Opinions On Parents Contributions

[Heidi]

Ok, so my ECE program tends to bring up over and over again that we should encourage parent involvement. We should, for instance, have activities and ask parents to volunteer their time or talents to come in and help.

We could have a parent board that advises us, or family events, etc.

I have NO problem holding a family event of some sort 2x a year. I have no problem asking a parent who is a woodworker if he could make us some minor thing, or cut the legs down on a table for me, etc.

But, I don't think it's appropriate to ask parents who are PAYING ME FOR SERVICE to come in and volunteer their time for field trips or activities. I also don't have any desire for a parent board to "advise" me.

Does anyone here see it differently?

A suggested activity is to have families bring a favorite recipe...ok with me
Put together a recipe book with the kids...ok with me
Ask the parent to come in and make it with the kids. :confused:

Um...the reason their child is here is because they have to work!

I get the premise is to get parents more involved before the children go to school. But, I don't see myself the same way as school. For the most part, school is free...I'm not.

[originalkat]

Yes, I tend to agree with you. Parents can not take off a lot of work for family involvement activities. I keep those types of things to a minimum. But I do ask for parent volunteers for field trips (4 times per year). I also have a Fall Festival and Easter Egg Hunt in the late afternoon where parents are encouraged to attend, although it is not mandatory.

[NeedaVaca]

I agree, I have no desire to ask my parents to help me in any way. Honestly, I think if a parent had the time to come to my house to volunteer I would rather they take their child somewhere and spend time with them! Not at my house when I am being paid for my job.

I also don't think my young age group gives a hoot about recipes .

[sharlan]

I prefer that my parent involvement end at the front door. I like for them to go to work and do their job and leave me to do mine.

Now, having said that, I really don't mind when they offer to go on field trips. I haven't had a parent, other than my own daughters, go on a field trip in 7 years though.

[daycarediva]

Yes, I tend to agree with you. Parents can not take off a lot of work for family involvement activities. I keep those types of things to a minimum. But I do ask for parent volunteers for field trips (4 times per year). I also have a Fall Festival and Easter Egg Hunt in the late afternoon where parents are encouraged to attend, although it is not mandatory.

I agree. Parents NEED to work, they take enough time off as it is for their sick days, kids sick days, my vacation time, etc.

The ways I involve parents;

Once every 3 months on a Saturday evening (used to be 1/month but that was too much for me). I do a pizza dinner. Parents are welcome to stay or go. I have one set who leave, the rest stay. Lots of networking, playdates, chatting to me, my husband, my kids. They all love it. Might move it to an afternoon at a playground next time.

I also send home little 'feedback' cards once a month with my newsletter and menu, nothing special, just any ways I can improve, are you happy, would you like an appointment for a conference, that sort of thing with a personal note about that dck attached. Parents LOVE this.

I also ask when they enroll for a favorite recipe for lunch. Most of my recipes are now DCP (current and former) contributed!

[small_steps]

I involve them by having a couple of events like "muffins with mom" and "donuts with dad" and also I appreciate them helping with parties. Other than that I don't see a lot of need for them to volunteer.
I never do "homework" either. Some parents like it but if my child was in daycare I wouldn't like it. That's our only family time besides weekends and even though homework is something that you can do with them it's not usually a very enjoyable activity.

However, I am thinking about doing a big cookout this summer as an appreciation type thing for my daycare families. Maybe rent a bounce house for the kids...something like that.

[ksmith]

I guess I'm the odd man out. I think it's a great thing to have parents involved in filed trips and the like. Parents love it, and kids love it. And with it being volunteer based you know the parents are there because they want to be. I think it is extremely important to have parents involved whether they actually come to your program, or contribute in other ways (providing things on a wish list, volunteer to help prep an art activity at home, etc).

[ksmith]

I also don't think I would have a parent board per say, unless I was a large center, and even then I would be hesitant. But I do think a survey couldn't hurt. Yeah, we don't always like to hear the negative complaints from parents, but we are providing a service and they are our customers. It may be hard to receive that feedback but I also think it can be a good thing if done constructively.

[Play Care]

I don't mind *if* it's something the parent offers to do. I feel that if I ask them, it puts pressure on them to do something they may not want to, but feel they have to. I think the push to get parents involved all goes back to the push to institutionalize child care - these are the same people who refer to day care as "school" The problem I have with this is, as others have noted, unlike school, I am not free. And the whole reason parents pay me is so they can work.

[Country Kids]

Heidi,

This is whats required in our STARS rating. I think I actually did a thread on this not to long ago.

Same thing-adivisory board for policy/procedures? This is my business that I have built over 17 years. All I need is for parents telling me what needs to be changed. It was said that I could answer that these policies are in place, etc and why. Then why have an advisory board? I'm an in home childcare, not a corporate run childcare with a board of directors (well except me-).

My family does not want childcare here after hours/weekends and I see that being pushed little by little with all these programs.

Also, same thing-bring in parents to help, community members, etc. Its bad enough when inspections are going on, but to bring in more stranges-uh, no.

My parents are working and at the end of the day, they are outa here. They have families also, and after work activities. To ask them to now help with the daycare after they are paying me. Does not make sense to me at all.

[Blackcat31]

Our QRIS "coach" suggested things like:

• An invite them for a "breakfast with DCK" before they need to go to work
• Invite them to share a tradition from their culture, home or lifestyle
• Ask them to share what they do at work in person, in writing, in photos or in video form
• Do a monthly or bi-monthly parent meeting
• Have a Family get-together (invite one entire family at a time over for dinner with your family AFTER hours)
• Do a "meet and greet" twice a year so ALL families get a chance to know one another
• Ask them to bring in family photos and then do a bulletin board where you high-light one family each week/month
• Ask them to volunteer for a field trip with you
• Do parent-teacher conferences atleast 4 times per year

That's all I got.

Yes, I rolled my eyes at a few of them.

[AmyKidsCo]

I agree. My husband and I are both in jobs where we can't get off easily and we feel very bad when our kids' schools plan special events during the day and we can't be there. I don't plan events during the day for parents because I don't want to put that guilt on them. I have had a Family Picnic in the evening many years (except when I had families I really didn't want to see outside of business hours). I also involve parents by inviting them to send food/drinks for holiday parties, posting a "Wish List" of items we could use in the program, and by making sure I let them know what their children are doing with me every day.

As far as field trips, after going to the Children's Museum on a day it was closed, being poured on for 4 hours at the Zoo and being sleeted on the entire time we were at the Pumpkin Patch I decided that "the universe" didn't want me to do field trips. Plus WI requires vehicle alarms that I wasn't willing to put into our family vehicles just for occasional field trips.

[ksmith]

I don't mind *if* it's something the parent offers to do. I feel that if I ask them, it puts pressure on them to do something they may not want to, but feel they have to. I think the push to get parents involved all goes back to the push to institutionalize child care - these are the same people who refer to day care as "school" The problem I have with this is, as others have noted, unlike school, I am not free. And the whole reason parents pay me is so they can work.

I agree, I wouldn't feel comfortable directly asking parents to volunteer, but maybe a note home or one posted on your bulletin board would suffice.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Holy cow, some of the suggestions alarm me out. ::

I try to keep things as separate as I can. HOWEVER, I am doing a "Fishing Day" for 30 minutes during our Field Day next month. The parents are invited to come and assist and my own Dad is heading it up.

[snbauser]

I do invite my parents on our field trips but we only go on like 2 or 3 a year. Some parents come. Some don't. I do a family cookout every June for current and former families. It's great to see all the kids as they grow since I don't do school aged care. I also do a spaghetti dinner in December for my currently enrolled families. These things don't take much time or effort and keep the families involved.