Building Genuine Partnerships with Families and Communities

• Do you feel like your service is built on trusting relationships an partnerships with familes?
• Does the wider community know about your service?

To achieve quality outcomes for children it's vital that we build supportive, meaningful relationships with families. Authentic engagement and community partnerships based on inclusive practice will lead to quality environments that value diversity and ensure families are active participants in service decisions and the educational program.  

This session will investigate practical strategies for establishing two-way connections to involve both families and your community. Participants will engage in reflective practice and have the opportunity to explore some of the ways to construct quality in relationships with families and communities. 

We will reflect on:

• How do we view families?
• How can we empower and value families in our service?
• How can we develop effective partnerships and what are the benefits?
• Are partnerships about relationships or activities? 

We will also explore the ways in which we can connect with our local community:

• Do you engage with local organisations, other professionals and support agencies to enhance your community connections?
• How visible is your service?
• How can your community connect with you? 

Key outcomes:

• Understand the importance of relationships and partnerships with families and the community 
• Identify strategies to support access and inclusion of families  
• Develop skills to enhance and maintain relationships to support better outcomes for children

Note: This session was formerly called Meaningful Connections with Families and Communities. While the name has changed, the content remains the same.