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In a world confronted by change and uncertainty there is increasing need for children to be securely anchored in their families, communities, schools and other early learning settings.
A sense of 'connectedness' – in personal, family and community relationships – increases a child's ability to interact successfully with others, and to grow and learn.
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Notions of social and interpersonal connectedness – and their influences as protective factors – are well documented. Connectedness is widely used in wellbeing literature to help explain good health, social and emotional harmony, and equilibrium. Connectedness is reflected in close, supportive and significant personal, family and community relationships, including in early childhood and other educational settings.
'Disconnectedness' – indicated largely by social isolation and a lack of close personal and intra-community relationships – is considered a key risk factor in disengagement from learning and school, a range of behavioural problems, some physical illnesses, and later youth depression and suicide.
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Building social competence, resilience and emotional strength starts in the early years first by communicating with children's families to gain trust and forge a sense of shared expectations for children's benefit.
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Specifically, connectedness is built by: first valuing and embracing family and community beliefs and cultural traditions; developing meaningful and carefully targeted learning programs in early childhood settings; through rich interactions and strong cognitive supports; and strengthening social and family capacity – by building networks and structures that help families nourish children's development. To nurture and support children's social and emotional development, programs must work actively and cooperatively with families and other caregivers.
All families want the best for their children but, while early childhood centres are generally places where families feel safe and welcome, not all families have the confidence and resources to feel comfortable within formal educational settings. Because families value policies and practices that help them help their children, other early childhood programs must initiate communication channels with families.
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Parents want to know what is going on. They prefer informal contact and conversations to formal newsletters, and appreciate a welcoming atmosphere and regular conversations about their children's development. They value staff who are warm, friendly, open and visible, and who seek them out and initiate conversations.
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Families who have strong, trusting relationships, both within their immediate family and communities – including schools and early childhood centres – tend to feel anchored and connected. Sometimes though, these networks and connections need support to blossom. And, while early childhood centres don't have the resources for capacity building in communities, teaming up with community agencies and leaders can help connect with families.
This issue of Every Child contains a range of articles – from 'Managing stress through movement and relaxation' to 'Considering the social nature of emotions' – that explore aspects of child behaviour and caregivers' roles in providing positive and nurturing environments for young children: environments that build social competence, emotional strength and resilience, and later connectedness with peers, families and learning.
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Improving our understanding of the stressors that young children must cope with, and how these influence development and behaviour, helps us build more responsive, personalised, strength-based programs particularly for those who are most vulnerable, because of trauma, dislocation or family conflict and upheaval.
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The concept of 'connectedness' extends beyond general parent involvement such as special events and activities. It embraces a complex, deep and multi-layered sense of trust, personal and psychological awareness. Connectedness embraces a 'feeling of being in touch'. In the early childhood context this first requires mutual understanding between practitioners and families; and embraces concepts of familiarity, reciprocity, trust and respect – all of which we highlight across the articles in this Every Child.
As shown by several writers, helping children become socially competent, emotionally strong and resourceful means working in partnership with their families to promote safe and nurturing homes and communities, and patterns of interaction that build confidence and positive images of the self. In the long term, this sense of connectedness provides a sound foundation for learning, academic achievement, and social and emotional wellbeing.
Alison Elliott
Editor
Every Child
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