Family Context in Early Childhood Education

All children are raised in some form of family. But families take different forms in terms of number of adults in the household, contact with extended kin, and sheer size of the group. Families differ in the beliefs that they hold about trustworthiness of relationships and in their daily practices and routines. Families live in neighborhoods that reflect available resources for healthy foods, physical activity, social support, and quality of education. These characteristics of the child, family, social institutions, and culture transact during the transition to formal education. The family plays an important role in easing these transitions by establishing partnerships with childcare providers and school personnel. Families function in such a way that children’s growth is fostered and there is optimal development. In other cases, however, individual and socioeconomic forces compromise the family’s ability to provide a supportive environment for their children. This chapter describes how families are dynamic systems that contribute to child well-being and preparedness to learn.