Press Room

Building Relationships with Schools and School Boards
by Ann Howe, Treena Neufeld and Carol Anderson

Relationships with schools and school boards are critical to the success of school-age child care programs. Whether a program is located within a school facility, on the school grounds or off-site in a facility such as a recreation centre, boys and girls club or church, it is important that it have a positive relationship with the schools and school boards it serves. Developing community partnerships ensures that children and families are being supported in a consistent and caring way. This partnership is much more than sharing of space. It is a shared commitment to children and families.

If you want to develop and strengthen the relationship between your school-age child care program, the school personnel and the school board, the following lists can help you get organized.

School Board Information
.Be aware of the school board’s policies/mandates/attitudes toward school age child care.
.Know the contact person at the school board regarding facility/rentals/student services/ community programming.
.Know who the school board trustees are and contacting them to discuss school age child care issues.

If you are located in a school facility you will want to be familiar with the lease/operating agreement. The lease should include: rental costs; an itemization of services provided; information on how space, equipment and supplies will be used; hours of operation; maintenance of the facility; renewal date of the contract; and procedures in the event of school closure due to emergencies. If the school can no longer provide space and wants to terminate the contract, you need to know the school/school board’s process for informing the program and how much notice will be given.
School Information
.Be aware of which school(s) the children in your program attend.
.Know the principal(s) and setting up a meeting to introduce yourself to the principal(s).
.Know the children’s teacher(s) and making an effort to meet with them.
.Know the school counsellor or child care worker.
.Know which health nurse is designated to the school(s).

The school will have developed rules, expectations and emergency procedures for the children that you will want to know. The school will also have procedures for dealing with difficult issues related to the school, the program, children and/or families and for dealing with confidentiality.

If you are located in the school, you will want to know what expectations the administrative, teaching and engineering staff have about the child care program’s use of space and equipment, and about cleanliness and maintenance of the facility

Communication Between School and School-Age Child Care Program
.Share the philosophy, rules, expectations, and emergency procedures of the child care program with the school administration, teachers and engineers.
.Participate in the kindergarten orientation.
.Submit information to the school newsletter about your program.
.Send a letter about the child care program and it’s staff to the school(s).
.Send a welcome back letter to the school staff at the beginning of each year.
.Send invitations to school personnel when special events happen, such as open-house, parent night, concerts, annual general meetings, etc..
.Make available school-age child care posters and/or art work for a school bulletin board.

If you are a non-profit organization, consider the following:
.Provide a copy of your annual meeting report to the school.
.Offer opportunities for school staff to visit your program.
.Participate with teachers in homework plans.
.Provide support to learning plans for children.
.Thank the principal and the staff at the end of each year for their support and assistance
.Indicate that you are available to participate in case conferences and school meetings, when appropriate.
.Offer to share equipment, materials and teaching resources.
.Make a point of meeting new teachers each year.
.Encourage feedback from the school when your school-age child care program participates in program evaluations.

School-Related Participation
.Attend school Parent Advisory Committee meetings.
.Be aware of any parents from the school-age child care program who participate on the school Parent Advisory Committee.
.Invite school staff to staff and volunteer appreciation activities.
.Ask about whether you can participate in Professional Development Days that are available to the teaching staff.
.Help with the Safe Arrivals program.
.Volunteer to help on hot dog day or sports day.

Other Ways to Enhance the School /School Board and School-Age Child Care Relationship
.Offer child care during parent teacher interview times or parent advisory committee meetings.
.Offer noon-hour programs to the school, such as board games, recreational activities, science, sports, arts and crafts, etc..
.Offer care on professional development days to other children in the school(s), if space permits.
.Network with other school-age child care providers in the area

It is never too late to start building relationships. Shared commitment to children and families builds strong communities. Working with schools and school boards ensures that children and families are supported. Strong relationships develop when the school-age child care program is an important, complementary part of the school.
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This article was adapted from one of four school-age fact sheets developed by the School Age Child Care Association of B.C. (SACCA) and Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre. The four titles in the set are:
.What is school-age care
.Networking and collaboration
.Resources
.Building relationships with schools and school boards
To read these fact sheets, check out the SACCA website at www.wstcoast.org/sacca.html
Join SACCA’s listserve Internet discussion group. School-age providers join free to find out and talk about issues concerning people who work with and for school-age care. Personal information remains confidential and the list of subscribers will never be shared with a third party. Visit the website to find out how to join.

Ann Howe has been involved in the child care field for the past 28 years. She currently coordinates Hudson Out of School Care, a small, stand-alone centre on the west side of Vancouver. She is co-chair of the School-Age Child Care Association of B.C.(SACCA).

Treena Neufeld has worked with children of all ages during her career. She is currently program manager/assistant director of Jericho Kids’ Club in Vancouver and is co-chair of SACCA.

Carol Anderson has worked with children and families for the past 20 years. She now works in Resource and Information Services of the Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre in Vancouver.

Hudson End of the Year Party
by Ann Howe

Every year for the last three years, Hudson Kids’ Care has put their best foot forward by putting on a BBQ and talent show for the families in the school-age care program and school personnel. This is our opportunity to say thanks to the parents and the hard working staff of the school who, along with us, are committed to enhancing the young lives we are entrusted with. A principal once told me, “In this relaxed setting, I get a chance to see some children in another light. I didn’t realize they had this in them. I am really pleased to make this discovery.” You know you are on the right track when you hear these kind of comments!

The children have ownership of the talent show. Some excel in working with the child care staff, planning, practising and performing for their peers and for the adults. It is a wonderful, creative opportunity for self-expression and for stepping out of themselves. The parents and staff are on a more casual footing, allowing friendships to form and a trust to develop that is so helpful and necessary to any child care program.

We also see this get-together as a way to nurture community ties. This can be an opportunity to identify community sponsors who could donate specific goods or services to the school-age care program if they knew there was a need for them. It is also an occasion to introduce any local council members who attend to their constituents.

No matter how you look at it, a party is always appreciated — and often needed in this busy world of ours.
Ann Howe is the coordinator of Hudson Kids’ Care.