Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Theoretical and Personal Reflections On Working With Families Report
Theoretical and Personal Reflections On Working With Families Report
CLD 231
Rachel Jacobs
Introduction
education program at Ryerson University. To date, I have completed one placement and am
almost finished a second, at the early years centre in Trinity-Spadina. For this report, I went on a
one-day placement to the Family Resource Centre (FRC) located at the Promenade Mall in
Thornhill, Ontario. The FRC is a drop in centre for children aged 0-5 with their parent or
caregiver. The FRC has several different play stations set up and conducts a group circle time. It
was interesting to compare this centre to the early years centre where I am presenting doing my
placement. Both centres are very similar as family inclusive centres for infants and young
children. One key learning that I took was the ability to compare and contrast the experience of a
culturally diverse centre to a more culturally specific centre that is run by a Jewish organization
frameworks. Family Systems Theory is a theory that looks at families both as a whole and a
series of interconnected parts. The interconnected family members influence one another,
sometimes within their own subsystems. Different family members play different roles in the
family and there are usually hierarchies in these roles. (Shimoni & Baxter, 2014, p.10) At the
FRC there were many different types of families; grandparents with grandchildren, mothers and
children and nannies/caregivers and children. There were sometimes grandmothers and mothers
THEORETICAL AND PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON WORKING WITH FAMILIES 2
together with the same child. I noticed that sometimes the grandparent and mother stayed close
together and played with the child together. In another family the grandmother stayed in the
background while the mother interacted with the child. In a third family, the grandmother stayed
with the child while the mother left to run errands. The different family roles that I observed
were grandmothers, mothers, nannies, siblings. They were interacting with each other in
predictable ways. There was one mother and child and I heard the mother reported feeling
overwhelmed. Another grandmother appeared to recognize this and offered to watch the child so
the mom could have a break. These examples illustrate the different roles that the
grandparent/parent have in the family. The grandmother extended her grandmother role even
when she was not the actual grandparent of the child. The grandparent/mother is one subsystem,
the mother/child another subsystem and the grandmother/child a third subsystem within the
family. The role of the grandparent appeared to be a supportive role, providing caregiving relief,
In Family Systems Theory, families can be classified as either open or closed. Open
families are more open to working with others and demonstrate willingness for change. Closed
families are more resistant to change and are less likely to open and up and look for supports
outside the family (Shimoni & Baxter, 2014, p.11). At the centre I noticed that some families
seemed more open to support and advice from the educators. These parents were asking lots of
questions and appeared to be more interactive with the staff. Other families appeared to want to
do their own thing, staying close to their friends and/or children. This could be due to many
factors. I noticed that one family that reported being new to the centre appeared to be open,
engaging in conversation and asking questions to the staff. Nannies appeared to group together
THEORETICAL AND PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON WORKING WITH FAMILIES 3
and work less with the educators. There were also a lot of Israeli families who were particularly
open to working with the Israeli educator and appeared to be comfortable speaking Hebrew with
her.
The Ecological Approach looks at the family system from a macro point of view. The
family system is affected by the other systems they interact with including the community and
neighbourhood. The environment in which the family operates include the: microsystem,
mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem. These environmental contexts affect the child both
Most of the families that come to the FRC are Jewish because it is a Jewish organization
that operates the centre (Jewish Child and Family Services) and the centre is located in an area
where there is a prominent Jewish community. There are also non-Jewish families from the
neighbourhood that attend the centre. I noticed a number of Asian families, which makes sense
as Thornhill has a large Asian community. According to Statistics Canada (2012), Thornhill is
Even within the Jewish culture there were families of different backgrounds including:
The FRC is influenced by different microsystems. The FRC is located within Promenade
mall and the hours of the mall, busyness of the mall and law bylaws influence the centre. There
is a large Asian supermarket at the mall which may attract some families to the centre before or
after a grocery shopping trip. There is are other community institutions near the mall ie: a
synagogue and library within walking distance to the mall. The influences of these nearby
THEORETICAL AND PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON WORKING WITH FAMILIES 4
institutions interact and directly influence the population that the FRC services. The connections
The FRC staff recognize these influences and this helps them understand how to relate
and create programming that is appropriate to the families they serve. When I was first speaking
to the educator who was showing me around, she noted the mix of cultures and pointed out how
nice it was that someone from the Orthodox Jewish community can talk to and relate to an Asian
The macrosystem is the beliefs and values in the environment (Shinoni & Baxter, 2012,
p.15). It is important to be aware of the culture, beliefs and values that influence the families at
the centre. Cultural programming is a big part of the FRC, especially because it is run by a
Jewish organization. When I was there on Friday, the circle time was Shabbat themed. Shabbat is
the Jewish Sabbath. They sang songs about the Sabbath and even the snack time was
Sabbath-themed. The centre gave out kosher challah (bread traditionally eaten by Jews on the
Sabbath). Both Hebrew and English versions of the songs were sung. This was inclusive for the
families who are not Jewish or do not speak Hebrew. I noticed that the non-Jewish families were
participated in singing the songs and participated in the Sabbath-themed circle time. I did notice
any family members looking uncomfortable during the Jewish themes programming. A staff
member commented that non-Jewish families have expressed that there were open to learning
more about the culture of their neighborhood. The centre is closed on Saturday and open on
Sunday to respect the Jewish Sabbath, unlike the early years centre where I have my placement
Another aspect of the macrosystem are the government rules and regulations that apply to
child-care centres. The strollers are hung on special hooks on the wall to prevent crowding and
fire-safety hazards. The room has capacity limits. The educators explained that toys that are
Individual Reflection
In this section, I will discuss the effectiveness and value of the Family Resource Centre
I could see myself working at the FRC. I can relate to the families and culture. I know a
lot about the Thornhill neighborhood and have many cousins and friends that live there. Also,
being Jewish, I celebrate all the Jewish holidays in the same way that the people organizing the
program do. They would be closed on any holidays which I would need to take off work from at
another setting, so practically it would be very convenient. I also understand Hebrew and there
are a large number of Hebrew speaking families at the centre. I am very comfortable with the
young group of children (ages 0-5). Both of my Ryerson placements have been with younger
age-groups and the majority of children at the centre were between the ages of 0-3 years.
The staff had a good collaborative relationship with each other and the families, which I
like to see. I see that the centre holds values of being family-centred, a belief that I have myself
I noticed that there were a large number of caregivers at the centre and I think that I
would feel comfortable myself if I were a caregiver. I see that the nannies appear to enjoy
meeting other nannies at the centre. I think that as a caregiver I would enjoy having a structured
THEORETICAL AND PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON WORKING WITH FAMILIES 6
place to take children where there is social stimulation. Some parents who attended the centre
told me that the working parents in the area choose between day care centres and nannies for
childcare. The families that hire nannies appreciate that the FRC provides the structured play,
social stimulation, circle times and toys that their children miss from not being in a daycare
setting. Many families live within walking distance and appreciate that the nannies can walk
there. If I were a local parent I would find that the location, within a large mall, is very
convenient as I could walk around the mall, take care of errands, get food from food court, or
grocery shop at the grocery store attached to the mall. There is a library and a mini-playground
next to the mall, which is also convenient for child-centered activities. I would appreciate that
One drawback of the centre is that because it is not under the Early Years Centre
programing it does not have complete government funding. The centre is funded by The
Regional Municipality of York, United Way of Toronto & York Region and UJA Federation of
Greater Toronto. However, the centre does have a daily drop-in Fee of $5 for one adult and child.
Families can choose an annual membership of $75 for unlimited drop in. If I was a parent that
could not afford the extra fees the fees may be a deterrent for me to use the centre.
During my three hour observation I was able to recognize some challenges and benefits
to the program. One challenge I found was that the room fills up quickly and even though it is
large it can feel crowded. I noticed circle time was very crowded, strollers take up so much
room. The staff explained that the room has been recently renovated to accommodate the
strollers. There are special stroller hooks on the walls and strollers need to be hung up. There are
Another challenge that happens when parents and children are brought together is the
impact of chatty parents on child-centred programming. Parents may be isolated and in need of
adult social interaction and they may be drawn to the centre as a place to go to meet up with
friends who also have babies. However, circle time can be difficult as when parents disengage
from the songs and group activities, the noise levels can raise quickly and the children cannot
A challenge can also be meeting the needs of the different age group of the children. I see
that circle time is held twice a day, 10:30am and 3:30pm. These different times are able to
accommodate the schedules of the different age children and also the schedules of parents who
may need to leave earlier to pick up school aged children. It is very difficult to meet the different
Bringing children and parents together at FRC also has many benefits. The structure is
family-centered. It recognizes that children benefit when families are included in their
interactions. Educators are able to provide support, education, encouragement and resources to
family members who drop-in. The centre is a source of formal and informal support as parents
interact with educators and other parents with children of similar age-groups. The centre also
provides families with a place where they can share meaningful and enjoyable interactions with
their babies. The FRC is well-equipped with up-to-date and interesting toys and materials that
many families do not have at home. The toys are well-chosen to facilitate physical and cognitive
development.
I think the program does encourage diversity to some degree. There were signs that say
happy holidays and there was a welcome sign with different languages on it. I did notice that
THEORETICAL AND PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON WORKING WITH FAMILIES 8
there was not any Christmas decorations at the centre but there were some Hanukkah
decorations. A staff member told me that because the centre is run under a Jewish organization
they do not have Christmas related activities. I do have concerns that families that are not Jewish
may not feel as welcome when the programming and decor does not include people who are not
Jewish. The staff members do speak different languages including Hebrew, Russian and Spanish.
Some of the staff reported they are Jewish and other staff members are from other backgrounds.
The literature discusses the importance of educating children about minority cultures.
Perlman, Kankeson and Zhang (2010) state that teaching multicultural programs to young
children help to promote tolerance, acceptance, and knowledge about diverse cultures while
instilling pride in their own backgrounds. I feel that as the centre is run by a minority group, the
centre feels that they do not have to include the majority culture at the centre as they want to
instill pride in the upcoming Jewish holidays. However, as there are many families that are not
Jewish, the centre runs of risk of excluding these families by not recognizing Christmas or other
non-Jewish events.
The centre is accessible by elevator and the place is open and would easily accommodate
a wheelchair. There are some play areas that were smaller and may be difficult to maneuver a
Conclusion
In summary, the FRC is a drop-in centre that serves families in Thornhill. The
organization and therefore attempts to meet the religious values of the Jewish families that attend
THEORETICAL AND PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON WORKING WITH FAMILIES 9
the centre. However, there are families and caregivers from different backgrounds at the centre.
Although I did notice these families participating fully in the Sabbath programming and
appearing included in the activities, I wonder if these families would feel more comfortable if
there were activities that included the cultures of these families? Most of the literature appears to
address the majority cultures being inclusive of a minority culture. At the FRC the minority
culture is valued over the majority culture. As a member of the Jewish culture, I feel that it is
important for the families and children to have a place where they feel comfortable and accepted
by more than just a token gesture of a Hannukah sign or menorah. I would recommend the staff
asking the non-Jewish families for feedback on ways to help them feel included and valued at the
centre.
THEORETICAL AND PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON WORKING WITH FAMILIES 10
References
Perlman, M., Kankesan, T., & Zhang, J. (2010). Promoting diversity in early child care
doi:10.1080/03004430802287606
Shimoni, R. & Baxter, J. (2011) Working with families: Perspectives for Early Childhood
Professionals (6th edition). Toronto:
Pearson Education Canada.
Statistics Canada. 2012. Thornhill, Ontario (Code 35104) and Ontario (Code 35) (table). Census
Profile. 2011 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-XWE. Ottawa. Released