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In a rush? Here’s a quick breakdown:
If you’re familiar with Famly, then you know our platform is based on making communication accessible and easy. And if you’re not familiar with Famly, now you know! We believe that all adults in a child’s life should collaborate and work as partners in supporting their early growth and development.
In the most simplistic way, parent communication in early childhood education (ECE) is vital because, “research has shown children’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development and safety depend on consistent, caring interaction between children and their caregivers.”
As a childcare director or manager or staff member, it is easy to think of parent communication as “nice to have,” but not as a “need to have” for licensing or compliance. But, that’s what this article talks about: parent communication requirements in early childhood education (ECE). Partnerships with parents are actually so essential in ECE - so essential that states have included specific regulations in their minimum standard requirements to encourage strong relationships and build trust between staff and parents for the benefit of the child.
Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) is all about holding childcare providers to minimum standards that guarantee high quality care. In this article, I have taken a look at HHS to see what parent communication requirements they have implemented for licensed childcare providers across the state.
I will also share how a childcare management software, like Famly, could make staying compliant with parent communication easy and stress-free.
Quick note: In this article, parent is defined as, “a person that has legal responsibility for or legal custody of a child, including the managing conservator or legal guardian.”
First and foremost, make sure that you have the correct contact information for every child - before the child is enrolled in your childcare center or preschool. The specific form that needs to be filled out is TX 2935.
This includes information from emergency contact information, to permission to go on field trips or participate in water activities to allergies, vaccines and so much more.
Collecting all of this information, and storing it somewhere that is easily accessible just got a whole lot easier. All of this information can be collected, stored and printed directly from Famly!
Once this form is completed, you will have all the contact information you need to ensure you are compliant with the following parent communication requirements.
When reading all of the below requirements, remember that it is actually a requirement to keep records of all your parent communication.
You must keep:
Now on to what you are required to communicate to the parents to meet minimum standards…
“Communication between caregivers and parents is essential to both the safe and healthy operation of the center and to the parents’ ability to assess the care their children are receiving.”
Can be found on pg. 152 of the HHS minimum standards
The HHS describes different requirements for daily reports based on the age of the child. The younger the child, the more specific the daily reports need to be. While the specific regulations probably vary a bit from state to state, I'm guessing they aren’t too different.
For infants: HHS says you must provide the following information to parents or primary caregivers in a daily report by the time the child is picked up:
For toddlers: Daily reports are not required, but ECE staff must have a plan for personally contacting each toddler’s parents or family. These conversations are when teachers will share observations, concerns and any other comments or updates about the toddler’s growth and development.
Everything can be stored and shared directly from Famly: sleep and nap time, meals and nutrition, diaper changes, and different activities and updates and photos throughout the day. With the ease of communication that Famly offers, daily reports will no longer feel like a requirement, but just a normal, enjoyable, easy part of your educators’ day.
Parents and families want to be a part of their child’s day at the childcare center. They want to feel like they are involved in their child’s growth, development and early childhood education, even from afar. That’s why sharing lesson plans, and photos of their children engaging in activities are so fun for them.
It might seem silly that sharing lesson plans is a requirement, but it further strengthens the partnership and collaboration between parents and teachers. This is essential for a child’s successful growth and development. That’s why the following are requirements according to Texas HHS:
In Famly’s Activity Library, staff and parents can access activities at any time (which also means staff won’t have to spend time answering as many requests!).
Can be found on pg. 38 of the HHS minimum standards
While child records are confidential and should be kept private, they are required to be accessible to the child’s parents or primary caregivers during your center’s hours of operations. Further, parents and family members have the right to see their child’s records during a parent-teacher conference.
"Routine updating of records facilitates communication between the parent and the childcare center. It also ensures that accurate information is available during an emergency so that the child’s needs can be met.”
With Famly, every child has their unique digital profile. This makes finding any information for each child quick and easy. Within seconds you can access emergency contacts, immunization records and other health information, observations, assessments, and all documents or records relevant to that child.
Can be found on pg. 37 of the HHS minimum standards
First of all, it is required to inform families of your operational procedures on or before the date of the child’s admission.
“Sharing clearly written policies about your center’s day-to-day operation will help parents understand what type of service their children will receive, and may help to avoid later misunderstandings and complaints.”
Can be found on pg. 32-35 of the HHS minimum standards
(Below is a list of all the requirements, but since there are so many, I do recommend reviewing the document itself!)
1. When your center or preschool is open, including the specific hours, days, and months.
2. Information regarding liability insurance, whether or not your center has coverage.
3. Instructions for parents on how to contact the local Licensing office, access the Texas Abuse and Neglect Hotline, and the HHSC website.
4. Measures for preventing and responding to child abuse and neglect, including:
5. The center’s emergency preparedness plan.
6. Immunization requirements for children, including tuberculosis screening and testing if required by the regional Texas Department of State Health Services or local health authority.
7. Requirements for hearing and vision screenings.
8. Procedures for conducting health checks, if applicable.
9. Information on vaccine-preventable diseases for employees, unless the center is operated in the permit holder’s home.
10. Policies for the maintenance, administration, and disposal of unassigned epinephrine auto-injectors (epi-pens), in compliance with Texas Department of State Health Services requirements, for use in emergency anaphylaxis situations.
11. Criteria for illness and exclusion.
12. Procedures for administering medication, or a statement if you do not administer medication.
13. Protocols for managing medical emergencies.
14. Safe sleep policy for infants from birth to 12 months, including sleep requirements and restrictions, as well as crib requirements and restrictions such as mattresses, bedding, blankets, toys, and restrictive devices.
15. Enrollment process, including how and when parents will be informed of changes to policies.
16. Procedures outlining pick-up and drop-off, ensuring the child’s safety.
17. Guidelines on the suspension and expulsion of children.
18. Procedures for providing inclusive services to children with special care needs.
19. Standard procedures for relaying important information, and keeping parents informed (like Famly!).
20. Guidelines for parent involvement in the center’s operations and activities.
21. The best way for parents to ask any questions or address any concerns regarding the center’s policies and procedures with the director.
22. Notifying their right to breastfeed, or provide breast milk, while their child is at childcare.
23. Practices related to meals and food service.
24. Procedures for transportation, if applicable.
25. Guidelines for water activities, if applicable.
26. Protocols for field trips.
27. Policies regarding animals, if applicable.
28. Encouragement of physical activity both indoors and outdoors.Specifically including:
29. Insect repellent and sunscreen application, including the types that will be used, if necessary.
30. Inform parents that they:
It is important that you have a procedure, and that parents are aware of your procedure, for sharing updated information. Everytime a procedure is updated, you must get a new parent signature and date.
Famly makes notifying parents and families about operational policy changes - and basically anything at all - instant and super easy through direct messaging or posting on the NewsFeed. Even more, you can see who has read it and who hasn’t - so you’ll know which parents you need to remind at pick-up or drop-off!
Also, if you want to save time creating your parent handbook, you can use Famly’s free downloadable and editable template here!
Can be found on pg. 49 of the HHS minimum standards
While photos and updates are fun, parents’ primary concern is their child’s safety. That’s why communicating your emergency procedures and other medical policies - to the parents before the start of the program - is essential, and required.
You must share a copy of the report with the child’s primary caregiver, and obtain their signature on the report to show that they have received it. This must happen within 48 hours of when the incident or accident occurred.
Parents and primary caregivers should be notified of all situations - those that directly affect their child, and those that could potentially affect their child.
Before taking any of the next required steps, make sure that the child is safe and cared for. Then, you must immediately notify the primary caregiver if their child:
*Check your local authority’s codes to see how they specifically define abuse, neglect, exploitation, safe sleeping and what is deemed a deficiency in each.
Examples of less serious medical situations are: small cuts or scratches, and bites from other children requiring first-aid treatment by employees.
With Famly, every child has their unique digital profile. This makes finding any information for each child quick and easy. Within seconds you can access emergency contacts, immunization records and other health information, observations, assessments, and all documents or records relevant to that child.
Famly also has immunization and accident forms that you can fill out and share with parents right through the platform, and they will be stored so you can access them at any time.
Famly is a powerful communication tool because of its instant notifications. A parent may not answer their phone, or see an email. But, with in-app notifications, they can immediately see whether their child is having an emergency or medical issue - even if they are sitting in a work meeting, or out to lunch.
Having the Child Admission Form for each child in Famly’s digital platform means you have easy access to see which children do and do not have permission to go on field trips. Then, as mentioned frequently throughout this article, you can use direct messages and notifications to communicate with families all the required information above.
Can be found on pg. 30 of the HHS minimum standards
Some documents that parents should be able to see when they are at the childcare center or preschool are:
Although these documents must be physically posted in your childcare center or preschool, it never hurts to share the information digitally as well. Maybe there is one parent who is responsible for pick-up and drop-off, so the other parent never sees the physical bulletin board. But, every adult can be notified through their Famly app.
Make sure parents and families know that you want to stay connected and build a partnership and positive relationship. Let them know when the best time is to reach you, or your staff, if they have any questions, comments or concerns regarding their child, or the provided care!
“Posting this information is an important part of communication with parents. It provides parents the opportunity to monitor the care they have selected for their child and to make informed decisions as consumers of child care”.
I have touched on how childcare management software - well, really how Famly specifically - can help you meet parent communication and notification requirements throughout the article, but I really want to drive home that it really is a no brainer - staying complaint is so much easier with digital tools.
Just writing about all these times that ECE staff must notify parents, and then also keeping proof of all past notifications - that’s A LOT of paperwork, and A LOT of time the staff is spending away from the kiddos.
What if I told you that all of these notifications can be sent privately, or in a group message when appropriate, directly through Famly’s platform (on a tablet, computer or mobile!).
Imagine this: you are outside with the kids and someone trips on a curb. A teacher doesn’t need to run inside to document the accident report, but instead, can notify the parents and any other necessary adult immediately from their mobile. This means less time documenting and informing, and more time interacting with the kids outside.
Or, a kid has lice? No more handing out individual paper, or making sure you have included every parents’ email (and spelled them correctly!). Just open up Famly’s app or platform and notify the community all at once.
And! Because all notifications and communication are digital, they are automatically kept so keeping track and saving them all are stored digitally. No more stacks of papers sitting in a drawer or on the corner of your desk. We promise you, and your staff members and families will love it.
Guidance from the Danish Health Ministry, translated in full to English.
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The full recommendations from a working group of over 70 nursery chains in the UK.
Please note: here at Famly we love sharing creative activities for you to try with the children at your setting, but you know them best. Take the time to consider adaptions you might need to make so these activities are accessible and developmentally appropriate for the children you work with. Just as you ordinarily would, conduct risk assessments for your children and your setting before undertaking new activities, and ensure you and your staff are following your own health and safety guidelines.
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