Partnerships for families

Abstract

The NZ Early Childhood Curriculum emphasises the essentiality of a holistic approach and connectivity across all the contexts of a child’s life and the people involved in it. In 2014 and 2015 we undertook qualitative, mixed-methodology research, in Aotearoa New Zealand, to explore what was occurring in the communities of young children and their families and whanau that might evidence or otherwise the existence and nature of connectivity across the Early Childhood Education (ECE), and some of the other, contexts of children’s lives. In particular they explored, through the voices of participants, partnerships between ECE centres and organisations that were involved in the lives of young children and their families. These voices remain a valued factor in the formal analysis and reporting of the research. Leaning on the theoretical perspective of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model assisted in this exploration of the various contexts and in looking forward to provide some recommendations. The researchers’ findings reverberated the claims of the relevant national and international literature they also reviewed. Also revealed through the research, in the face of undeniable challenges, was a desire for transformational partnership and a willingness to change across the ECE sector and participant organisations.