BEST PRACTICE
Supporting diverse family structures
With the range of family dynamics in 2024, each with their own complexities, we offer advice to help settings support all families
In 2024, it’s fair to say that the family structures of children in settings vary considerably.
This means that it’s more important than ever to ensure that not only are your practice and setting inclusive for all children, but also for their families. After all, it could be that you’re the only support this family network has to rely on for advice and empathy! But first, let’s take a look at the makeup of different families you may work with.
Recognising and welcoming different family structures benefits the children by aiding their social-emotional wellbeing and, in turn, helping shape their learning progress.
How can you make your practice and setting more inclusive for families?
1. Books, books, books!
Keeping your library up to date with diverse, inclusive books that you can share with both the children and families is essential in cultivating a setting that’s welcoming of different families. We’ve provided some suggestions below!
■ The Family Book by Todd Parr (age 2-4)
■ Mommy, Momma and Me by Leslea Newman (age 1-3)
■ Black is Brown is Tan by Arnold Adoff (age 2-3)
■ And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (age 2-5)
■ Fred Stays With Me by Nancy Coffelt (age 2-7)
■ Every Year On Your Birthday by Rose A. Lewis (age 2-7)
■ Families Are Different by Nina Pellegrini (age 4-8)
■ Sometimes It’s Grandmas and Grandpas by Gayle Byrne (age 4-8)
■ Molly and Her Dad by Jan Ormerod (age 4-8)
Diverse family structures may include:
■ Single parent(s) (never married, divorced or widowed)
■ Unmarried parents
■ Foster parents
■ Adoptive parents
■ Blended families – step parents (married and unmarried), step siblings
■ LGBTQ+ parents
■ Non-parent relative(s) as guardian(s), such as grandparents
2. Kindness and respect
It should be fundamental practice in all settings, but establishing a base of kindness and respect in all interactions throughout the day is helpful. This includes in interactions between educators, as well as interactions with the children and their families.
This extends to supporting children’s behaviour, too. If a behaviour is rude or unkind, helping them regulate their emotions and exploring the ‘why’ behind both your response and their behaviour is much more effective than any behaviour consequences.
3. Emphasise diversity in setting
Diversity should be embedded throughout the setting – visually, interpersonally and in practice. This means that you should be particularly mindful of any displays, including informative posters. Do they represent a range of family structures? Religions? Races? Disabilities?
This also extends to the resources you use in children’s play and learning, whether in the role play area or in the outdoor area.
4. Be sensitive to differences
While some settings choose to engage in ‘special’ days – such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day – and design learning activities around them, be mindful that the emphasis is less on a specific person. This could instead be changed into activities sharing with one another about the important people in our lives.
Another easy-yet-inclusive switch is turning activities or discussions about where we live into ones about favourite things or places; again, making them more general and less specific is helpful.
5. Maintain inclusive language and communication
This is perhaps the most important of all, as not only is it involved in every aspect of your day with the children and their families, but it also has a significant impact on how welcomed and accepted they feel in your setting.
We often default to using terms like ‘mummy’, ‘daddy’, ‘parents’. But, to be more sensitive to children’s family differences, simply switch these to ones such as ‘grown-up(s)’, ‘family/families’. In formal communication, ‘caregiver(s) will work as general terms.
Most importantly, though, remember that it’s crucial to listen to and learn from the children and families themselves, as they will be able to guide you and feed back to you about your inclusivity!