Partnership With Parents in Early Childhood Today

Philippa Thompson is Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University.  Philippa began her career as an early years teacher, progressing to Head of Nursery/Foundation Stage and Assistant Head Teacher roles and an Early Years Advisory/ Community Teacher for Sheffield City Council. She is co-chair of the ECSDN which advocates for graduates in the workforce alongside lobbying for better pay and conditions in the early childhood workforce. Dr Helen Simmons is a Senior Lecturer in Education (Childhood, Youth and Families) in the Faculty of Health, Education and Society at the University of Northampton, UK. Helen has worked in Higher Education since 2008, prior to this she was a practitioner in early years settings. Helen is Vice Chair for the Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network (ECSDN): Policy, Lobbying and Advocacy (National and International) and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research interests include the sociology of childhood, children′s workforce development and critically reflective practice.

This book emerges as a pivotal resource for all individuals engaged with children and families in the early years sector. At its core, it champions the concept of parent partnership as a cornerstone for fostering successful relationships. With a keen focus on inclusivity, the book examines a variety of considerations including multilingualism, and diverse cultural and racial perspectives. It adeptly bridges the gap between theory and practice, enriched by the diverse viewpoints of contributing authors. This comprehensive exploration makes it an invaluable tool for a wide spectrum of early years students and practitioners.

• The politics of parenting - Helen SimmonsThe potential of co-production - Katarzyna Fleming and Penny BorkettUnderstanding food allergies and anaphylaxis - Philippa ThompsonRace and inequality in early childhood health - Valerie DanielUnderstanding and supporting adoptive families - Jenny BoldrinWorking with LGBT+ parent led families - Aaron BradburyPerspectives on multilingualism - Martin NeedhamCultural approaches to parenting - Hattie CampbellSupporting refugee families - Donna Gaywood, Tony Bertram and Chris PascalStudent mothers in higher education - Kay Owen and Helen SimmonsPractice perspective: Parents as experts - Wendy KettleboroughPractice Perspective: Learning from Tanzania - Mwajuma Kibwana, Davis Gisuka and Philippa Thompson