Reflection Questions for Quality Area 6

Reflection Questions For Quality Area 6 Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
Quality Area 6 focuses on supportive, respectful relationships with families which are fundamental to achieving quality outcomes for children. Community partnerships that are based on active communication, consultation and collaboration also contribute to children’s inclusion, learning and wellbeing.


Standard 6.1 Supportive relationships with families: Respectful relationships with families are developed and maintained and families are supported in their parenting role.
Element 6.1.1 Engagement with the service: Families are supported from enrolment to be involved in the service and contribute to service decisions.
Element 6.1.2 Parent views are respected: The expertise, culture, values and beliefs of families are respected and families share in decision-making about their child’s learning and wellbeing.
Element 6.1.3 Families are supported: Current information is available to families about the service and relevant community services and resources to support parenting and family wellbeing.

Questions to guide reflection on practice for Standard 6.1
How do we help all families to feel comfortable, welcome and valued at the service?
Does our concept of family reflect the diversity of family structures in the service and the wider community?
How could we improve our approach to support relationships with all families?
How do we promote a common understanding of inclusion?
How do we promote the benefits and value of inclusion for all children and families?
How can we engage in genuine partnership with families to challenge and address stereotypical or biased views of family compositions?
How do we listen to families and include their perspectives in the educational program?
What role do families play in the service? How can we recognise their contributions?
How do we share decision-making with families? What decisions can we make together with families?
How does the information that families provide to the service contribute to operational decision-making?
How does the service establish and maintain meaningful partnerships with all families?
How can the service be more accessible to families?
How do we communicate our philosophy and educational choices with families?
What strategies are in place for information sharing between families and the service during orientation, settling in and onwards?
What techniques or strategies do we use to communicate with families who have specific or diverse communication preferences?
How can we find out if our communication strategies are reaching all families and if they would prefer other methods?
How do we encourage families to contribute to their child’s experiences in ways that are meaningful for them?
How do we learn about children’s families and others who are important in their lives?
How do we respond when families make requests or express concerns?
How do we find out and share information about the community resources that are relevant to our service and to the children in the service and their families?
How do we support families to access community services and resources? How do we find out what kinds of support would be beneficial to families?
How do we support and reassure families whose children are using an education and care service for the first time?
How do we seek information that will assist children to manage separation from their primary caregiver without anxiety?

Standard 6.2 Collaborative partnerships: Collaborative partnerships enhance children’s inclusion, learning and wellbeing.
Element 6.2.1 Transitions: Continuity of learning and transitions for each child are supported by sharing information and clarifying responsibilities.

Element 6.2.2 Access and participation: Effective partnerships support children's access, inclusion and participation in the program.
Element 6.2.3 Community engagement: The service builds relationships and engages with its community.

While reflecting it forces us to analyse different aspects of experiences we offer to make judgements in what should be repeated, extended or changed. This enables us to develop and extend on children’s learning and build upon their knowledge and skills.

The following questions are to be used as a guide for reflecting on each of the standards within Quality Area 6. Use the information from these questions to recognize good practice or to change and improve what is not working well. It can also be used as part of Self-Assessment or Quality Improvement Plan.


Questions to guide reflection on practice for Standard 6.2
How do we help all families to feel comfortable, welcome and valued at the service?
Does our concept of family reflect the diversity of family structures in the service and the wider community?
How could we improve our approach to support relationships with all families?
How do we promote a common understanding of inclusion?
How do we promote the benefits and value of inclusion for all children and families?
How can we engage in genuine partnership with families to challenge and address stereotypical or biased views of family compositions?
How do we listen to families and include their perspectives in the educational program?
What role do families play in the service? How can we recognise their contributions?
How do we share decision-making with families? What decisions can we make together with families?
How does the information that families provide to the service contribute to operational decision-making?
How does the service establish and maintain meaningful partnerships with all families?
How can the service be more accessible to families?
How do we communicate our philosophy and educational choices with families?
What strategies are in place for information sharing between families and the service during orientation, settling in and onwards?
What techniques or strategies do we use to communicate with families who have specific or diverse communication preferences?
How can we find out if our communication strategies are reaching all families and if they would prefer other methods?
How do we encourage families to contribute to their child’s experiences in ways that are meaningful for them?
How do we learn about children’s families and others who are important in their lives?
How do we respond when families make requests or express concerns?
How do we find out and share information about the community resources that are relevant to our service and to the children in the service and their families?
How do we support families to access community services and resources? How do we find out what kinds of support would be beneficial to families?
How do we support and reassure families whose children are using an education and care service for the first time?
How do we seek information that will assist children to manage separation from their primary caregiver without anxiety?

Want to learn more?

Reflection Questions for Quality Area 1: Educational Program and Practice

Reflection Questions for Quality Area 2: Children's Health and Safety

Reflection Questions for Quality Area 3: Physical Environment

Reflection Questions for Quality Area 4: Staffing Arrangements

Reflection Questions for Quality Area 5

Reflection Questions for Quality Area 6

Reflection Questions for Quality Area 7

References for this Publication:

Quality Area 6 – Collaborative partnerships with families and communities | ACECQA

The Guide to the National Quality Standard