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The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education







Childminding

Standard 4. Consultation

Ensuring inclusive decision-making requires consultation that promotes participation and seeks out, listens to and acts upon the views and opinions of children, parents and staff, and other stakeholders, as appropriate.

Component 4.1 | Component 4.2

Component 4.1 - The setting actively invites contributions to decision-making processes and strategies for the development and delivery of the service from a wide range of interested stakeholders.

Signposts for Reflection

4.1.1

How do you encourage consultation with other adults, parents, children and other appropriate stakeholders?

Think about (e.g.)

  • Attending network meetings with other childminders
  • Being actively involved in early childhood organisations in your local area, e.g., County Childcare Committee
  • Parents are given an opportunity to have input regarding the policies and procedures of your service
  • Parents are given opportunities to have regular meetings with you to discuss their child's development, accomplishments and/or needs/difficulties See 3.1
  • Regular meetings are held to seek the advice and opinions of parents and other stakeholders on the development and delivery of your service
  • You seek input from parents about your curriculum/programme of activities and its relationship to children's development
  • Interactions with a broad range of stakeholders (e.g., families, colleagues, assistants, other community services, regulatory or other statutory officials, etc.) are facilitated in an efficient and effective manner
  • How you actively create opportunities to involve childrenin age-appropriate decision-making with regard to the development of their space within your home See 1.1
  • Ongoing consultation with your own family

4.1.2

What plan has been developed to ensure that the sharing of views and opinions is actively encouraged and appropriately recorded? See 10.2

Think about (e.g.)

  • Promoting discussion amongst relevant stakeholders on issues related to the promotion of the health and wellbeing of children

4.1.3

What strategies do adults employ to encourage and develop children's capacity to contribute their views and opinions on issues relating to their daily experiences? See 5.4

Think about (e.g.)

  • Open-ended questions
  • Giving children time to think and reply
  • Encouraging children to name and share feelings and emotions
  • Sharing control of conversations with the child
  • Involving children in finding/choosing a solution to a problem

4.1.4

What opportunities are available to children to make plans and indicate these plans to you? See 7.3


4.1.5

How does your school show respect for parents' goals and preferences for their child? See 3.3


4.1.6

How is the input of children, parents, families and other relevant stakeholders recorded so as to inform decision-making processes?


4.1.7

How do you give feedback to the participants that are consulted?


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Component 4.2 - The setting acts upon contributions to decisionmaking processes and strategies for the development and delivery of the service from a wide range of interested stakeholders, as appropriate.

Signposts for Reflection

4.2.1

How are the views and opinions gathered through consultation with stakeholders used to regularly review and revise all aspects of your practice?


4.2.2

How do you keep records of your policies and procedures?


4.2.3

How do you make sure that your policies and procedures are put into practice and are revised and updated on a regular basis? See 8.1


4.2.4

How do you share your policies and procedures with parents and other relevant stakeholders and, where appropriate, the children in the setting?


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