Standard 7- Engage professionally with colleagues, parents' carers and the community

The dedication to creating a staff wall and safeguarding children's health and safety has inspired educators to respect each child's rights and dignity. This is aligned with the central premise of the ECA Code of Ethics, which prioritises children's health and safety (Early Childhood Australia, 2016).  A visual commitment on the staff wall emphasises the importance of guaranteeing children's safety and protection, consistent with the ethical responsibility to create safe workplaces. It also reaffirms educators' roles as advocates for children's rights, urging proactive efforts to keep children safe while maintaining professionalism (Kessler & Swadener, 2019). (From Advocacy and social justice subject).

In my professional practice, I worked in partnership with families to develop children's routines and provide inclusion support for children with additional needs. I created the child's profile, which includes their interests, food preferences, strengths, and capabilities. Additionally, I collaborated with families to implement Inclusion Support Services (ISS) to support their children's social, emotional, and cognitive development. This support helped create an inclusive environment to enhance children's learning (Cologon, 2014).

G8 Education operates the services management system and reviews the centre's policies monthly. The service reviews at least four policies monthly in collaboration with the educators, where they may omit or add new policies to comply with service operations and the best interests of children and families. I also reminded my educators to inform families about the policy review process at the beginning of each month and provide information regarding any changes in philosophy.

First Grammar Baulkham Hills caters to families who use English as a second language by actively translating and providing the necessary information to families in their native language.I ensured that I and other educators adopted easy language to communicate with families whose English is a second language to exchange information about the children. I also encouraged educators to communicate with families in their native language if their cultural backgrounds are similar to help them feel welcome and belonging (ADGE, 20220. This concept was taken from Bowen's family research, in which the family serves as the child's first role model and projects the child's personality and development (The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, 2023). 

In my professional practice, I develop developmental goals for children and encourage families to participate in setting goals for their children. This collaborative approach creates a learning environment where we work together to meet the children's learning goals (ADGE, 2022). It also helps educators provide meaningful experiences to improve the children's learning needs. It impacts Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, which emphasises the interconnectivity of diverse environmental systems and their impact on a child's development (Nolan & Raban, 2015).

The service recently collaborated with Bush Kindy to help children develop respect and connection to the land and communities. Children can attend Bush Kindy at the local reserve or outdoors. During these sessions, they walk in nature and explore the natural environment, collecting sticks, observing insects, and jumping into puddles. These experiences enhance children's curiosity and stimulate their minds.

I organised a nature walk for toddlers to explore the outdoor environment at the service by collecting natural materials for our artwork. As a result of the experience, children were able to stimulate their creativity and positively engage with nature (ADGE, 2022).

Evidence: Children engaging in nature walk and collecting natural materials. 

The service has collaborated with the RAMSR program to incorporate music and rhythmic movement to support children's self-regulation. The program's main aim is to help children move in more complex and coordinated ways, and engagement in music helps build connections across the brain and develop empathy and social skills (First Grammar Baulkham Hills, n.d.).

(Linked with Quality Area 6.2.3).

Evidence: Service collaborated with Bush kindy and RAMSR.