ANNUAL REPORT 2018
E N G A G E D STA K E H O L D E R S
The benefits
of partnering
with families
KU
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KU believes whole heartedly that
parents and families are their child’s
first educators, and the need to
work in partnership with them is
critical. The best outcomes for
children are achieved when we
can help bridge the gap between
home and preschool or childcare. In
some cases, the benefits of strong
partnerships with families can be
even broader; creating networks
within the community and breaking
down barriers to access, ultimately
enabling more children to benefit
from high quality early education.
That was the motivation for
encapsulating ‘Engaged stakeholders
actively delivering outcomes for our
KU’ as a goal within our Strategic Plan.
Nowhere is the achievement of
this goal more evident than at KU
Chatswood Community Preschool
in NSW; a centre awarded multiple
honours in 2018 for its innovative
practices in working with families.
KU Chatswood Community has an
incredibly culturally diverse community.
The families at the preschool represent
more than 20 different nationalities
and many are new to Australia.
English is the second or third language
of over 95% families and children.
It was recognised that language
barriers presented a challenge for
staff when welcoming and orienting
newcomers to the preschool; a critical
first step in fostering KU’s usually very
strong relationships and communities.
When Preschool Director, Kathy
Hatcher, and her team undertook
some research and consulted with
families and children to come up with
a solution, the result was a completely
re-designed welcome program.
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