Families are the primary influence in the lives of their children. Families are the center of children's lives. Programs should create an environment which reflects the culture, strengths, and desires of families for their children. It is not possible to accurately generalize about families. Professional caregivers take the time to get to know family members individually and to support them in their goals for their children.
Families have strengths.
Families and child care professionals are partners who have the shared responsibility of doing the best for the children in their care. Child care professionals need to get to know families and build upon their strengths. Families have something to offer child care providers. Traditionally, exchanges between arents and child care professionals have been viewed as a means of informing families about their child. However, in family-centered programs it is recognized that, while professionals bring information to parents about child development and about their experiences with many children, families provide information about the individual child, across time and in a variety of settings.