Moving towards relationship-based practices in a crisis nursery setting

Susan A. Cole, Jeanette A. Mccollum, Laura Swinford, Ginny Dewar, Mary alayne Hughes

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Recent theory and research suggest that effective services for children and families should take a relationship-based perspective, with an emphasis on parent-child relationships as the central context for children's development. This may be especially hard to achieve in agencies such as crisis nurseries, where interactions with families and children may be primarily short-term and crisis-oriented. This article describes the 18-month 'Relationships Project', developed and implemented in one crisis nursery to infuse relationship-based understandings and practices into its two service areas, crisis child care services and family services. The project drew upon an existing relationship-based model to make the vision of a relationship-based organisation obvious and learnable, and to use underlying principles as organisers for achieving cohesiveness in knowledge and in practice. The article describes this change process, perspectives of participants and lessons learned.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)863-877
Number of pages15
JournalEarly Child Development and Care
Volume179
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2009

Keywords

  • Agency
  • Change
  • Parent-child relationships
  • Staff development

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Social Psychology

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