McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Iris Corral | May 26, 2020

“We will respect family life. We will develop it and encourage it in any way we can, for strong families are the foundation of strong communities.” – Tony Blair


Families come in all shapes and sizes. Each is as unique as a fingerprint. Each with individual needs. Yet, families may or may not choose to share their needs with your program. As early childhood administrators, we should work to develop a relationship with families, to meet each family “where they are at” so we can be ready if they need our support. I learned this firsthand when I began my early childhood director position years ago. Little did I know how meaningful and powerful our impact could be on the lives of children and families.


During my time as a director, a family in our program experienced the death of the father, who was also the sole income provider. News of the father’s death was shared by the child in the classroom, not the mother. For the remainder of the week, I would greet the family, talking with them during arrival and departure; however, it was not until the next week that the family opened up to the staff about what had happened. At that time, the family expressed the need for resources in the community. Our team was able to immediately assist the family by sharing information in our “Community Resources” binder. We had recently updated the binder, so all of the resources and contact information were current. Our team also gathered a basket of household essentials to give to the family that included laundry detergent, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. The family was clearly surprised by this gesture. They later expressed how appreciative they were for the basket and how grateful they were to receive our support during such a trying time. This experience left me wondering why the family did not immediately share about the father’s death and what we could do to let families know that we were not only able to support them in times of need, but wanted to do so.


While family involvement was always a priority for me, the experience above made me realize the connection between family engagement and family support. I realized the more we engaged families in our work, the more we would interact, and the stronger our relationships could be. I wanted it to be obvious to families that the staff were there to support them through happy and sad times if the family was willing to share. We began seeking opportunities to engage families in our work.


One of the ways we encouraged family engagement occurred when we first implemented the Ages and Stages Developmental Screening tool. It was extremely important that we not only train the families on how to complete the forms, but also to fully understand its purpose. This tool became a guide that helped families learn about children’s developmental milestones and allowed a pathway to addressing concerns families had with the teachers. By directly involving families, we communicated how valuable their role was to their children’s development and our work, and how we could work as a team. They began to share more, and we felt confident they saw us as a source of support.


Administrators, coordinators, support staff, and teaching staff play an important role in supporting families by providing information on child development, parenting, or supports in the community. It is important that staff work on creating relationships with the families they serve. In some cases, this may be easier than others. We found that making an effort to know families benefits everyone – families, children, and staff. Administrators can help staff understand the importance of building relationships with families by offering professional development on topics, such as: cultural diversity and sensitivity, core principles to effectively engage families as partners, and building communication skills needed to work with families in a respectful and supportive way.


In addition, programs need to network with each other! Share community resources with other early care and education programs in your area. It really does take a village.


Are you interested in learning more about early childhood leadership? Check out the upcoming events on the McCormick Center website.


Resources

National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement. (2018). Understanding Family Engagement Outcomes: Research to Practice Series. Retrieved from https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/about-us/article/national-center-parent-family-community-engagement-ncpfce


R., D. (2018). Family Engagement: A Partnership Between Childcare Centers and Families. Retrieved from https://childwatch.com/blog/2018/11/02/family-engagement-a-partnership-between-childcare-centers-and-families/


LaLiberte, C. (2019). Strategies for Family Engagement. Retrieved from https://www.childcareexchange.com/article/strategies-for-family-engagement/5025058/


Koralek, D., Nemeth, K., & Ramsey, K. (2019). Families and educators together: Building great relationships that support young children. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.


Talan, T.T. & Bloom, P. J. (2011). Program administration scale (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Iris Corral, M.Ed., is the Leadership Training Specialist for the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University. In this role, Iris conducts training for the Leadership Academies, the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS), and the Program Administration Scale (PAS). Iris holds an associate degree in social service from Harold Washington College, a bachelor’s degree in integrative studies from Governor’s State University, and a master’s degree in early childhood administration from National Louis University. She has also earned her Illinois Director Credential-Level III and an ECE Credential-Level V. In addition to her role at McCormick, Iris also serves as adjunct staff at Morton College where she teaches early childhood education courses. Prior to joining our team, Iris spent eight years working as a preschool director in a Preschool for All (PFA) program. Iris also worked at Erie Neighborhood House in Chicago for eleven years as a teacher assistant and the parent support/health coordinator.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

The Ants Go Marching

By Cara Murdoch • February 16, 2026
In early childhood education and care (ECEC), we know that some of the simplest ideas can carry the biggest lessons—and many of us have been singing “The Ants Go Marching” for years without realizing it might also be a leadership guide. Ants may be tiny, but their colonies run on teamwork, communication, flexibility, and a clear sense of purpose—all things ECEC programs rely on every day. By taking a closer look at how ants work together to support their colony, early childhood leaders can discover practical and familiar ways to strengthen teamwork, value every role, and lead programs where everyone is marching in the same direction for children and families. Ants are busy creatures; they work with a purpose and know their jobs in the colony. Ants exhibit teamwork and collective effort. Ant colonies demonstrate intelligence, division of labor, communication systems, and cooperative behaviors. They can recognize and respond to the colony's needs. They overcome their challenges through trial and error, learning from their experiences, and sometimes even develop innovative strategies. In the ant colony, individual ants work together as a unit, each with a unique role that determines the colony's survival and success. The ant colony functions just like a superorganism, where the actions of each individual ant are a part of the highly efficient system that supports the whole colony. This concept of collective action is closely related to human teamwork! Ants have a lot to teach us, as we work in ECEC. teamwork Just as ants collaborate, relying on their communication and coordination to complete tasks, humans thrive when working together, as each individual brings their own unique skills and perspectives to their “colony.” Ants depend on each other. Each ant has a specialized job, and the colony relies on the cooperation and coordination of all its members to thrive and survive. Each ant’s contribution, no matter how small it may seem, is vital to the success of the colony as a whole, and the strength of the group is built on the cooperation of each individual. Similarly, in ECEC programs, teamwork — working together and helping one another —leads to better results than trying to do everything alone! When we collaborate, we pool our strengths, share our knowledge, and support each other, which can lead to more creative and efficient solutions. Each person in the program brings unique skills and perspectives, filling gaps and helping compensate for one another’s weaknesses. This shared effort allows your program to tackle tasks and achieve goals that would be difficult, if not impossible, for one individual to accomplish on their own... just like in an ant colony! Adapting to face challenges Ants are highly adaptable creatures. Have you ever watched a disrupted colony hurry to move the uncovered eggs to a protected space? They respond quickly to changes or disruptions in their environment. Their ability to quickly assess new situations and adjust their behavior will help the colony continue to function efficiently, even when the unexpected happens. Their adaptability is the key to their survival, allowing them to overcome obstacles and thrive. Early childhood programs also need to adapt to challenges. When unexpected changes occur, each person needs to be flexible and find new ways to contribute to the program's success. Just as ants adjust, programs must reassess their strengths, collaborate, and develop alternative solutions. Adaptability is essential for proper teamwork! honoring individual roles In an ant colony, different ants take on very specific roles. There are worker ants, soldier ants, and the queen ant. Each ant’s role is crucial to the success and survival of the colony, and all roles are interdependent; they work together to achieve common goals. This division of labor that exists in an ant colony can be compared to the different roles and unique talents found in an ECEC program. Just as ants rely on each other to perform specific tasks, each ECEC team member brings their own expertise and skills to the program. In a project or workplace setting, one person may excel at brainstorming creative ideas, another might be skilled at organizing tasks and managing timelines, and someone else may be particularly adept at technical skills or problem-solving. This diversity of roles within a team ensures that every aspect of a project or goal receives focused attention. In center-based programs, there are the director, teachers, kitchen staff, and other roles as needed. The diversity of roles in a program helps to ensure that the program is successful and thrives. clear purpose and goals In an ant colony, survival is the common goal. The colony’s success depends on each member performing its specific role. Their unwavering focus on the survival of the colony is connected to their success. It demonstrates the power of their collective action, driven by a clear and unified goal. ECEC programs thrive when they are aligned around a shared and clear purpose and goals. When program members understand and commit to their common goals, the well-being and growth of children and families, their efforts will become more effective and coordinated. Just as ants bring different strengths to the program, each person brings different strengths to the program. It is alignment around shared goals that enables the program to overcome challenges and succeed. When everyone in the program is clear on the goals and helps work together toward them, the whole program becomes more focused, resilient, and motivated - just as an ant colony becomes stronger when every member is working toward survival! Ants work together harmoniously to achieve their common goals; they set aside individual competition in favor of colony cooperation. Each ant focuses on its specialized task. This spirit of ant cooperation is key to the colony's survival and success, as it enables the colony to accomplish more complex tasks than any single ant could manage alone. ECEC programs can benefit from adopting a similar approach that emphasizes collaboration and shared goals over individual achievement. In an ECEC program, when members support each other and work together, they can leverage each person’s strengths to accomplish more than they could individually. Instead of competing for recognition or resources, each member can focus on the program’s success, fostering a more positive and productive environment. learning from ants Ants have so much to teach ECEC programs when it comes to cooperating and working together as an effective team. Whether it's knowing your own role and abilities, supporting each of your fellow team members, communicating clearly and effectively, being flexible, or avoiding competition, the ant colony is an excellent example of these qualities! Let your ants go marching!!! Ant Life, author unknown I am just an ant, A small life is what I live, But I have dreams for bigger things And so much more to give If only I could grow A foot or two would do I could live a life That others look up to.
Show More