Parent-Caregiver Conferences

You may want to schedule conferences to share child-related information with parents. Organize the points you want to cover ahead of time. Always begin the conference with a positive comment or two about the child.

Things you may want to include in the conference are specific observations or assessments of the child’s social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development. The conversation should be about the child and focused on his or her needs.

Conferences with parents or guardians also give the caregiver an opportunity to get to know the family and insight as to family issues, struggles, life changes, or goals, so you can better understand how to help a child in your care. For instance, knowing that a child has had extended family at his home visiting, and is now sharing a room with rowdy cousins will explain his being extra tired in the past week.

Related Training:
A Simple Approach to Knowing the WAC’s:  Program Planning