Parent involvement and information

GMA1 Parent access to information

Criteria

Parents are advised how to access:

• information concerning their child
• the service's operational documents (such as its philosophy, policies, and procedures and any other documents that set out how day-to-day operations will be conducted)
• the most recent Education Review Office report regarding the service
• the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, and the Licensing Criteria for Home-based Education and Care Services 2008
• the full names and qualifications of each person counting towards regulated qualification requirements
• the service's current licence certificate and
• a procedure people should follow if they wish to complain about non-compliance with the Regulations or criteria.

Documentation required

Evidence (such as a newsletter or enrolment pack information) of compliance with the criterion. A procedure people should follow if they wish to complain about non-compliance with the Regulations or criteria. The procedure includes the option to contact the regional Ministry of Education office and provides contact details.

Rationale/intent

The criterion is underpinned by the belief that a level of collaboration between parents and adults providing education and care will result in positive outcomes for children. The criterion aims to ensure that parents are well informed about the service's operation and their child's education and are made aware of the input they are able to have.

Guidance

Providing written information to parents can take a variety of forms including:

• as part of a parent induction pack
• newsletters
• website.

The criterion could be met ensuring that after enrolment, copies of the statement of philosophy and important service policies are made available to parents. Each educator could have a folder with all relevant documents in it so that these can be easily accessed by parents.

Services must have a procedure so people know how to make a complaint about any instance of non-compliance, and this must include the option for people to contact their regional Ministry of Education office, with the appropriate contact details.

Complaints could come from a variety of sources:

• a parent
• an educator
• a member of the family or the community
• a staff member.

and may be about a range of topics including:

• specific teaching practice
• routine or policy
• an event
• a particular staff member
• an educator
• a member of the management team or board or
• about the service in general.

Complaints will vary from minor to major and may escalate rapidly from one to the other unless they are well managed.

More guidance on developing a complaints policy and process is available, which includes a suggested template for developing a complaints policy and procedure.

To ensure parents are well informed about children’s development and learning services should consider:

• Creation of a portfolio on each child that is readily accessible to the child and his or her parents/caregivers.
• Portfolios can be paper based or electronic that can be stored online and accessed securely by parents.
• Educators and coordinators could arrange individual meetings with parents to discuss their children’s learning.
• Service providers could hold meetings to convey information about the service.

Parents/caregivers need to be made aware that reports from ERO are free and available from the local ERO office on request. They can also be downloaded from the Education Review Office.

Education Review Office

Things to consider

If a child attending your service is from a family with separated parents, the Education and Training Act 2020 sets out the right of entry to early childhood education (ECE) services for parents and guardians.

Unless a court order rules otherwise, all parents and guardians are entitled to:

• Reports about their child’s participation in ECE and learning experiences.
• Participate in the opportunities provided by the ECE service to engage with parents.
• Have access to any official records held at the service related to their child’s participation in that service.

Services will need to develop a process which supports staff to ascertain how a relationship between separated parents and the service may be established so that communication channels can be opened. This could include ensuring educators have a copy of the enrolment form, so they are clear what any court orders are.

GMA2 Information provided to parents

Criteria

Information is provided to parents about:

• how they can be involved in the service
• any fees charged by the service
• the amount and details of the expenditure of any Ministry of Education funding received by the service
• any planned reviews and consultation and
• if out-of-school care will be provided in the educator’s home while their child is attending.

Documentation required

1. Written information letting parents know:
   • how they can be involved in the service
   • any fees charged by the service
   • the amount and details of the expenditure of any Ministry of Education funding received by the service and
   • about any planned reviews and consultation.
2. ⚐ For services offering out-of-school care, evidence of:
   • written notice advising parents if the home their child is attending will have children receiving out-of-school care and
   • written parental acknowledgement of the written notice.

Rationale/intent

The criterion is underpinned by the belief that a level of collaboration between parents and adults providing education and care will result in positive outcomes for children. The criterion aims to ensure that parents are well informed about the service's operation and their child's education and are made aware of the input they are able to have.

Amended November 2016.

Guidance

Providing written information to parents could take a variety of forms including:

• as part of a parent induction pack
• newsletters
• website
• fees schedule
• annual reports
• meetings
• information about any planned reviews and consultation.

Many services develop regular reporting processes including providing an annual report. Often monthly financial reports are made available. This is a good way to provide information to parents on a regular basis.

For services offering out-of-school care, the notice could be:

• in the enrolment form, or
• as a separate written notice given to parents, or
• as an email to the parents

Parental acknowledgement could be:

• via a tick box or statement accompanied by the parent’s signature on the enrolment form, or
• a copy of the notification that has been signed by the parent, or
• an email from the parent confirming that they have been notified.

Amount and details of Ministry funding

Information provided to parents about Ministry funding must be for the licensed service, not consolidated for a home-based service provider that has multiple services.

Things to consider

If a child attending a service is from a family with separated parents, the Education and Training Act 2020 sets out the right of entry to early childhood education (ECE) services for parents and guardians.

Unless a court order rules otherwise, all parents and guardians are entitled to:

• Reports about their child’s participation in ECE and learning experiences.
• Participate in the opportunities provided by the ECE service to engage with parents.
• Have access to any official records held at the service related to their child’s participation in that service.

Services will need to develop a process which supports staff to ascertain how a relationship between separated parents and the service may be established so that communication channels can be opened. This could include ensuring educators have a copy of the enrolment form, so they are clear what any court orders are.

Related downloads

See the Professional practice regarding separated parents/guardians guide above.

GMA3 Parent involvement

Criteria

Parents of children attending the service and adults providing education and care are provided with opportunities to contribute to the development and review of the service's operational documents (such as philosophy, policies, and procedures and any other documents that set out how day-to-day operations will be conducted).

Documentation required

Evidence of opportunities provided for parents and adults providing education and care to contribute to the development and review of the service's operational documents.

Rationale/intent

The criterion is underpinned by the belief that parent and whānau involvement can positively contribute to the service’s operation and quality of education and care provided to their children.

Guidance

Home-based services are required to show evidence they have provided opportunities for parents, coordinators and educators to contribute to the development and review of the service’s operational documents.

Documentation guidance

Evidence of parents having opportunities to contribute to the development and review of the service's operational documents could include:

• For meetings attendance records and minutes of the meeting could be considered as evidence.
• Educators could provide documents for parents to read.
• Copies could be kept on each child’s file.
• If parents’ views are sought, then the feedback or outcomes gathered.

Things to consider

If a child attending a service is from a family with separated parents, the Education and Training Act 2020 sets out the right of entry to early childhood education (ECE) services for parents and guardians.

Unless a court order rules otherwise, all parents and guardians are entitled to:

• Reports about their child’s participation in ECE and learning experiences.
• Participate in the opportunities provided by the ECE service to engage with parents.
• Have access to any official records held at the service related to their child’s participation in that service.

Services will need to develop a process which supports staff to ascertain how a relationship between separated parents and the service may be established so that communication channels can be opened. This could include ensuring educators have a copy of the enrolment form, so they are clear what any court orders are.

Related downloads

See the Professional practice regarding separated parents/guardians guide above.