Originally Posted by CoachingForQualityImprovement:
I understand other providers' feelings and stance regarding not wanting parents walking around their home, and the need for a trusting relationship.
That said, I have never considered parents to be mistrusting simply because they wish to see the space their child plays in on a daily basis. I look at it as the parent taking an interest in their child's life. My families always entered my home and came in to spend a few moments with their children and their provider in the environment in which their child plays, grows and develops. I think that being welcoming to them in such a way DID build trust, and I always had very close relationships with the children and families in my program. Of course, parents were never alone with the children, but they did spend time here daily, when time allowed, of course.
I also consider all of the cases of abuse at child care programs that parents hear about in the news......most of the parents who have had a child abused, or god forbid, die in the care of a child care provider trusted their provider as well, probably so much so that they didn't feel the need to "inspect" the environment. I wonder if some of those parents feel as though there may have been a different outcome had they regularly spent a few moments in those environments. I wonder if parents who have children in care feel as though it is pertinent that they do so, in an effort to prevent something awful happening. No matter how much one trusts a provider, you can never 100%, without a doubt, trust anyone, especially someone who is basically a stranger to you and your child. I know I didn't fully trust anyone with my children when they were young, hence my reason for becoming a provider in the first place.
Yep, my thoughts as well!