Family relationships in the early years

This chapter introduces Early Childhood students to the importance of knowing and critiquing the child within the context of their family, community and wider society. The discussion considers the uniqueness of every child and family, the influence early parenting can have on lifelong outcomes and the broader policy context. There will be consideration of the complexities of parenting, parenting capacity and family support, including the different responsibilities of the birth, legal and parenting parents. The work of Bronfenbrenner (2005) provides a theoretical framework to support the description, application and critique of the child and the systems in which they operate. It will be assumed that when the term ‘family’ is used it includes all family members, adults and children, and, where appropriate, the case study of the Gordon family supports the application of theory to practice.