Elmerlocations,around20parentsjoinedthefocusgroups.Someofthemtookpartinthetestingactivities,othersdidn’t.

Overall,allparentsexpressedhowElmermakesthemfeelwelcomeandrespectedandhowtheyhavethefeelingthattheycanalwaysaskanything.Thegeneralcommentisthattheyfeelsecurethattheirchildrenare ingoodhandsandthat thestaff taketheirquestions,worries,suggestions intoaccount.Someclearlyfeelcomfortableenoughtoalsocommentquitefranklyoncertaindecisions,whichtheydon’t agree with. Theyallmentionhowmuchisinvestedincommunication,onadailybasisandinmanydifferentways(e.g.Photos,leaflets,familywall,dailytalk....).Strongcommunicationisthebasisfortrust.

Thereseemstobealotofmutualtrustandonemothersaidthat‘Elmerislikeasecondhometous’.

Onparticipating inactivitiesparentsnoticethat it ismorethan justhaving fun. ItbringsthemmoreinsightsinhowElmerfunctionsbutalsoitgivesthemanopportunitytoconnectwithotherparents,seeandexchangeaboutdifferentstylesofraisingchildren,differenthabitsetc.GiventhefactthatElmerhas

35FocusgroupswithparentsonSept.13th,14th,20thand21st2016.


families frommanydifferentsocio-economicalandculturalbackgrounds,parentsalso like it tomeetotherfamilieswhoe.gspeakthesamelanguage,orcomefromthesamecountryastheydo.Atthesametime, othersmentioned that they sometimes regret that this also leads to certain ‘clicks’ during theactivities. This example, again, makes it very clear how hard it is sometimes to meet all parents’expectations.

Notallparentsparticipateinallactivitiesbutthatisnotaproblem.Somearetoobusywithworkandtakepartinactivitiesoutsideworkinghours,somejoinalmostallactivities,buttheyallappreciatethattheactivitiesareorganised.Oneparentsaysitisgoodthatthereareseveralactivitiesondifferenttimes,sothatyoucanatleastjoinsomeofthemoryougetachoice.

MostparentsareveryhappywiththewayElmertakescareoftheirchildren.Theysaytheycantellastheirchild ishappyandcomfortableatElmer.Somealsomentionthatshowingtheir involvement inElmeralsoreflectsontheirchild:theyfeelbetterwhentheycanseeandfeelthattheirparentstrustElmer, even if the parents aren’t present all day. Someparentsalsohadissues(e.g.lettingababycrytoolong)orfeltuncomfortableaboutthingsatfirst,buteventhentheysaythattheycanalwaysdiscussabouttheirworrieswiththestaff.Theymentionthatthereisdefinitelythewillingnesstotaketheirconcernsintoconsiderationandtoadapttheirworkaccordingly,ifpossible.Thisopenmindednessandwillingnesstonegotiateseemsveryappreciated.

ParentsalsoacceptthatthingsatElmercanworkdifferentlythantheydoathome.Someparentsevensaythattheylikethat,sothattheirchildrenlearnfromthat.Thattheylearntobehavedifferentlyindifferentcontexts(e.g.crawlinguponthetableisOKathome,notinthechildcarecentre.)orlearntoshareandgetalongwithotherchildren.

E.g.theparentcafé,talkingaboutemotionsatthestartofthechildcare,wasasuccessfulevent.Parentwhoparticipatedjustlovedthevideofootageoftheirchild,givingthemachancetobe‘aflyonthewall’.TheyappreciatehowtheElmerstaffdounderstandhowharditcanbetoleaveyouryoungchildinthecareofothersandthatittakestimetobuildabondoftrust.

Evaluation- Somepracticeswentsowellthattheywillbecontinued(e.g.parentcafe)- Involvingparentsmorecanbefeltasthreateningorcontrollingbutitcanalsofeelvery

rewardingforthepractitioners(seeinterviews)- Practices that may not seem to be very ‘participative’ for parents (e.g. working with

recycledmaterials),dogetparentsmoreinvolvedastheycanseewhattheirchildrenhavebeendoingwiththematerialstheyhadbroughtintothecentre.Or,someparentsstayedforawhiletomakesomethingtogetherwiththeirchild.Giventhefactthatthismaterialis‘forfree’,allparentcouldbringthis(nofinancialbarrier).

- The more staff communicates with parents, the more parents feel at ease and willcommunicatemoreaswell.Itaddstotheleveloftrust.

- Talkingaboutchildren,cangivepractitionersmorerelevantinformationonhowtoworkwiththem(howtocomfortachild,betterunderstandingofwhathe/shelikestodo,howthey like to be put to bed...) In this way, getting parent’s input is a support for thepractitionerratherthanaburden.

- Moreinvolvementofparentsalsobringsmoreexplicitappreciationforthepractitionersandtheirwork(forsomeasurprise)

Effectonquality:


- Parents’ appreciation feels good and strengthens thepractitioner. It also createsmoreopennesstowardseachother

- Morespecificattentionforeachchild,thankstomorespecificinfoofparents- Informationonthechildgetsexchangedandcanbeused- Input of parents onmore structural issues of thework can improve the quality of the

centreingeneral

ValorisationprocessAftertestingsomepractices,10practiceswereselectedbyallEquappartners36touseonavalorisationprocesswithotherECECorganisations.Ittooksometimetoeditthepracticesinagivenformatandtogetthemtranslatedandreadytouseforthevalorisationpartners.

Eight organisations joined this process, representing about 30 child care centres in the Flemishcommunity.

Atafirstmeeting(Feb.8th2017)theEquapprojectwaspresentedandinformationwassharedonthejobshadowingandthetestedpractices.Thecontentofthedrafttoolboxwaspresentedandthegoalofthe process was explained.Partnersgottounderstandwhatwewouldexpectfromthem:usethepracticesheetsandthefocusareainformation,seeifthematerialcanbeeasilyusedandimplemented,givesuggestionsforimprovementandsoforth.

OnMay22ndwegatheredagaintoexchangetheirexperiences.Mostpartnershadeithertriedsomeofthe practices or started discussing on how they could best proceed with this. For some, parentparticipationisalmostpartoftheirDNA,forothersitisstillquitenewtogetparentsmoreinvolvedintheirwork.Here,thepracticesdidinspirethemandsomeinitiativeswerestarted.

Summarised,thesewerethemaincommentsandsuggestionsgivenbythevalorisationpartners:

- Needforaclearerfocusonwhothetoolkitisfor- Addanoverallpageonrecurringsteps(insteadofrepeatingthem):plans-preparation-

action-reflection-evaluation-continuation- Mostpracticesdonotinvolvetheparentsfromtheverystart(e.g.Definingthegoal)- Toomuchtext-Needformorephoto’s(evenfilm?)orquotes.Textcanbecometoorigid,

a‘recipe’.- Focusareatextsaretoodifficult,‘translation’neededbycoordinator- Reflectionandevaluationarevital- Workingwithparentsisnotan‘additional’thingtodo,shouldbepartofthedailywork

androutine- Sometimesirrelevantdetails- Overallriskthattheresultbecomesmoreimportantthantheprocess- Theessenceofparentparticipationshouldpresentedbemoreclearlyandexplicitly

Themainconclusionsofthevalorisationprocesswere:

- Thecontentofthetoolboxcansurelybeinspiring

36Brusselsmeeting,Jan.2017


- Offeringparentparticipationpractices insomekindof ‘recipe’approachwillnotwork.PracticesneedtobepresentedinawaythatanECECprovisioncantranslateandadaptittotheowncontext,thefamiliestheyserve,thewaytheyusuallywork

- Itisimportanttohaveavisiononparentparticipation,whyyouinvestininvolvingparentsinECEC?Thefocusareasmaysupportthis.

Multiplierevent37Afterthetestingandvalorisation,disseminationofEquapmaterialsandcontentwillbedoneJune29thtoagroupofpractitionersintheFlemishECECfield(childcarecentres,pedagogicalcoachesetc.).

Theprogrammecontains:

- AnintroductionoftheEquapprojectsandtheoutputs,linkedtoFlemishpolicy,practice,theFlemishpedagogicalframeworkandthepedagogicalqualityinstruments

- Anillustrationofthejobshadowingandsometestedandvalorisedpractices- Adiscussionandreflectionround.

Around30peoplewillattendtheeventandtheEquaptoolboxwillbesentassoonitispublished.(Thefinalmaterials,translatedandintheEquaplayout,willnotbereadyonthedateofthemultiplierevent).

Inthe2discussiongroups,ledbyVBJKandElmer,participantswillbeinvitedtoexchangeabouttheirownexperiencesandactivitiesonworkingwithparents.TheywillalsoconsiderhowinspirationaltheEquapmaterialscouldbeintheircurrentwork.Inthesediscussions,itwillbeveryhelpfultohavetheElmerpractitionerspresentwhoactuallytookpartinthejobshadowingandtesting,aswellassomeofthevalorisationpartners.

Mainconclusionsandchallenges- The impactof the jobshadowinghasbeenquitebigger thanwemayhadexpected.The

practitioners all witnessed that it was such a boost and that it made them grow asprofessionals.ThismethodisnowalsobeingusedamongprovisionsinFlanders.Itdoesseemlikethejobshadowinghadbeentherealrevelationinthisproject.

- Itisalsoveryclearthat‘importing’practicesisnotacut-and-pastework.PracticesfromothersettingsneedtobeadaptedtothecontextoftheECECprovision,withall itsownparticularities.

- Parentparticipationismorethansimplyorganisinganactivitywithparentseverynowandthen.It isbasicallyademocraticprocess,whichrequiresconstantlyinvestinginanoverallparticipativeclimatethroughouttheservice.Ifnot,activitiesassuchwillnotreallyleadtomeaningfulandauthenticparticipation.

- The Equap project has increased the explicit attention for the added value of parentparticipation. It is an invitation tomake the shift from theoverall principle of parentsbeingthefirsteducatortoeverydayrealityinECEC(andseeingthatthisisnotalwaysaseasyasitseems)

- Itisimportanttotakeintoconsiderationthediversityamongparents.Thisdiversitycanbe seen onmany different levels: socio-economical situation, level of education of theparent,culturalbackground,viewsoneducationandfamilylife,expectationsofchildcare,religion....

37Giventotimerestraints,weneededtofinishthistekstbeforethemultiplierevent.


Additionalmaterial

LiepajadocumentasinspirationforthemonitoringofthetestingphaseSometakeawaysfromtheLiepajameetingforallEquapresearchpartners:

• It hasbecome clearhow rich andvaluable the Job Shadowing (JS)method is andhowpractitioners did in fact learn from each other onmore than only the EQUAP issue ofParentParticipation(PP).VBJKandseveralofthejobshadowersfeelthatweshouldnotletthisgotowasteandaddthismethodtothetoolboxassuch.

• Importanceoftime,process,reflection…• ForthechoiceofwhatinitiativeoractionofPPthatcould/shouldbetested,theinputfrom

boththejobshadowersandtheparentsisneeded.Bringintheparent’spointofviewbynextmeeting.

• Thetestingofpracticeswillbehappeningincooperationwiththeresearcherswhowillmonitorthetestingprocess

• The researchers will also develop the research-based guidelines to add to the toolkit(addinginfofromPortoandSloveniapapers,analysisoftheJSandresultsofthetesting)

Whatwasdiscussedtogetintheresearch?

• ConclusionsoftheJSandthetesting• LinkittoexistingtextofMassimo(Ideation,design,decision,action)• Individualinterviews?Focusgroups?...• FocusonthePP(fornow?)• Needforinputfrompractitionersaswellasfromparents

What didwe see?Howdid practices get transferred and implemented?How canwemove towards‘definitions’of ‘good’practice(usetheterminspiringpractice?)?Discussiongoingbackandforthonwhatresearchmethodstouse,onfeasibility...endingwithaminimalagreementonwhattodonext:

- 1semi-structured interviewwith3practitioners. Seedraftquestionsbelow,also tobeusedduringthemonitoringprocessandtheevaluationattheend.

- Participatingcountriesdecideonhowtheywillquestionandinvolveparentsandaddthisinareportpercountry(Mostwillusefocusgroups,somewillusequestionnaire).VBJKaddssomequestionsherethatcouldbeusedeitherway.

- WefinallydidNOTdecideanythingonhowwewillmonitorthetestingprocessasitmovesalong.Veerlesuggestedthe‘criticalfriend’method:theresearchersmeetingwiththeECECpractitioners on a regular basis to see how it goes, to give support, to add criticalquestions...thisrequiresabout3meetingsminimum.

Draftquestionsforsemi-structuredinterviews:

Itisimportanttoframethisinterviewatthestart:explainwhyyoudotheinterview,whyitisimportanttodocumenttheJSexperienceandthetransferabilityofthetestedpractiseandinitiatives.

Wetalkedaboutpossiblestructures(e.g.theItalianschemeofideation-design-decision-actionorthefocusareasastheywereusedintheJS)butdidn’treallydecideonaspecificone.Tobeabletousealltheinformationinacomparableway,itmaybemostpracticaltousethefocusareasasthejobshadowersareprobablymorefamiliarwithit.


Throughouttheinterview,questionsrelatetowhattheyhaveseenontheJS,butalsoonhowtheyworkintheirowncentreandhowthiscanbeinfluenced,changed–ornotatall–bywhattheyhaveseenandexperienced.Whatwasreallyinspiringandwhatwasn’t?Whathasbeenmeaningfultotakewiththemtotheirowncontext?Wheretheyexperienceddifferences,orhadsomekindof‘culturalshock?

→Doingtogether,decisionmaking,partnership,co-ownership

Herewe give some suggestions for questions. Everyone could lookwhat suits him/her best to use.Possibly, one may prefer more general, reflective questions in relation to their role as ECECprofessionalsinencouragingparentstoengageandparticipate.

Moreconcretequestionscouldbe:

- Haveyouseenordoyouknowofanypractices/methods/initiativesonhowparentsandpractitionerscanbeconnectedandmeetwitheachother?Ifso,whatisorcouldbetheaddedvalueoftheseinitiatives?

- Do you know or did you learnmore about ways to get all parents interested in suchinitiatives? Do all parents take part? If no, why do you think some parents do notparticipate?Arebothmothersandfathersalwaysinvitedandifso,how?

- Haveyouseenorexperiencedifandhowsuchinitiativesareviewedbytheparents?Whatdotheythinkaboutthat?Howdoesthatmakethemfeel?

- Haveyouseenorexperiencedifandhowsuchinitiativescanbefun, importantand/orsupportiveforparents?Howdoyouknow?The same questions could be asked about parents meeting or getting together amongthemselves.Doyouknowaboutpracticesor initiatives thatare setupwith thisgoal?Whichones?Canyoutellwhatparentspartakeintheseactivitiesandwhatparentsdon’t?Doyouthinkyoucanexplainthis?Howdoparentsexperiencetheseopportunitiestomeetotherparents?Dotheyfindthatnice,reassuring,supportive,andimportant?

- Haveyouseenorexperiencedifandhowparentscanbemoreinvolvedinthepolicyofthecentre/school?How they candiscuss about thepedagogical vision,maybe add to it orcommentonit?Coulditbepossiblethattheymakesuggestionstochangeelementsofthisvision?

- Howcanyouknowwhetherparentsreallyunderstandthepedagogicalvision?Howcanyouinformallparents?

- Haveyouseenexamplesofcertaintopicsthathavebeendiscussedbyparents?HowcanECEC services get parents involved on certain pedagogical issues? How can thesediscussionstakeplace(fomal/informal,atsettimesornot,inspecificworkinggroupsornot...)Howdoparentsknowiftheiropinionsorviewsaretakenintoaccount?Dotheygetanyfeedback?

→Communication:sensitive,respectful,reciprocal

- Whathaveyouseenorexperiencedinthedifferentwaysofcommunicationwithparents?(Thesecanbeformalaswellasinformal)Canyouexplainaboutwhattypesormannersofcommunicatingwouldbesensitive,respectfulandreciprocal?Doyouknowaboutgoodexamplesofthis?What types of communication and information that have you seen would be important forparents?Howcanyoutell?


- Howhaveyouexperiencedthatcommunicationis,orcanbe,infactreciprocal?- Whenparentsareinvitedforanactivity,atalk,anevent,howisthisdone?Haveyouseen

ordoyouusedifferentmethodsandifso,whichones?

(For an interview, you could continue on the example that is given or go over several types ofcommunication.Ife.g.satisfactioninterviewsarenotused,morecanbesaidabouttheinformaldailytalk)

- Haveyouwitnessedhowthedailycontactswithparentstakeplace?Whathappensduringthesemoments? How can you use the information, or the questions you receive fromparents?Doyouknowwhatparentsthinkaboutthesemoments?

- Haveyouseenmethodsongettingtoknowparentsaresatisfiedornot?Whoisinchargeof that (evaluation talks, satisfaction talks, follow-up talks...)Doyouknowofhaveyoulearnthowparent’sviewscanbeimportantorhowtheycanbeastartingpointforchange?

- DoyouknoworhaveyouseeninspiringpracticesonhowparentsandtheECECserviceskeepeachotherinformedonthechild’sbehaviour,wellbeing,actinginthegroup...?

→Involvementoffamilies,learningaboutthefamilies,knowledgeandappreciation

- Haveyouseenorlearntanythingneworinspiringonhowtomakeparentsfeelwelcome?Andonhowyoucanreallycheckthis?Arespecificactionsneededtoreachallparents?

- Whenwelcomingnewfamiliesintotheservices,howcanyoumakethemfamiliarwiththewayyouwork?Dotheyfeelthisissupportive?Doyouusethestartingdaystogetanideaonwhattheparentsexpect,andifso,how?Whatcantheparentsteachyouhere?Howcanyoubesupportiveinthistransitionperiod?

- Do you know or have you witnessed practices on how relevant information on thechildren’sfamilylifecanbebroughtintotheECECservice?Haveyouseenwhetherornotthisisimportantforparents?

→Cooperativeandcollaborativepartnershipswithinthecommunity

- HaveyouseenorexperiencedhowlinksaremadebetweentheECECservicesandotherorganisations in the community?Which ones? Have parents been involved inmakingtheselinksandifso,how?Doyouthinkthiscanbeimportantfortheservicingofparents?Why?

- Do you know or have you seen concrete activitieswith other organisations? If so, didparentsconsiderthisuseful,fun,important,supportive?

→Generalquestionattheend:lookingatyourownpractice,andonpracticesthatyouhavewitnessedduringtheJS,doyouhaveanideaiforhowtheinvolvementofparentscaninfluencethequalityofECEC?Canyouexplainorgiveexamples?

Suggestionsofquestionsforparents:

(Tobeadaptedaccordingtothewayparentsarequestioned(questionnaire,focusgroup...)

Here as well, more general reflective questions could be used as well on how parents felt whenprofessionalscontactedthemtoparticipate,orwheretheywouldexpect toseeany improvementorchangeofpracticeinparentengagement.


Moreconcretequestionscouldbe:

- Doyoufeelwelcome?Howcome?Whatcanbedonetomakeyoufeelmorewelcome?Doyoufeelatease?Why?Whynot?

- Howistheatmosphereamongparentsandstaff,amongparentsingeneral?- Atthestart,howwereyouandyourchildreceivedinthecentre?Howdidthefirstdays

go?Didyouhavetimewithyourchildinthecentre?Didyoufeelcomfortabletotalkaboutwhatyouwanted,aboutyourworries,aboutspecificthingsonyourchild?Couldyoushareyouranxiety,expectationsorworries?Howwarethereactions?

- Can you talk to practitioners regularly, daily? Is there enough time for this?Are thereseveralwaystodothis(personalcontact,dailynotes...)Canyoutalkaboutwhatisonyourmind?Aretherethingsyoufellyoucannottalkabout?Why?Whatdoyouexperienceassupportive,relevant,andinteresting?

- Are there any activities for parents? At the start? At certain given moments (e.g.Christmas)?Onaregularbasis?Doyoufeelinvitedtopartake?Doyoufeeluncomfortable?Whatcouldbedonetomakeparents feelateaseor interestedtoparticipate?Whatdothesekindofactivitiesmean toyou?Are theysupportive,do theymakeyou feelmoreinvolved?

- Doyoufeellikeyouropinionorinputmatters?Howdoyoufeelthis?Doyoumostlygetinvolvedinactivities(celebrations,logisticalsupport,excursions...)oralsoonthelevelofpedagogical policy? How do you experience that the parent’s input could make adifference?

- Aretherepossibilitiestoget involvedonyourowninitiative?Ortogivesuggestionsorraisequestions?

- Haveyoufeltsupportedbytheserviceasaparent?Haveyoufeltsupportedbymeetingotherparents?

- Doestheservicehaveanylinkswithotherservicesinthearea?Aretheyvisible,asanECECservice?Ifso,how?Whatareyourviewsonthat?Haveyoulearntaboutotherservicesyoumayuseinthecommunity?Didyoufindthissupportive?

Moredetailedquestionscanbeaddeddependingontheactivity(egfrequency,feelingthatitmatters(ornot),feelingofreallybeinginvolvedandlistenedto...)

→Generalquestionsattheend:doyoufeelthatyouhaveaplaceintheECECserviceasaparent?Doyoufeelinvolved,inthedailypracticeorinthepolicyoftheservice?Ifso,howcome?Ifnot,wouldyouliketogetmoreinvolvedandwhatshouldbedonetosupportyoubetterinthisarea?Doyouthinkthat,asaparent,youcanbuildonimprovingthequalityoftheservice,withthestaff,theteam,themanager?(Examples?)

JobshadowingfromandtoBrussels,ElmerFrom JobshadowinginSonja Cassiman, pedagogical coordinatorElmerLatifaBouhoute,locationresponsibleN

Linköping(Jan.18–222016)

BouchraChfira,,locationresponsibleWMeralDemiral,childpractitionerWAstrid Hinderyckx, child practitioner SOlowatoyinOlufowora,childpractitionerN

SlovenskaBistrica(Feb.1-52016)

GerdLannoo,locationresponsibleSSaidaBouhoute,pedagogocalcoachSEmilyMwaluma,childpractitionerS

Forli(Nov30–Dec42015)


FaithUwubanmwen,childpractitionerWNarimaneSidali,locationresponsibleCCarolinaJoseBamba,childpractitionerS

Porto(Jan25-292016)

KellyVercammen,headpractitionerSZinepBoutaib,childpractitionerWHalehMandegar,childpractitionerN

Liepaja(Nov16-202015)

Eva Kohne, Mojca Lorencic, Mojca Rankl,Suzana Mlakar from Slovenska BistricaHelenaFantini,PatriziaMorenafromForli

Brussels(Feb8-122016)

AsaJonssonfromLinköping Brussels(Feb29–March42016)

Questionnaireforthecoordinatorinterviews,asusedbyVBJKMainissueishowtoworkwithandforparents,aimingatqualityimprovement,withwhatwelearnedfromtheJS?

- Ideation: who brought which ideas and practices? Howwas this considered and whodiscussedthese?

- Design:whowasinvolvedindesigningtheactivitiesandhowdidthisgo?- Decision:how,whenandbywhomwasthedecisiontakenonwhatpracticeswouldbe

testedwhere?Whatwerethereasonsforthischoiceandwhatwasdefinedasthegoal(s)?- Action:howwillyouactuallygettowork?Whatisalreadyinplace?Whatisplanned,with

whomandhow?Whatteammembersareinvolved?Aretheparentsinvolved?Ifso,how?- Didyounoticeanychangeontheworkwithparentsorthevisiononparentinvolvement

aftertheJS?- Howdidtheworkwithparentschange,strengthened?- WhatisorcouldbetheaddedvalueoftheJS,shortandlongterm?- HowdidthechoiceoftestingpracticesalignwiththealreadyexistingpracticesinElmer?- Haveyounoticedthatmore,orothergroupsofparentshavegotteninvolvednow?- Howdidyougetparentswillingtojoin?- Doyouthinkthatlittle,ratheradhocactivities(e.g.coffeeinthemorning,gardening...)

canhelpimproveparent’sinvolvementandparticipation?Doyouconsiderthisattheverystartoftheactivity?How?

- Doyoucheckforaddedvalueoftheactivity?Amongtheteam?Withtheparents?How?

Questionnaireforthepractitionersinterviews,asusedbyVBJK- YouwentJS.Howwasthat?Whatdidyoulearn?Didyougetenoughsupport?- Whatwereyourexperienceslike?Whattouchedyou?Whatdidyoubringhome,inyour

mind,inyourpractice?- Did you learn new things about working with parents or the added value of parent

participation?Didyourviewchangeonthissubject?Doyouthinkthatinvolvingparents(more)canaddtothequalityofyourwork?How?

- Didthefocusareashelpyouinanyway?- WhathasbeensupportiveintheJS?How?- Whatwherethereactionsofcolleagueswhostayedathome?Howdidyourespondtothat?- Whatpracticeswerechosentotestandhowwasthisdecisionmade?Howisitplanned

andhowdiditunfold?


- Do you work differently with parents now? What do you think they feel about thepractices?Howdotheyconveytheirviewsandideastoyou?

- Whywouldyoudotheseeffortstowardsparents?Whyisthisimportantforyou?Doesitaffectyourworkwithchildrenandifso,how?

- Whataretheeffectsofthetestedpractices?- Doyouthinkyoumayconnectmoretothewidercommunitynow?Whyandhow?

Questionnaireforthefocusgroupswithparents,asusedbyVBJKExplainthegoaloftheconversation,andtheconfidentiality.Conversationtopicsrelatingtothefocusareas.Somepossiblequestions:

- QuestionsonwhetherornottheyfeltwelcomeinElmerfromthestart.Whatmadethathappen(ornot)?Doyoufeelatease?Doyoutrustthepeopleinthecenter?

- Isthereenoughcommunication?DoyoufeelthatyouknowhowElmerworks?- Doyou feel thatyourvaluesand ideasoneducatingyourchildarerespected?Canyou

shareyourworries?Doyoufeelthatpractitionerscanadapttheirroutinetowhatyoufindimportant(e.gonfood,sleepinghabits,language…).

- Doyougetinformationonyourchild?Throughoutand/oronspecificoccasions?- DoyoufeelinvolvedinhowElmerworks?Canyougivesuggestions,comments,andideas?

Howdocomplaints,conflictsordiscussionsgetdiscussedandsolved?- Aretheirparentactivitiesandhowdoyougetinvited?Doyoupartakeintheseactivities?

Howdoyoufeelaboutthose?Doyouthinkthatisimportant?- Doyougetintouchwithotherparents?Doyouvaluethatandifso,why?- DidElmerintroduceyoutootherservicesinthearea?Isthathelpful?

Valorisationpartners- KleineBerg,childcarecentre,established,organisedandmanagedbyparents- Minimabo, Ukelele and Nieuw Kinderland, child care centres in Brussels, investing in

accessibilityforvulnerablegroups- Elief,childcarecentrewithspecificofferforoccasionalandcrisiscare- Mezennnestje,childcarecentreinAalst,investinginaccessibilityforvulnerablegroups- CityofGhent,pedagogicalguidancecentre,coachingover20childcarecentresofthecity- Effect,3childcarecentresinKortrijk


Thetestingofthepracticesandtheirresults-SloveniaPreparedby:JernejaJager,EducationalResearchInstitute

ContextCooperationamongparentsandECECcentresisanimportantaspectofqualityearlychildhoodeducationandcare (ECEC).Zakono vrtcih (Official gazetteofRepublicSlovenia,100/2005)explicitlyrequirescooperationwithfamilies.ECECcentreshavetolistformsandprogramsofcooperationwith families in theiryearlyworkplan.Parentshave theright toparticipate inplanningoflifeandworkinanECECcentreandinchildren’sclassesinagreementwithECECstaff. They have also the right to participate in educational work, while respecting theprofessionalautonomyofanECECcentre.

In Slovenia, ECEC centres’ yearly work plans, also concerning parent involvement andparticipation, aredeveloped in September (at thebeginningof a school year). Since testingphasestartedinApril(inthemiddleoftheschoolyear),thetimingoftestingwasnotthemostappropriatetimefor introducingnewapproaches/activitiestoparents.Additionally,2ECECteachersworkedwithagroupthatlefttoelementaryschool,sotheyalreadyhadmanyactivitiesplanned for the last months of the school year (April, May and June). Taking all this intoconsideration,theprocessoftestingandimplementationofpracticeswasadaptedaccordingtheexistingplansECECteachersalreadyhad.

PlaningofthetestingInMarch2016,whenallteacherscamebackfromjobshadowing,ERIorganisedameetingwithECECstafffromVrtecOtonaŽupančičaSlovenskaBistrica.Wehavejointlydecidedthattheygobacktotheirgroupsandorganiseameetingwithparentsinordertopresentthemtheaimsofthe EQUAP project, experiences and examples from jobshadowing, and goals of the testingphase.Thegoalofthemeetingwithparentswasalsotogetaninsight,inwhichfocuesareasparentswouldliketodeepentheirinvolvement,andthroughwhichactivities.ThoseactivitieswerethenimplementedinApril,MayandJune2016.

Inthenewschoolyear(2016/2017),theyagainorganisedameetingwithparentsaskingthemabouttheirideas,initiativesandneeds,inordertoincorporatetheminyearlyplan(attheverybeginningoftheschoolyear).ThiswasevenmoreimportantforECECteachersthatstartedtoworkwithanewgroupofchildrenandparents.

Itwasalsoagreedthattheacherwilltransfertheirknowledgefromjobshadowingandtestingphase to other colleagues who were not actively involved in the project by organising aprofessionalgrouponthe topicofparentparticipation,andbysharing theirexperiencesbypeer-to-peerobservationswithreflectivediscussionafter.Documentationofpracticesandreflectingabout transferedactivitieswerestressedasa coreof thisprocess.


InvolvementofparentsEveryECECteacherorganisedameetingwithagroupofparentsinordertointroducethemtheEQUAPprojectmoreindepth,experiencesandexamplesfromjobshadowing,whatwerethegoalsofthetestingphaseandwhereandhowparents'roleisforeseen.Thegoalofthemeetingwas also to get an insight, in which focus areas among 4 parents wanted to deepen theirparticipation,andthroughwhichactivitiesamongthose,whichECECteachershadpresentedto them. ECEC teachers had developed also a survey, that was sent out to parents, askingparents about their current satisfaction with the work of teachers in the area of parentparticipation,andwhatcouldbeimproved.

After the testing period, a focus groupwith parentswas organised in July 2016, aiming atevaluationofthetestingphaseandtestedpractices.

Monitoringandevaluation-methodologyECECteachersdevelopedaquestionnairewithexamples(practices)fromjobshadowingtheywantedtotest.Parentsdecidedinwhichofthemtheywouldliketoparticipatein/deepentheirinvolvement in. Teachers adopted the chosen practices to their context and tested themtogetherwithparentsandchildren.

Anevaluationwasmadewithparentsthatwereinvolvedintesting.Focusgroupdiscussionwasimplementedwith5parents.Focusgroupdiscussionwasdividedin3parts:

• ‘Introductory’questions:o HowdoyoufeelasaparentinyourECECcentre?o WhatisthegeneralclimateamongECECstaffandparentsinyourECECsetting?o Areyouallowedtoopenlycommunicateaboutyourwishes,fears,expectations

etc.foryourchild/yourselfasaparent?• Questionsabout4focusareas:

o Doyoufindparticularfocusareaimportant?Why?o Doyouthinkthatidentifiedfocusareasareimplementedinthegroupofchildren,

inwhichyourchildisinvolvedin?Giveexamples.o Whatwouldyoulikemoreinparticularfocusarea?

• Finalquestions:o Whichfocusareadidyoufindmostimportant?o Doanyofthedescribedfocusareasseemmoreimportantthanothers?Which

andwhy?o In the frame of which focus area would you like more activities to be

implemented?o DoyouthinkthatyouasaparentcancontributetohigherqualityofECECcentre?

How?AnevaluationoftestingwascarriedoutbyERIinSeptember2016.ERIhasdevelopedin-depthquestionnaire (withopenquestions) forECECstaff.Thequestionnairewasdivided in threeparts:

• introduction:o howtheyhaveplantestingofchosenpractices,o howparentswereinvolved,o whycertainwayofinvolvingparentswerechosen,


o detailsaboutthegroupofchildrentheywereworkingwith;• questionsaboutparticularfocusarea:

o whichpracticesdidtheytestandwhyparticularlythose,o howthetestingofaparticularpracticehadchangedtheirknowledge,practice

andvalues,o howchangeinunderstandingofcertainfocusareahasinfluencedtheirfurther

planningofactivitiesincertainfocusarea;• finalquestions(fortestingandjobshadowingphase):

o Whatinthetesting/JSphasehasthebiggestvalueforyou?o Howdidyou,asaprofessional,grewbecauseoftheexperiencewithtesting/JS?o WhatcanECECcentregainwithyourexperiencesintesting/JS?o Which challenges did you encounter in the phase of testing/JS?How did you

overcomethem?o Whatisstillyourchallengeinthefieldofparentparticipation?Why?

In December 2016, ERI has organized a reflection meeting with the ECEC staff who wereinvolvedinJSandtesting.QuestionsweremainlyfocusedonchangesthatoccurredtoECECstaffasprofessionalsduringJSandtesting,forexample:

• HowJSandtestinghadchangedyouasaprofessional?• WhatwouldyouchangeifyouwouldbeinvolvedintheJSandtestingoncemore?Why?• Wasthereanyimpactonothercolleagues?Whatkindofimpact?• HowdidyouunderstandfamilyinvolvementandparentparticipationbeforeJSandtesting,

andhowdoyouunderstandthemnow?• How would you evaluate your practice on parent participation after JS and testing

experience?Whatareyourstrongareas?• Plansforfurtherdevelopmentonparentparticipationissue.

ThedatafromthefocusgroupinterviewwithECECteacherswereanalysedbyERI,themainconclusionsarepresentedbelow(‘Reflectionaboutjobshadowingandtestingphase’).

TestingphaseThe testing itselfwas themost intensiveduringApril,May and June2016. ECEC staff havetestedthefollowingpractices:

FOCUSAREA Activity

5. Learningaboutthefamily ParentcafétoshareemotionsaboutthefirstyearinECEC(BE)

6. Communication ParentcafétoshareemotionsaboutthefirstyearinECEC(BE)+alltheworkshops

7. Doingtogether–decisionmaking Workshops (Mini graduation, gardening,"Mlinček"run.)

8. Cooperativeandcollaborativepartnershipswiththecommunity

Intergenerationalexchangeintheneighbourhood


EvaluationoftestedpracticesEvaluationwithparents

EvaluationwithparentstookplaceinJuly2016.ERIconductedafocusgroupinterviewwith5parents thatwere involved in testing (datawere analysed byERI using qualitative contentanalysis (Vogrinc, 2008)). Parents came from different units of Preschool Oton ŽupančičSlovenska Bistrica, so they represented a good reference for practices that were tested,however it was hard for them to evaluate only practices that ECEC staff brought formjobshadowing–theywerelookingatparentparticipationfrombroaderperspective(basedontheirexperienceswiththeECECcentreingeneral).Theylookedatparentparticipationasanapproach,andnotasaprojecttheirgroupisinvolvedin.

Ingeneral,parentsfeelverywellacceptedintheECECcentre.TheyregularlycommunicatewithECEC staff, they are asked to propose their suggestions. They find ECEC staff very open,accessible,howevertheyagreeitdependsfromteachertoteacher.ClimateinECECcentreisrespectful,relationshipsamongparentsandECECstaffareprofessionalandpleasant.

Parentsfoundall4focusareasimportant,andexpressedthatallfourareintertwined,howeverthe basis for all is ‘Communicating with the family”. They exposed that communication iscrucial,especiallyinsituationsofe.g.sharedcustody,illness,butalsointermsofsupportingchild’sdevelopment:

“At thebeginning, there isa shock (if information formECECstaff isnotverypositive;author’snote),butthenyourealisethatthisisOK,becauseyoucansteptogetherandjointlyfindasolution,ifyouworktogether.”

‘Learningaboutthefamily’wasperceivedasimportant,becauseECECstaffneedstoknowinwhatsituationachildlives,whatinterestshim/herandhis/herfamilyinordertoincorporatethose information in (daily/monthly/yearly) plans. It is also important that ECEC centreorganisesactivities/eventsatwhichfamiliescangettoknoweachother,exchangeexperiencesandsupporteachother.

‘Decidingandactingtogetherwiththefamily’wasalsofoundasimportant,

“butweareemployed,itisnotsosimpletocometoECECcentreinthemorning”.

However,parents’initiativesaretakenonboard,andifeventsareorganisedintheafternoons,parentscanbeengagedmoreintensively.

‘Cooperatingandcollaboratingwiththecommunity’isalsoimportant.Parentsfinditusefulforthechildrenthattheyareexposedtodifferentinformationalreadyfromtheearlyyearson.

Parents think that all four focus areas are adequately ‘covered’ with activities and events,organisedbytheirECECcentre,andtheywouldnotproposeanyadditions.However, intheanonymousquestionnairethatECECstaffhaddevelopedatthebeginningofthetestingphase,theyexpressedsomepointsthatcanbefurtherdeveloped.

LastquestionwasabouttheircontributiontohigherqualityofECECcentre:

“Qualityisthemostreflectedinthechildren.Communicationamongparents,educators,andchildrenisimportant.Ifthisiswelldeveloped,thenthisisit.Thisreflectsquality,andnotwhetherthefamilyparticipatesatthemeetingsornot.”


EvaluationwithECECstaff

EvaluationwithECEC staff,whowere actively involved in testing, took place in September2016.ERIdevelopedin-depthquestionnaireswithopenquestions,whichwerefilledinbyallECECstaff, involvedintesting.DatawereanalysedbyERIusingqualitativecontentanalysis(Vogrinc,2008),andherearethemainconclusionsfromthispartofmonitoringandevaluationphase.

Afterjobshadowingexperienceandtestingofselectedpractices,ECECstafffeelmoreconfidentin theirwork, since they aremore aware about the importance of involving parents in theselectionof activities aswell as in identifying their strong areas – all togetherbringsmoreconfidencetothemastheyaremore‘equipped’withinformationwhatwouldinterestparentsandaddresstheirneeds.

Also, involving parents already in selection of activities and planning was recognized asimportantfactorforgreaterparentparticipation-thismakesparentsbeingmoremotivatedtoparticipate,andalsobringsmorecommitmenttoallinvolvedparties.

Fromquestionnaires,itisalsonoticeablethatECECstaffisnowmoreawarethatparentsareachild’sfirsteducatorsandthatECECstaffcanlearnfromparentsthemost(sinceparentsknowtheirchildthebest).Furtheron,insteadofseeingobstaclesforcooperationwithparents,ECECstaff see the necessity for developing partnership with parents and to encourage parentparticipationfromtheveryfirstdaywhenfamiliesenterECECcentre.

ECECstaffbecomesalsomoreawareofanykindofsituationsparentsmightbefacingwith,andaremoreawareoftheneedsofindividualfamily;theyalsoknowfamiliesbetterduetodeeperandmore frequent involvement in ECEC processes. This implies also greater awareness ofdiversity of families and developing approaches to address and include all of them in theexistingplans,approaches,relationships,decision-makingprocessesetc.However,ECECstaffisstillresearchinghowtoinvolveandincludeallparents,especiallythosewhoneverorveryrarely attend activities/events, that are offered by ECEC centre. This families are usuallymigrantfamiliesorfamilieswithlowsocio-economicstatus.

Intermsoforganizationalmattersofthetestingperiod,ECECstaffisrealisticthat

“…youcannotexpectparentparticipationwillbedeeperandstrongerafteronly3monthsoftesting–Iworkedwiththesamegroupofchildrenandtheirfamiliesfor5years,andonlyafter5yearsIcansayourpartnershipisstrong.”

Itwas also stressed that only ‘copy-pasting’ of activities thatwere seen in other countriesduringjobshadowingisnotthewayoftransferringinspiringpractices:

“Ithinkitisnotnecessarytoreplicatethewholeactivity–itisenoughalreadyifyoutakeonlyoneinspiringidea,whichyouthentransferandadapttoyourcontextofchildrenandfamilies.”

TestingasaprofessionalexperiencebroughtdifferentimpactsonECECstaff:onebecamemoreconfident in herwork, other raisedher competences in inclusion of families fromdifferentculturalbackground.Anotherraisedthefollowing:

“Everyoneisimportant–parents,children,andus,ECECstaff.Positiveself-esteemofall,withwho we are in everyday contact, strengthens also with our help. Activities that we are


developing for families and offering to families are not intended for us, but for familiestogetherwithus.Becauseofthemweareherewhereweare.”

ReflectionwithECECstaffaboutjobshadowing(JS)andtestingIn December 2016, ERI organised a reflectionmeeting with ECEC staff, whowere activelyinvolved in testing. ERI conducted focus group interview.Datawere analysedbyERI usingqualitativecontentanalysis(Vogrinc,2008).

JSandtestinggavemanypositiveexperiencestoECECprofessionals,amongotherstheyhaveidentified being more open towards families from different backgrounds, deepeningunderstanding about parent as a first child’s educator, as well as broadening means ofcommunicationsinordertoachieveallparents.

They have expressed the importance of being personally involved in JS and testing, theimportance of personal experience going abroad and learning from colleagues in differentcountries.Itwasalsopointedoutthatpracticescannotbeonlyreplicated(‘copy-pasted’),butyoushouldfind‘theessence’ofthepracticeandtransferthatessencetothecontextyouareworkingit.And,ifyouinvolveparentsinplanningandgivethemopportunitytoexpresstheirideasandwishesalreadyfromtheverybeginning,thisraisethesuccessfulnessoftheactivityyouareplanningtoimplement.

In terms of conditions that need to be in place for successful testing, ECEC professionalsidentifiedtheimportanceofbeingreadyforchanges,analysisandreflectionofthepracticeyouhaveseeninothercountry,aswellasanalysisandreflectionofyourownwork.Supportfromthemanagementwas also expressed as a very important factor, good collaborationwith acolleagueyouareworkingwith, andwell-informedparents about the changes that youareplanningtoimplement.

If they would be involved in testing once more, they would pay more attention todocumentation,theywouldrecordactivitiesinwhichtheywereinvolvedinordertocapturealltheimportantdetails.However,theyagainstressedtheimportanceoffinding‘theessence’ofthepracticeandtransferthatessencetothecontextyouareworkingin.

UnderstandingoffamilyinvolvementandfamilyparticipationwasdeepenbyallECECteachersthatwere actively involved in JS and testing, and theywere also successful in encouragingparents:

“Ifyouareexcitedaboutthistopicandaboutthe‘new’wayofworkingwithparentsandencouragingthemtobeactivelyinvolvedinthelearningprocessesoftheirchild,thenthisway of thinking and working can be easily transferred to parents, and they respondpositively.Butinthefirstplaceyouaretheonewhoshouldstartthis‘journey’”.

ECECteachershadalsodeepentheirunderstandingininvolvingallparents/families–theyarenotanymoresatisfiedwiththefact,ifthemajorityofparentscametotheevent,buttheystartedto thinkwhoare theparentswhodidnotcomeandwhytheydidnotcome.Because, thoseparents are usually the ones who are representatives of different cultures, lower socio-economicstatusetc.:

“Throughout the year, it is very important to organise activities and events that attractdifferentparents/families,inordertheygetinvolvedasmanytimesaspossible.”


Aswellas:

“constantlycheckingifaparenthasunderstoodyou,ifhe/shehasreceivedthemessageyouwantedtopasstohim/her”.

Also,theyhavedeepenedtheimportanceof

“mutual communication, respectful relationship, andmutual cooperation between ECECstaffandfamilies”.

ECECteachersarenow

“more aware that families are ‘individualwholes’ – you cannot say ‘this is our group ofparents’,butyoushouldbeawarethateveryfamilyisuniqueandsomethingspecial,andevery familyneeds somethingspecial.You,asanECEC teacher, shouldalways search forthoseindividualapproachestowardsdifferentfamiliesyouareworkingwith,inordertogetthem‘onboard’,engagedandfollowthegoalofsupportingachild’sdevelopmenttogether.”

Furthermore,

“if you accept and listen to a parent, you get a lot of information about a child’sdevelopmentthatyoucanincludeinyourworkinordertosupportachild’sdevelopment”.

MainconclusionsandchallengesECEC staff reported many positive changes in terms of their understanding of parentparticipation:

“Myopinionwasthatcollaborationwithparentscansometimesbeveryexhausting;todayIthinkthatthisisanopportunityforexchangeandsharinginformation,views,opinions,ideas./…/Iseeparentparticipationandpartnershipwiththemasmanyopportunitiesforcollaboration–before,Isometimessawmanyobstacles./…/Aftertesting,Iunderstandpartnershipwithparentsasanopportunityforgettingtoknowchildrenbetter.Ialsoseemypersonalprogress inadapting to thevaluesandnorms thatarenecessary fordailywork.”

Involvingparents and families inECECdailywork is also a stepout of comfort zone.ECECteachermustworkwithdifferentfamilies’values,theyshouldbeinclusivetowardsalldifferentculturesandnationalitiesthattheyareworkingwith,everyfamilyalsohavetheirownneedsandviewsonchilddevelopmentandeducationetc.AnECECteachershouldtakeintoaccountall of those facts when encouraging and strengthening parent participation. It seems thatexperiences from jobshadowing and testing gave them support in being confident whensteppingoutoftheircomfortzone:

“Iammoreawarenowthattheparentisachild'sfirsteducatorandthatthisisthepersonfromwhomwecanlearnthemost,becausehe/sheknowshis/herchildbest.Ibecameevenmoreemphatic,Itrytolistentoparents,tohearthemandtounderstandtheirpotentialdistress.”

In this respect, building trust among ECEC staff and families is very important, and it isrecognised that trust can be established and strengthen also through encouraging parentparticipation:


“Byencouragingparentsindifferentformsofparticipation,ECECteacherbuildstrustwiththemanddevelopsapositiveclimate./…/FormanyparentsandECECteacherssuchformsof cooperation are very important, because through activities, in which parents andteachersfeelcomfortable,theycanbuildmutualtrust.”

Thereisalsoarecognisableimpactonchildrenthatwereinvolvedinjobshadowingexperience(whentheirteacherwashostingacolleagueformanothercountry):

“Teachersandchildren,wewerebothenthusiasticabouthostingacolleaguefromanothercountry. We enjoyed in activities, and we have developed new skills and knowledge.Childrenhaveacquiredmorecomplexsocialskills,andestablishingcontactwithdifferentnationalities and cultures gave them an opportunity to experience differences amongpeopleanddevelopingrespectfulnesstodiversity.”

Although there are considerable changes observed in ECEC staff’s understanding of parentparticipation,therestillissomeroomforimprovement.Itseemsthatthereisarecognisableprogressinlisteningtofamilies’needs,involvingparentsaspartnersinlearningprocessesoftheirchild,involvingparentsalreadyintheplanningofactivities/eventsetc.However,noonehasreportedabouttheimportanceofevaluationofthoseprocessestogetherwithparents.Inordertoencourageanddevelopsuccessfulpartnershipandinvolveparentsasequalpartners,theyshouldbeinvolvedinallsteps:planning,implementation,andevaluationandreflection.

ReferencesZakon o vrtcih (Official gazette of Republic Slovenia, 100/2005). Retrived fromhttp://www.uradni-list.si/1/objava.jsp?urlid=2005100&stevilka=4349(22.3.2015).[Eng.Pre-schoolInstitutionsAct]

Vogrinc, J. (2008).Kvalitativnoraziskovanjenapedagoškempodročju.Ljubljana:Pedagoška fakulteta,UniverzavLjubljani.[Eng.Qualitativeresearchinthefieldofeducation.]


AnalysisandreportontheenhancementanddisseminationoftheEQUAPProjectToolboxpracticesinPortugal

[email protected](EscolaSuperiordeEducaçãodePaulaFrassinetti,Porto-Portugal)

ThisdocumentwasproducedbyagroupofresearchersinvolvedintheEQuaPProject-MiguelPrata Gomes, Brigite Silva and Ivone Neves, from Escola Superior de Educação de PaulaFrassinetti (ESEPF) of Porto, Portugal. It aims to give an account of the evaluation andenhancement work conducted by the Portuguese stakeholders in relation to the parentalinvolvement practices presented. Practice enhancement events were held with an addedobjectiveofdisseminatingtheprojectanditsfinalproducts,contributingtothesustainabilityoftheparticipants’(institutions/schools/teachers)parentalinvolvementpractices.

Project dissemination was based on a Training Programme, directed at early childhoodeducationprofessionals,onthethemeofparentalinvolvement.WorkontheToolboxpracticeswasundertakenattheseandotherevents.

The evaluation and enhancementworkwas based on two distinctmethodologies and on adiversity of data collection tools aimed at two sets of stakeholderswhohaddifferent rolesthroughouttheproject:agroupofprivilegedstakeholderswithwhomweworkedclosely;andawidergroupofstakeholdersalsoactivelyinvolvedintheEQuaPProject.

Thefirstmethodologyconsistedofacloseranddeepercollaborationwithagroupofprivilegedstakeholdersselectedduetotheirexpertiseandcloseworkingrelationshipwiththeresearchinstitution (ESEPF). Five institutions (twenty teachers/stakeholders) were selected and apresentationoftheEQuaPprojectwascarriedout.Thisledtoadetaileddiscussion/evaluationofthepractices,allofwhichhadpreviouslybeensenttoeachofthefiveinstitutionsalongsideashortopenquestionnairewherethestakeholderscouldfeedintheircomments

Thewrittendocuments(questionnairesandnotesonthestakeholder’sownpractices)whichresulted from the evaluation carried out by these institutions, were collected, coded, andanalysedqualitativelyconsideringthefollowingindicators:1.clarityofspeech;2.descriptiondetail andusefulnessof the contents for implementing thepractice indifferent contexts; 3.need for images or multimedia resources to enable the visualisation of practice


implementation;4.practicerelevancetothepromotionofparentalinvolvement;5.potentialadaptabilityofpractice to context;6. specific improvement suggestions.Theevaluationandpracticeenhancementworkcarriedoutfocusedontheindicatorsabove,withoutdisregardingothersuggestions/ideaspresentedinthediscussions.

Itisworthnotingthatthecomments,writtenbythestakeholdersontheToolboxpractices’worksheets,werealsotheobjectofanalysis,havingproducedveryspecificandrelevantdata.ThecollectionofinformationfromalldirectdiscussionsandexchangeswassystematisedintofieldnotesandfedintothisReport,providinginvaluabledatatoinformtheToolbox’sfinaldesign.

Further to thework conductedwith theprivileged stakeholders, inorder to reachasmanypeersaspossible,anextramethodologywasaddedtotheToolbox’sevaluation/enhancementanddisseminationexercise:fourTrainingSessionsonparentalinvolvementwereconducted,eachincludingworkonalltheToolboxpracticesatsomestage.Thesesessionswereattendedby121stakeholders(teachersandotherearlychildhoodeducationprofessionals).

Twodistincttoolswereemployedtocollectthedataresultingfromtheworkcarriedoutinthetraining sessions: a questionnaire about the practices,whichwas given out to theworkinggroupssetupduringtheactualtrainingsessions;plus,directobservationandcollectionofdatafromthefinaldiscussions,whichwerecarriedoutinstages,betweentheevent’sparticipants.Allthedocumentationwascollected,codedandanalysedqualitatively.Theentiresetofdata,whichhasbeenfedintothisReport,waspresentedattheEQuaPProjectmeetingofMay2017,inLinköping,Sweden.

In the final phase of the EQuaP Project, the Toolbox and its contents were analysed andevaluatedbydifferentstakeholderswhowereidentifiedatlocalandnationallevel,aseitherprivilegedcollaboratorsorotherprofessionalsinthefieldofearlychildhoodeducation,byeachof the project partners. Each partner, in the different countries, devised a strategy for theenhancement and dissemination of both the Toolbox practices and the overall project. ThecommongoalwastogatherfeedbackontheToolboxanditsrelevancetotheearlychildhoodeducationprofessionalsofeachcountry.

The practices presentedwere not intended to be understood as a restrictedmodel, but asinnovativeandinterestingexamples,adaptabletospecificeducationalcontexts.

For that purpose, once all privileged stakeholders and other early childhood educationprofessionalswereidentified,ESEPFproceededwithmeetingsaimedtoprovideinformationontheprojectandsoundouttheattendees’interestincollaborating.Thisresultedinaseriesof plenary and training sessionswhich includedopportunities for reflection anddiscussionamongsmallgroupsofearlychildhoodeducationprofessionals.


Furthertothesereflectionanddisseminationmeetings,anumberofprivilegedstakeholdersfromthePortoregion,inPortugal,wereselectedandsenttheToolboxpracticesforanalysis.Thesewere:ColégioNovodaMaia,OSMOPE;ExternatodasEscravasdoSagradoCoraçãodeJesus;ColégiodaPaz;CasaMadalenadeCanossa–allofwhichhavelinkstotheearlychildhoodeducationsectorandrecognizedexperienceandknow-howinthefieldofparentalinvolvement.These stakeholders’ contribution proved extremely meaningful and relevant to thedisseminationoftheprojectanditsfinalproducts,andstimulatedtheexerciseofreflectiononparentalinvolvementpracticeswithintheinstitutions’educationalteams.

Regardingthemethodologyusedintheworkdevelopedwiththewidergroupofstakeholders,ESEPF opted for a parental involvement training programme in which the presentation,evaluation anddiscussionof theToolboxpracticeswas carriedout in addition to theworkconductedonthespecifictheme.

ESEPFledaseriesofeventsonthefollowingdatesandvenues:

• 20thMarch2017(ColégiodoSardão-VilaNovadeGaia)• 5thApril2017(ESEPF-Porto)• 6thApril2017(ESEPF-Porto)• 16thMay2017(ESEPF-Porto)

Thesemeetingstooktheformofshort(3-hour)trainingsessionstitled,ParentalInvolvementinEarlyChildhoodEducation: foundationsandpractices.Thesewereprovided in thecontextoflifelonglearning,accordingtotheTeachingProfessionStatute(DecreeLawN.22/201411thFebruary).Thesessionswereattendedby121participantsfrom31earlychildhoodeducationinstitutions,including:privateandpublicinstitutionsfromthesouthPortometropolitanarea(VilaNovadeGaiaMunicipality);privateandpublic institutions fromthenorthandcentralPortometropolitan area and education-related institutions (PortoMunicipality –MunicipalDepartment for Education / Ministry of Work, Solidarity and Social Welfare, Ministry ofEducation);privateandpublicinstitutionswhichcooperatedirectlyinthepracticaltrainingofESEPF students, future early childhood education teachers and local and national decision-makerswithlinkstoeducation,fromthefollowinginstitutions:

§ CasaMadalenadeCanossa§ ColégiodeNossaSenhoradaPaz§ ColégiodoSardão§ ColégioNovodaMaia§ ExternatodasEscravasdoSagradoCoraçãodeJesus§ OSMOPE§ AgrupamentodeEscolasdoCerco§ AgrupamentodeEscolasAlexandreHerculano


§ AgrupamentodeEscolasAntónioSérgio§ AgrupamentodeEscolasdeCampo-Valongo§ AgrupamentodeEscolasdoViso§ AgrupamentodeEscolasFontesPereiradeMelo§ AgrupamentoEscolasPadrãodaLégua§ Jardimdeinfância-AlegriadeAprender§ AssociaçãodeCrechesdeS.VicentedePaulo-JI"OSOL"§ AssociaçãoPro-infânciadePedroso§ CentrodeBemEstarSocialNossaSenhoradoSocorro§ CentroJuvenildeCampanhã§ CentroSocialdeSandim§ CentroSocialeParoquialdaIgrejadoSenhordaVeraCruzdoCandal§ CentroSocialeParoquialdeSta.Marinha§ CentroSocialParoquialdeOliveiradoDouro§ ColégiodeNossaSenhoradaBonança§ CruzadadoBem-PatronatoAmordeDeus§ DeMãosDadas,AssociaçãodeSolidariedadeSocial§ FundaçãoCalousteGulbenkian§ FundaçãoCouto§ FundaçãoPadreLuís§ InstitutoSJosé§ JardimdeInfânciaZebra§ LarSantaIsabel§ OCaminhar,JardimdeInfância

Thetrainingsessions’programmeincludedthefollowing:

• Introduction to the EQuaP Project (general assumptions; objectives; activities;partners);

• Parental involvement in early childhood education (short conceptual framework;parentalinvolvementadvantagesandobstacles;parentalinvolvementstrategies);

• Introductionto theToolboxdeveloped in thescopeof theEQuaPProject(objectives;organization;contents);

• Introduction to the focus areas identified within the EQuaP Project framework(partnership and sharing of decision-making responsibilities; communication –sensitive,respectfulandreciprocalcommunicationwiththefamilies;learningaboutthefamilies – knowing and appreciating families and communities; cooperating andcommunicatingwiththecommunity);

• Presentation of the practices selected for the Toolbox (10 parental involvementpractices);


• DiscussionandsharingofreflectionsontheToolboxpracticesamongworkinggroups;• Presentationofworkinggroups’suggestionsontheToolboxpractices.

Further to introducing the EQuap Project, these meetings had the underlying objective ofproviding the education professionals with an opportunity for reflection and trainingconceptuallyframedbythethemeofparentalinvolvement,followedbyasharingandextendeddiscussionaroundtheToolboxpractices. Itwasdecidedthat theactivityshouldnotrestrictitself to the dissemination of the Toolbox and project, but simultaneously provide theparticipantprofessionalswithamomentofeducationalenrichment.

These enrichment moments took place as planned, generating continuous interest andparticipationthroughoutthesessions.

TomeettheobjectiveofcollectingsuggestionsandcommentsontheToolbox,thepractices’worksheetshadtobetranslated intoPortugueseandaquestionnairetoguideanalysisanddiscussionhadtobemadeavailable.Thequestionnaireproducedincludedquestionson:clarityofspeech;descriptiondetailandusefulnessofthecontentsforimplementingthepracticeindifferent contexts; need for images or multimedia resources to enable the visualisation ofpractice implementation; practice relevance to the promotion of parental involvement;potentialadaptabilityofpracticetocontext;andimprovementsuggestions.

After filling out the questionnaire, therewas an opportunity for public presentation of theanalysisdrawnupbyeachworkinggroup,followedbyageneraldiscussion.

The data collected and presented indicates that, overall, participants’ feedback was verydetailed,relevantandconcrete,includingsomesuggestionsspecifictothetothePortuguesecontext.

Practice analysis considered the following dimensions: focus areas included; objectives;descriptionoftheactivity;remarks;roleoftheteacher;roleofthefamily;addedvalueforthechildandforthefamily;materialstobeused;questionstoreflectonthegeneralimprovementoftheservice;questionstoreflectontheimprovementofthepractice.

Thefollowinglistsummarisesallthepracticesanalysed:

"Breakfastwithparents"(source:Elmer,Belgium;testedinForli,Italy):theactivityconsistsofinvitingthefamiliesofdifferentgroupsofchildrenforabreakfastintheeducationalinstitution,enablingwidersocialisationbetweenthefamiliesandtheinstitution’sstaff.

“Parentsshare theiremotionsabout the firstweeks in thebaby-group" (source:Forli, Italy;testedinElmer,Belgium):parentsareinvitedforacoffee/teaattheendoftheday


and,asagroup,areencouragedtoshareemotionsabouttheirchild’sfirstweeksinthenursery.During theactivity,short films(previouslyrecordedby the teachers)areshownso that theparentscanseetheirchildren’sdailylifeinthenursery.

"Ourlittleblanketforall"(source:Elmer,Belgium;testedinVRTEC,Slovenia):theactivityaimstocreateasmallblanketmadebythefamiliesofallthechildreninthenurserygroup.Meetingstakesplacetomakedecisionsabouthowtomaketheblanketandaworkshopiscarriedouttoproduceit.Theblanketistakenhomebyeachofthechildren(takingturns).

"Schoolmarket"(source:VRTEC,Slovenia;testedinCollegedoSardão,Portugal):theactivityconsists of amarket organized by the children’s families alongside the teachers and otherschool professionals. The products to be sold (for example, vegetables from the school’svegetablegarden,food,etc.)arepreparedtogetherbythechildren,theirfamiliesandteachers.

"Bankhours"(source:Forli, Italy; tested inCollegedoSardão,Portugal): inthisactivity, theparentsareinvitedtorunashortsession(forexample,teachingasong,tellingastory,playingagameorotheractivity)withthechildrenwhoattendtheafter-schoolclub.Parentstalktotheteacherstoarrangeadayandtimefortheactivity.

"CreativeWorkshop" (source:VRTEC, Slovenia; tested in LinköpingKommun, Sweden): thechildren’sfamiliesareinvitedtoparticipateineveningworkshops,organisedandrunbythekindergarten’s teachers and children. During the activity, families and teachers have theopportunitytotalkaboutthekindergarten’spedagogicalwork.

"Handinhand"(source:Elmer,Belgium;testedinVRTEC,Slovenia):thisactivityprovidesanopportunity for interaction between kindergarten and primary school children. It wasdeveloped together by a kindergarten teacher and a toddlers’ mother, who teaches in theprimaryschool.Thetwogroupsofchildrengoonawalkandplaygamestogether.Photographsaretakenandsharedwiththeparents.

"Parents’council"(source:Liepaja,Latvia;testedinLinköpingKommun,Sweden):thepracticeconsists of conducting meetings (one or two per semester) between parents and theirchildren’s teachers, providing families with the opportunity to participate and give theiropinionon the kindergarten’swork. Parentshave theopportunity to suggest topics for themeeting’sagendaandexpresstheirviewspersonallyorthrougharepresentative.

"Participationcommittee"(source:Elmer,Belgium;testedinForli,Italy):thispracticeinvolvesacommitteemadeupof:parentswhoparticipateinarangeofprojectrunbythecitycouncil’sFamilyCentre(StorkGroups,meetingspaces,workshopsandotheractivitiesforparentsandchildren,self-helpgroups,etc.);parentswhodonotattendtheFamilyCentre,buthavechildrenin the nursery, kindergarten or primary school; nursery and kindergarten teachers;pedagogicalcoordinators;andteachers/assistantsrepresentingavarietyofareaslinkedtothe


FamilyCentre.TheCommitteemeets4/6timesayeartoplanandprogrammetheactivitiesofferedbytheFamilyCentretoparentsandchildren.Parentsmakeproposals,comparetheirviewswiththoseof theeducationalstaffand, together,assesswhat isproposedto the localfamilies.

“Intergenerationalexchangeintheneighbourhood"(source:VRTEC,Slovenia;testedinElmer,Belgium): once every fortnight, the children visit a nursing home and perform mobilityactivities together with the elderly. Parents are invited to participate in the activity. Uponarrival, childrenand theelderlygather in themotricity room,where theyare joinedby thenursing home’s care workers and therapists and the children’s teachers. One of theseprofessionalsrunstheactivitywhichlast1hour.

Reflectionandanalysisofthe10Toolboxpracticesbyeducationprofessionals,producedthefollowingcomments:

On"Breakfastwithparents”-thepracticewasconsideredofinterest,butcouldbeextendedtootherfamilymembers(notjustparents)andpossiblytransferredtoteatime(intheafternoon)toenablewiderfamilyparticipation.Descriptionoftheactivitycouldbeclearer(forexample,indicatingifparentsandchildrenaremeanttoattendtogether).

On"Parents’council"–thefactthatthepracticegivesavoicetoparents/legalguardianswasseenbytheeducationprofessionalsasanadvantageandacknowledgedasaneffectivewaytoinvolve parents in the pedagogical work and curricular planning. In terms of practiceimplementation, it was suggested that the parents should be previously notified about theprocedures and decisions agreed at previous meetings and the skills to be worked onthroughouttheyear.

On “Participation committee " – it was pointed out that there is a need for betterinformation/explanationaboutthe“FamilyCentre"anditslegalrelationshipto/dependencyontheCityCouncil/Municipality.Thepracticewasconsideredinterestingintermsoffamilyinvolvement,butsimilaritiestothe"Parent’scouncil"werementionedanditwassuggestedthatthetwocouldbemergedintoanewpracticefortheToolbox.

On "Intergenerational exchange in theneighbourhood" – itwas stressed that the activity ismainly related to partnerships with the community and not directly focused on familyinvolvement.Suggestionsincludedinformationaboutthechildren’sageandtheneedformoredetailtobeaddedtotheactivitydescription(particularlyregardingtheactivitiestobecarriedoutwiththeelderly).Theneedtodiversifytheactivitieswiththeelderlywasalsomentionedanditwassuggestedthattheseshouldnotberestrictedtomobilityactivities,butcouldincludemusic,dance,theatre,storytelling,etc.Furthersuggestionsincludedtheideathattheactivities


couldbeproposedandsubmittedbytheelderlyandthepossibilityofconductingtheactivitywiththeelderlyvisitingthekindergarten.

On"Parentssharetheiremotionsaboutthefirstweeksinthebaby-group"-itwassuggestedthat thisactivitycouldbeextendedtootheragegroupsandcommentedthatclarification isneeded regarding the use of keywords and the presentation of actual images. It was alsosuggestedthatchildrenshouldnotbepresentduringtheactivity.

On"Bankhours"–suggestionsincludedhavinggreaterflexibilityontimetablesandactivitiestoreflecttheavailabilityandskillsofthefamiliesinvolved.Itwasalsosuggestedthatfamilyparticipationshouldrelatetotheprojects/practicesdevelopedinthekindergartenandthatalist of suggested activities should be made available to help families decide their form ofparticipation.

On“Schoolmarket"–educationprofessionalsstressedtheneedtoinvolvefamiliesaccordingtotheirpossibilitiesandto includeavarietyof flavoursandcookingrecipesthatreflect thetraditionsandidentitiesofeachparticipantfamily.Theyhavealsosuggestedthecreationofalogbook or activity diary to register activity improvement suggestions. Activity descriptioncommentsincluded:theneedforclarificationaboutthesharingofinformation/disseminationtootherfamiliesviaFacebook;betterexplanationofthevalueoftheactivitytothechild;andclarificationofthetaskstobeundertakenbythefamilies;finally,theyconsidereditimportanttoclarifywhathappenstotheincomegeneratedthroughthemarket.

On "Our littleblanket for all" – the educationprofessionals suggested improvements to theactivitydescription,including:theworkshopprocess;clarificationofthelastgoalpresented;and replacing theword "parents" by "families"which is better suited to the contemporarycontext.

On"Handinhand"-itisrecommendedthattheactivitydescriptionstartswithapresentationoftheobjectivestomaketheexplanationclearer.Thedescriptionofthestepstobetakenneedstobemorespecific;andtheinvolvementandroleofparentsintheactivityneedstobeclarified.

On "Creative workshop" – it is suggested that the workshops should be related to theprojects/practicesdevelopedinthekindergarten;thatthereisaneedforpicturesthatillustratetheworkdoneintheworkshops;andthatchildrenshouldhaveamoreactiveroleduringtheactivities.

General recommendations (across all practices) suggested the addition of captions to thephotographsfeaturedonthesheets;animprovementinthequalityofthepicturesused;greatersuitabilityoftheimagesusedtoillustratethepractices;videoresources;standardisationofthewholestructureandnumberingofthestagesthatillustratethedevelopmentofeachactivity.


Generalconclusions:The Portuguese stakeholders involved have rated the EQuaP Project, its Toolbox and theparental involvement practices presented, as something of real interest which provides atangible and evidence-based product that meets the schools’ needs. According to thePortuguesestakeholders,beingabletobuildatoolwhichhasanimminentlypracticalpurpose,mightbeasignificantsteptowardsraisingawareness,disseminatingandincreasingthequalityofparentalinvolvementinschool.

Despite not presenting completely unknown and innovative practices, the Toolbox has themeritofbeingabletoarticulate,inasingleproduct:theneedforgreaterparentalinvolvementfelt by teachers; the visible representation of the importance of their work; and thepresentationofconcretepracticesbasedonqualityindicatorsthatactasadepartingpointforadevelopmentexercise,tobeconductedasapartnershipbetweenschools–astheToolboxwillbecontinuallydistributedandimplementedinseveralschoolsforanumberofyears.

Overall, the Toolbox received very positive feedback from all the project partners acrossdifferentcountries(asshownbytherecordsofasuccessionofmeetingsonthecourseoftheproject). This is particularly due to its power to inspire the development of parentalinvolvementwork.TheprocessledtoareviewoftheToolboxpractices,withaviewtoturningitintoarelevantandfunctionaltoolfortheEuropeanearlychildhoodeducationinstitutions.

This toolbox is intended to introduce some innovation and act as a resource in the field ofparental involvement, supporting, through its best-practice examples and practical qualityindicators,thereflectionandeducationalpracticeoftheEuropeanteachingcommunity.


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KeyLegislation

• Lawno5/97,1stFebruary

• Decree-Lawn.o115-A/984thMay

• RegulamentaryDecreen.o32/2007,29thMarch

• Decree-Lawn.o75/2008de22ndApril

• Decree-Lawn.o224/2009,de11thSeptember

• Decree-Lawn.o137/2012de2ndJuly

• Decree-Lawn.o241/2001de30thAugust

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