Today's families are more diverse than ever, and the children in your center likely come from a wide variety of backgrounds and family configurations. In order for us to fully meet the needs of the children in our care, it is imperative that we know, honor, and include their families in our daily routines and activities, as well as to ensure that all families feel welcomed and included. One way to do this to design and implement annual community events that are open and inviting to all families, and that encourage parents, children and staff to get to know one another on a personal level. To do this, we should be cognizant of the different family structures, traditions, and schedules, as well as to ensure that our events provide ample opportunity for involvement for all types of families.
Create a 2-3 page paper, create a plan for 3 events over the course of your school year. These events should provide a wide variety of opportunities for children and their families to learn, engage, socialize, and enjoy themselves. As you create the plan, be sure to describe each event clearly and why you believe it would be a good fit for your program's community.
In the opening section of your paper, consider and answer to the following:
Do most of your families come from similar cultural backgrounds, or is yours a highly diverse community?
What is the ratio of parents working outside the home, to those who are stay-at-home parents? How does this affect when you schedule your events?
What are the socio-economic demographics of your families? How does this affect the type of events you plan?
How can you encourage families to attend your events?
How can you ensure that all the families feel welcomed and included?
What might some of the families' limitations be, and how can you overcome them?
What might some of the center's limitations be, and how can you overcome them?
Support your statements with evidence from the required studies and your research.