ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the range of ways, across the age groups, that settings can ensure that parents have an investment in an environment in which they feel they play a part. It describes the creation of a welcoming space that feels as much as possible like a home from home for parents as well as children. The chapter examines the creation of a positive environment. Partnerships with parents can flourish when communication is at its most effective. One of the opportunities of working with parents is the chance to support parents who need some kind of additional information or signposting. The barriers to strong parent–practitioner partnerships are sometimes rooted in parents feeling that they are not valued in the setting; that they are the less-knowledgeable member of the ‘partnership’. Work in pairs and identify some activity/intervention that may give parents a stronger sense of belonging.
