Child Care Providers:
You model behaviors for children and families that may adopt at home, from demonstrating empathy to showing how to provide physical care to settling boundaries.
Since you are most likely seen by parents as allies, your feedback or referrals to families may be more likely to be welcomed, not resented.
What can you do?
Attend trainings, and share what you learn.
Take advantage of training opportunities that include trauma informed care, child abuse assessment, parental resiliency and supporting families in crisis.
Acknowledge your role can be tricky
You’re often the first to notice neglect or abuse, placing you in an incredibly difficult situations as you decide whether what you see s placing a child in enough threat of harm to report the family to Child Protective Services. A move that can result in ending your relationship with the family.
Connect with Family Resource Centers
Be a resource to families
Have a good working knowledge of local resources so you can be a source of information for families. Help connect parents with specific needs to the appropriate organization. If possible, make a “warm referral”, offer to contact the group yourself to make reaching out less intimidating.
Engage with Families
Learn about how to create positive professional relationships with the families you work with, especially children who are dual language learners.
Be there for ALL kids you care for.
Learn more about how to work with children with disabilities and how to create inclusive environments and enrich activities for children with specific learning needs.
Take that extra step
As mandatory reporters, you know you have to report cases of suspected abuse, but since many cases are not investigated and neglect is even more common than physical abuse your efforts to connect families with resources can go a long way. Parents can can benefit from your referrals.