Family involvement : an analysis of family day care services family centred child care policy

This paper explores the concept of culture as the intrinsic foundation upon which societies organize child rearing routines and its impact on family involvement with early childhood education. Investigation was carried out through the lens of Family Day Care Services family centred child care policy. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with a convenience sample of eleven participants from West Africa and Sri Lanka, the study considered (a) the patterns of implementation of policy principles: (b) extents to which the ECE program reflected families' cultural practices and; (c) extends to which these factors impacted family involvement. Study findings indicated diversity between West African and Sri Lankan participants' perceptions with regard to cultural expectation of ECE programming and identified limitations in cultural communication transactions as a major hindrance to family involvement. Recommendations were made for teacher training, on-going parent board meetings, and further research to aid understanding of the communities served and give voice to families.