(c) McGraw-Hill 2012

1. Chapter 14:
Adult Relations in Infant-
Toddler Care and Education
Programs
McGraw-Hill/Irwin © 2011 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

2. Caregiver Stages of Relating to Parents
• There are three caregiver stages of relating to
parents:
– Caregiver as savior
– Caregiver as superior to parent
– Caregiver as partner to parent and/or family
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3. Caregiver Stages of Relating to Parents
• Caregiver as savior
– In this stage, caregivers are out to save each child in
their care from his or her parents.
– The caregiver plans to save the whole world through
working with children.
– Most people move out of this stage when they realize
that their influence is only temporary.
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4. Caregiver Stages of Relating to Parents
• Caregiver as superior to parent
– In this stage, caregivers see parents as clients.
– The savior effect is still in effect (although lessened) as
caregivers see themselves as superior substitutes for
parents.
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5. Caregiver Stages of Relating to Parents
• Caregiver as partner to parent and/or family
– In this final stage, caregivers see themselves as
supplements and supports to parents.
– The parent and caregiver share in the care of the child.
– The caregiver encourages children’s sense of
belonging in their families.
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6. Service Plan: Focus on the Child
• Needs and services plans should include:
– Children’s likes and dislikes
– Children’s daily habits (toileting/diapering, eating, etc.)
– Comfort devices and cuddling needs
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7. Service Plan: Focus on the Child
• Writing down anecdotes about the child’s day is
helpful for many parents.
– Be cautious about how you write the information.
– Always write the details of any significant fall, scrape or
bite on an accident or incident form. Always tell
parents, even for minor bumps and scratches.
– Communication should be a priority from day one.
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8. Service Plan: Focus on the Family
• The Parent Services Project (PSP) provides a
good model for encouraging parental
participation.
• The PSP is based on the idea that promoting the
well-being of parents is a way to care for their
children.
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9. Service Plan: Focus on the Family
• Ways to involve parents and promote their well-
being include:
– Fostering community building
– Helping develop social networks
– Letting parents make their own choices about the
services they want
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10. Service Plan: Focus on the Family
• Communicate openly with parents.
• Let parents know you heard them.
• Use intake interviews to set the pattern for future
communication.
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11. Service Plan: Focus on the Family
• When having conferences with parents:
– Be welcoming
– Practice active listening
– Use normal vocabulary (beware of using too much
professional jargon!)
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12. Issues of Parents of Children with
Special Needs
• Parents of children with special needs:
– May be in denial about their child’s condition
– May carry a heavy burden of guilt
– May be angry
– Or may not have any unresolved issues at all
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13. Issues that Hinder Communication
• The following characteristics may hinder
communication between parents and caregivers:
– Age
– Gender
– Cultural background
What other characteristics
may hinder communication?
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14. Tips for Encouraging Communication
• Ways to encourage open communication with
parents include:
– Developing your listening skills
– Developing a problem-solving attitude
– Trying to talk to each parent each day
– Regarding communication as a two-way process
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15. Parent Education
• Your job also involves parent education.
• By involving parents, you help them learn
hands-on about child development.
Why is voluntary parental involvement more
effective than mandatory involvement?
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16. Parents of Children with Special Needs
• Parents of children with special needs may need
to learn their own set of skills.
– Be sensitive to parent’s feelings
– Invite parents to observe or participate
– Respect parent’s comfort level-don’t push
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17. Relating to the Parents of a Child
Who isn’t Doing Well
• If a child is so disruptive that you worry about
neglecting other children:
– Speak with other staff members and the director.
– If appropriate, talk with parents to get additional
perspectives on the problems and more strategies for
meeting the child’s needs.
– Trying an outside referral may also be helpful.
– Acknowledge that sometimes a child may need to be in
a different setting.
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18. Caregiver Relations
• Family childcare providers:
– Benefit from having family support
– Should also look for support outside their families
• Local support meetings are a good place to start
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19. Caregiver Relations
• Center Staff:
– Need to talk to establish relationships
– Should communicate to settle conflicts, set goals,
evaluate, and share resources
– Most of all, center staff need adult contact
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20. Caregiver Relations
How do the 10 principles mentioned earlier in
the book apply to working with adults?
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21. Online Learning Center
• See Chapter 14 of the text’s Online Learning
Center for chapter quizzes, Theory Into Action
activities, Video Observations, and more.
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