Script For Podcast
Topic: Welcoming Families and Building Trusting Relationships

Hello everyone, this is Teacher Angel, your beautiful, fun, and always excited early learning educator. Here in Canada, before we start, I just want to say in advance thank you for listening to my first-ever podcast.

Okay!!! Our topic for today is Welcoming Families and Building Trusting Relationships. I will discuss a way of welcoming families and building trusting relationships. For your information, I am a mother with 2 little handsome, cute boys named Caleb and Franco. They are in grade school. My firstborn is Caleb, who is 8 years old and in grade 3, and my secondborn is Franco, who is in grade 1. They are also attending the after-school program in one daycare center near their school and in our house. In my podcast I will just share with you some of my stories and experiences in a daycare center. By the way, we are also new here in Canada. September 2023, my whole family arrived here in Whitehorse almost a year ago. I enrolled my kids in the daycare center, and I visited the school first to see the facilities. I remember the way they welcomed me with a smile and said, Hello, how are you? What can I help you with? They asked me my name, and I told them that I am Diane Angel Cunanan, and the manager asked me what I preferred to be called: Diane or Angel? And I said, Angel? And they were starting to call me the way I wanted. I felt so important when she asked that. I remember one of the articles of Donna King; (“Helping Children and Families Develop a Sense of Belonging” Pg. 57) one parent named Mikel said that we felt welcome at once. You made us feel welcome with just a simple thing like making a point of saying hello and how are you? It felt like you really wanted to know how we were. It was not just a polite thing to do. I like what she said in that it was not just a polite thing to do for me; it is more than being polite; you are welcoming me and making me feel important. Yes, he is right; the number 1 reminder to welcome family is to smile at them every time you meet them and check them in by saying, How are you? You will make them feel important; this is our role as educators: to make families always feel important.
The educator manager showed me the room of my son. She also introduced me to the teacher of Caleb and Franco, and the teacher is very welcoming. They interview me a little bit about my background. They asked me, Where did I come from? How old is my son? From what country are we? The basic question about us is, I feel awesome and good; I feel excited for my kids. Then the manager and educator asked me to sign some form for enrollment, and they asked me to read a parent's handbook. In the parents' handbook, I read a detailed policy of the school, including the mission and vision of the school. They orient me about the daycare policy, and they asked me some important questions about my son, like what my son’s favorite things are to do in our home and hobbies and favorite color. I felt that they were really curious about my kids, and then they asked where they were at that moment, and I told them they were arriving next week from the Philippines. They were so excited. I can see their facial expressions and hear them saying to me, “All of your family will be all together here next week.” We are excited to see your kids; from then on, I feel very secure that I am in the right place. The moment that we let the caregivers/families feel secure and comfortable, we are making them feel the wholeness of their sense of belonging. I loved the message of one parent in Donna King's article (“Helping Children and Families Develop a Sense of Belonging,” pg. 58) named (Kristine B. B., Parent): “An absolute commitment to seeing and appreciating kids as individuals. I think recognizing each person is fundamental to a sense of belonging. After I visited the center, I received a welcome email from them. I love the way they emailed me. They said in the email, Dear Ms. Angel, we are happy that you choose our daycare center; we are excited to meet your 2 sons next week." You are free to drop by whenever you want as long as we are open. They also requested to email a family picture and a picture of my 2 sons. They asked in the email if we are comfortable giving a family picture, and I replied to them yes and no problem about it. This is a good thing to do when you have a new enrollee. After they visit your center, send them an email to welcome them. Families will feel happy about it, and you make us feel important like the way I felt. When my kids arrived, we visited the center again with my 2 kids and my husband. When we arrived at the center, they were smiling again, saying welcome, and the educator immediately talked to my 2 sons, saying hi, hello, how are you? I am your teacher, she said. I am glad you’re here. My son is still a little bit shy. Then they showed us again the facilities and the room; they showed us the cubbies and hook with their picture, and I saw my 2 kids smiling. Then there is a family board posting our pictures and saying, Welcome to our new family, the Cunanan family, and the names of my kids, Franco and Caleb. We felt happy and were getting more excited. I can see the face of my kids starting to feel okay. And then they showed us the backyard playground, and my kids were very excited. I remember again one parent named Margie from the Donna King article (“Helping Children and Families Develop a Sense of Belonging” Pg.58). She said that “there is external evidence that you belong here. When you first come, there is a picture of yourself and your family all over the school. Your needs are anticipated. And there is a transparency about what’s expected. Can I find my way around? Can I make sense of this place? Do I know what different parts are for? Is there someone to guide me if I can’t? I can look around and figure out what to do, and that gives me a sense of agency (Margie, Parent). It was a very satisfying enrollment, and we were happy during that day.


Building Trusting Relationships
As a parent like me I want my child will be in a good hand. I want my peace every time I bring my child in the center, I will not feel worried much because I trust the educator and the centre that they will give quality care for my child. As a parent we need assurance that you are giving my child a care that makes them feel loved and cared. To start building and trusting relationship is Building Great Communication – Communication is a foundation of relationship. Communication plays in building trusting and even joyful relationship with families. Healthy communication nurtures the relationship. Consistent and Communicating well involves of two-way sharing of information help develop mutual understanding and means it is easier for parents, carers and staf to support each other (Baker & Manfredi Pettit, 2004 pg.4). At the centre there are different culture I noticed that the center are celerating other culture special events I feel amazed of how they include Diversity in their program as a parent like me and has a filipino culture it is important to us that the centre and the educator acknowledge our identity because when you acknowledge and pay attention to our differences you where supporting our cultural identity and as an educator you have your cultural identity too and we must Understanding each cultural relationship- family culture play a critical role in their understanding of the world. Educators and Families share a commitment to provide best care of learning environment. Every family has different background, values, traditions, beliefs and religion, also educators have their own cultural prospectives, despite of differences we are still committed to provide healthy learning environments to them. Family is also happy when we celebrate to them any cultural celebration, Festivals, occasions etc. Based on (Susan, Parent) “The Feeling that you are welcome and respected, celebrated even – happens in layer and deepen over time (“Helping Children and Families Develop a Sense of Belonging,” pg. 60). As a parent an educator like me I am happy and acknowledge the partership towards building the well-being of my children. As a practitioner and soon to be full pledge Educator my goal as an ECE towards welcoming families and building trusting relationship is to genuinely show care to their child and to family, acknowledge strenght base of the child whenever I will experience challenging times with their child, partner with parents and plan with families on how I can help them about their child behaviour, I will recognized and celebrate their culture. I don’t want families to be feel like they are not important and not being heard about their concerns. I will insure that they are welcome to say their concern and I am here willing to listen and understand them. Thank you for listening to my Podcast watchout for more podcast about early childhood educator and parenting. I appreciate your time, and I hope you learn from listening to my podcast. Have a Great holiday with your family. Bye Bye. This is Teacher Angel again Signing off.





ECE Angel

Script For Podcast
Topic: Welcoming Families and Building Trusting Relationships

Hello everyone, this is Teacher Angel, your beautiful, fun, and always excited early learning educator. Here in Canada, before we start, I just want to say in advance thank you for listening to my first-ever podcast.

Okay!!! Our topic for today is Welcoming Families and Building Trusting Relationships. I will discuss a way of welcoming families and building trusting relationships. For your information, I am a mother with 2 little handsome, cute boys named Caleb and Franco. They are in grade school. My firstborn is Caleb, who is 8 years old and in grade 3, and my secondborn is Franco, who is in grade 1. They are also attending the after-school program in one daycare center near their school and in our house. In my podcast I will just share with you some of my stories and experiences in a daycare center. By the way, we are also new here in Canada. September 2023, my whole family arrived here in Whitehorse almost a year ago. I enrolled my kids in the daycare center, and I visited the school first to see the facilities. I remember the way they welcomed me with a smile and said, Hello, how are you? What can I help you with? They asked me my name, and I told them that I am Diane Angel Cunanan, and the manager asked me what I preferred to be called: Diane or Angel? And I said, Angel? And they were starting to call me the way I wanted. I felt so important when she asked that. I remember one of the articles of Donna King; (“Helping Children and Families Develop a Sense of Belonging” Pg. 57) one parent named Mikel said that we felt welcome at once. You made us feel welcome with just a simple thing like making a point of saying hello and how are you? It felt like you really wanted to know how we were. It was not just a polite thing to do. I like what she said in that it was not just a polite thing to do for me; it is more than being polite; you are welcoming me and making me feel important. Yes, he is right; the number 1 reminder to welcome family is to smile at them every time you meet them and check them in by saying, How are you? You will make them feel important; this is our role as educators: to make families always feel important.
The educator manager showed me the room of my son. She also introduced me to the teacher of Caleb and Franco, and the teacher is very welcoming. They interview me a little bit about my background. They asked me, Where did I come from? How old is my son? From what country are we? The basic question about us is, I feel awesome and good; I feel excited for my kids. Then the manager and educator asked me to sign some form for enrollment, and they asked me to read a parent's handbook. In the parents' handbook, I read a detailed policy of the school, including the mission and vision of the school. They orient me about the daycare policy, and they asked me some important questions about my son, like what my son’s favorite things are to do in our home and hobbies and favorite color. I felt that they were really curious about my kids, and then they asked where they were at that moment, and I told them they were arriving next week from the Philippines. They were so excited. I can see their facial expressions and hear them saying to me, “All of your family will be all together here next week.” We are excited to see your kids; from then on, I feel very secure that I am in the right place. The moment that we let the caregivers/families feel secure and comfortable, we are making them feel the wholeness of their sense of belonging. I loved the message of one parent in Donna King's article (“Helping Children and Families Develop a Sense of Belonging,” pg. 58) named (Kristine B. B., Parent): “An absolute commitment to seeing and appreciating kids as individuals. I think recognizing each person is fundamental to a sense of belonging. After I visited the center, I received a welcome email from them. I love the way they emailed me. They said in the email, Dear Ms. Angel, we are happy that you choose our daycare center; we are excited to meet your 2 sons next week." You are free to drop by whenever you want as long as we are open. They also requested to email a family picture and a picture of my 2 sons. They asked in the email if we are comfortable giving a family picture, and I replied to them yes and no problem about it. This is a good thing to do when you have a new enrollee. After they visit your center, send them an email to welcome them. Families will feel happy about it, and you make us feel important like the way I felt. When my kids arrived, we visited the center again with my 2 kids and my husband. When we arrived at the center, they were smiling again, saying welcome, and the educator immediately talked to my 2 sons, saying hi, hello, how are you? I am your teacher, she said. I am glad you’re here. My son is still a little bit shy. Then they showed us again the facilities and the room; they showed us the cubbies and hook with their picture, and I saw my 2 kids smiling. Then there is a family board posting our pictures and saying, Welcome to our new family, the Cunanan family, and the names of my kids, Franco and Caleb. We felt happy and were getting more excited. I can see the face of my kids starting to feel okay. And then they showed us the backyard playground, and my kids were very excited. I remember again one parent named Margie from the Donna King article (“Helping Children and Families Develop a Sense of Belonging” Pg.58). She said that “there is external evidence that you belong here. When you first come, there is a picture of yourself and your family all over the school. Your needs are anticipated. And there is a transparency about what’s expected. Can I find my way around? Can I make sense of this place? Do I know what different parts are for? Is there someone to guide me if I can’t? I can look around and figure out what to do, and that gives me a sense of agency (Margie, Parent). It was a very satisfying enrollment, and we were happy during that day.


Building Trusting Relationships
As a parent like me I want my child will be in a good hand. I want my peace every time I bring my child in the center, I will not feel worried much because I trust the educator and the centre that they will give quality care for my child. As a parent we need assurance that you are giving my child a care that makes them feel loved and cared. To start building and trusting relationship is Building Great Communication – Communication is a foundation of relationship. Communication plays in building trusting and even joyful relationship with families. Healthy communication nurtures the relationship. Consistent and Communicating well involves of two-way sharing of information help develop mutual understanding and means it is easier for parents, carers and staf to support each other (Baker & Manfredi Pettit, 2004 pg.4). At the centre there are different culture I noticed that the center are celerating other culture special events I feel amazed of how they include Diversity in their program as a parent like me and has a filipino culture it is important to us that the centre and the educator acknowledge our identity because when you acknowledge and pay attention to our differences you where supporting our cultural identity and as an educator you have your cultural identity too and we must Understanding each cultural relationship- family culture play a critical role in their understanding of the world. Educators and Families share a commitment to provide best care of learning environment. Every family has different background, values, traditions, beliefs and religion, also educators have their own cultural prospectives, despite of differences we are still committed to provide healthy learning environments to them. Family is also happy when we celebrate to them any cultural celebration, Festivals, occasions etc. Based on (Susan, Parent) “The Feeling that you are welcome and respected, celebrated even – happens in layer and deepen over time (“Helping Children and Families Develop a Sense of Belonging,” pg. 60). As a parent an educator like me I am happy and acknowledge the partership towards building the well-being of my children. Thank you for listening to my Podcast watchout for more podcast about early childhood educator and parenting. I appreciate your time and I hope you learn from listening to my podcast. Have a Great holiday with your family. Bye Bye. This is Teacher Angel again Signing off.



ECE Angel