Promoting children's social and emotional wellbeing in childcare centres within low socioeconomic areas: Strategies, facilitators and challenges

Title
Promoting children's social and emotional wellbeing in childcare centres within low socioeconomic areas: Strategies, facilitators and challenges
Publication Date
2010
Author(s)
Davis, Elise
Priest, N
Davies, B
Sims, Margaret
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4686-4245
Email: msims7@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:msims7
Harrison, Linda
Herrman, Helen
Waters, Elizabeth
Strazdins, Lyndall
Marshall, Bernard
Cook, K
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Sage Publications Ltd
Place of publication
Australia
UNE publication id
une:7334
Abstract
Although childcare centres have a vital role to play in the social and emotional development of children, the strategies used to promote children's wellbeing in such settings are not well researched. This study aimed to identify the strategies, facilitators and key challenges for promoting children's social and emotional wellbeing as reported by childcare directors and workers during semi-structured interviews. They reported mainly informal strategies with few formalised policies, curricula or strategies. Staff reported frequent difficulties communicating with parents and/or children due to many families speaking little or no English. Lack of staff training and inadequate resources for activities were other key challenges they identified. Perceived facilitators included staff having strong relationships with each other and sharing a common philosophy, as well as having an open door policy for parents. Systematic development of skills to promote children's social and emotional wellbeing could help leverage childcare staff's potential to promote children's wellbeing during a crucial stage of child development.
Link
Citation
Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 35(3), p. 77-86
ISSN
1839-5961
1836-9391
Start page
77
End page
86

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