Interaction with children

Purpose
To give clear guidelines to the Educators and other stakeholders with regard to creating and maintaining respectful and equitable relationship with each child, and each child is supported to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships with other children and adults

Scope
These guidelines will apply to the Approved provider, nominated supervisor, educational leader, supervisors, educators, staff, students on placement, volunteers, parents/guardian, children and others attending the service.

Objective
To ensure that every child is able to interact with educators in meaningful and openly that support the acquisitions of skills for life and learning.

To ensure that each child is supported to manage their own behaviour, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others and communicate effectively to resolve conflicts

Policy
At FIRST IDEA FAMILY DAY CARE SERVICES, we are focussed towards providing warm, responsive and trusting relationships through appropriate interactions. Each child will be supported to feel secure, confident and included, and the dignity and rights of every child are maintained at all times.

Procedures:
Approved Providers and delegates are responsible for:

  • Ensuring children and families are matched with educators with consideration of group sizes and composition
  • Ensuring educators are providing the educational program in a manner that;(regulation 155)
  • encourages children to express themselves and their opinions
  • allows the children to undertake experiences that develops self-reliance and self esteem
  • maintains at all times the dignity and rights of each child
  • gives each child positive guidance and encouragement towards acceptable behaviour
  • has regard to the family and cultural values, age, and physical and intellectual development and abilities of each child
  • considers family and cultural values, age, physical and intellectual development and abilities of each child
  • Ensuring educators are supporting children to interact and develop respectful and positive relationships with each other, staff and volunteers at the service (regulation 156)
  • Ensure that the educator is aware of the size of the group and the composition of the groups in which children are being educated and cared for by the service. (regulation 156)
  • Assisting the educator to develop and implement behaviour guidance strategies for children through training and professional development
  • Assisting the educator to develop and implement intentional teaching strategies through training and professional development
  • Assisting the educator to develop and implement reflective practice strategies through training and professional development

Educators and educator assistants/Students/Volunteers are responsible for:

  • Providing an educational program in a manner that;
  • encourages the children to express themselves and their opinions
  • allows the children to undertake experiences that develops self-reliance and self esteem
  • maintains at all times the dignity and rights of each child
  • gives each child positive guidance and encouragement toward acceptable behaviour
  • has regard to the family and cultural values, age, and physical and intellectual development and abilities of each child
  • Supporting children to develop relationships with each other, staff and volunteers by supporting their relationships facilitating their communication and assist in their language development
  • Considering group sizes and composition when new child is enrolling into care, to enable more time with the child to support the inclusion in the program
  • Treating children with respect always
  • Respecting family’s practices and beliefs and include where possible
  • Maintaining the dignity of all children, protect their privacy at all times, and implement their choices in the program as much as practicable
  • Ensuring education and care program is inclusive and welcoming to children – keep clear
  • documentation on children, speak with families and identify children’s interests, consult with the educational leader to develop a program
  • Developing positive strategies to assist children to manage their own behaviour, and to respond appropriately to conflict and the behaviour of others – assist them label their behaviours and feelings and provide strategies for dealing with each behaviour (how to deal with anger, jealousy etc)
  • Ensuring effective communication with families by sharing daily information about children’s learning, development, interactions, behaviour and relationships and seek families feedback and input
  • Ensuring when an individual behaviour guidance plan is required for children with a diagnosed
  • condition, the plan is supportive of the child’s behaviour – ie. Preparing a child for change etc. and is designed in conjunction with a medical practitioner, family and educational leader
  • Children requiring behaviour management plans will be designed in conjunction with families, the educator, the educational leader and any involved support agencies
  • Developing links and partnerships with other services and/or professionals to support children and their families, where required – research and contact support services around your area
  • Documenting children’s, needs, abilities and interests to inform program development
  • Attending training and professional development – 4 sessions per annum minimum
  • Sourcing equipment and resources to enhance children’s learning by either, purchasing quality products, utilising toy lending libraries, sharing toys between educators etc.
  • Arranging excursions based on the educational program
  • Implementing intentional teaching strategies in accordance with
  • Displaying developed educational program
  • Sharing with the family the child’s prominent interests and/or activities throughout the day
  • Informing families of any specific details of the child’s health or wellbeing
  • Accessing external agencies if and when required to support children, families and/or program development – no external agency will be engaged for an individual child or family without their express consent

Families are required to:

  • Engage with your child’s educator daily
  • Ensure changes to your child’s information or status is communicated promptly to the educator or approved provider
  • Ensure the educator is fully informed of your child’s needs, and preferences
  • Alert the educator in changes or shifts in Behaviours of your child
  • Inform the educator of your child’s temperament
  • Inform the educator of child’s preferred style of communication
  • Inform the educator of your child’s likes and dislikes and ways, methods and strategies of communicating needs and desires

NATIONAL QUALITY FRAMEWORK

Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010

Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011

National Quality Area

161-175

155, 156

5

RELATED LEGISLATION

  • Children’s Health and Wellbeing Act 2009
  • Children, Youth and Families Act 2005
  • Disability Discrimination Act 1992
  • Equal Opportunity Act 1995 (Vic.)
  • Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cwlth)
  • Privacy Act 2000 (Vic.)
  • Working with Children Act 2005

RELATED POLICIES

  • Code of Conduct
  • Confidentiality
  • Delivery and Collection of Children
  • Engagement or Registration of Family day care Educators and Assistants
  • Enrolment and Orientation
  • Participation of Volunteers and Students
  • Providing a child safe environment

References and resources

  • Department of Education and Training (DET)
  • Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
  • Guide to the National Quality Framework -October 2017

REVIEW

POLICY REVIEWED

July 2018

NEXT REVIEW DATE

July 2019

MODIFICATIONS

Policy created for First Idea Family Day Care Services, inclusive of changes to the National Quality Standards and Education and Care National Regulations

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