As childcare providers, we dedicate ourselves to nurturing young minds and fostering a safe, stimulating environment for children to thrive. But how do we know we’re truly hitting the mark? Here’s where regular feedback from parents and carers becomes an invaluable tool.
Why Feedback Matters
Regularly gathering feedback allows you to see your service through the eyes of those who matter most – the families you serve. It helps you identify areas where you’re excelling and areas where you can improve.
Here are just a few reasons why feedback is crucial:
- Strengths and Weaknesses: Feedback highlights what parents appreciate about your service, from communication style to specific activities. It can also reveal areas that might need some attention, allowing you to address concerns before they escalate.
- Open Communication: Regular feedback fosters a sense of open communication with families. Parents feel valued and heard, strengthening the partnership between childcare providers and families.
- Positive Outcomes for Children: When there’s clear communication and collaboration between parents and childcare providers, children thrive. They benefit from a consistent approach to learning and behaviour management across both environments.
- Continual Improvement: Feedback allows you to continuously evaluate and refine your service. Use the information to improve curriculum, communication methods, or even physical aspects of your space.
Making Feedback a Habit
There are several ways to effectively gather feedback from parents and carers. Here are some ideas:
📝Formal Surveys
Questionnaires provide a structured format to gather feedback on various aspects of your service. Our Parent & Child Questionnaires have been carefully designed with open-ended questions, that encourage parents (and children)to elaborate on their thoughts and experiences. Use this resource to gain valuable insights from new starters and long-term service users.
💬Informal Conversations
Regular chats during drop-off and pick-up times are a great way to get a feel for parents’ concerns and suggestions. If space allows a parent notice board is a great way to share information with families and spark conversation about the day or week ahead. Use our Setting Poster Pack to display further information about what children are learning, upcoming events and useful contacts.
📕Contact Diaries
Providing parents with daily or weekly reports can help to ensure parents are kept well-informed of their child’s experiences whilst also providing a further channel for them to communicate their feedback and ideas. Check out the Childcare Contact Diaries, the Baby Care Pack or the Minding Kids App for both paper-based and digital methods of sharing reports.
💖Record of Compliments
It is a requirement for childcare providers to retain records of complaints, so why not also gather compliments? Find a Record of Compliments & Feedback included in our Logbooks & Forms Pack to help gather evidence of the high-quality service you provide.
❗Remember: Feedback is a two-way street. Once you’ve received feedback, be sure to communicate how you’re acting on it. Share any changes you’re implementing and keep parents informed of the progress.
By establishing a culture of open communication and regularly seeking feedback, you can build strong partnerships with families. This, in turn, leads to a more enriching and rewarding childcare experience for everyone involved.
👉Visit our Sharing Information section for more inspiration and resources to improve communication with parents.
📱Boost Communication with the Minding Kids App!
or…become a MindingKids member for UNLIMITED ACCESS to ALL our OUTSTANDING Resources!
