The Loop December 2015 Web
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MULTICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION LTD.<br />
creating<br />
Creating welcome is a<br />
concept that is crucial<br />
when considering<br />
relationships with<br />
families, children and<br />
their colleagues. So,<br />
how can educators do<br />
this in a meaningful<br />
and respectful way<br />
when they are catering<br />
for many diverse and<br />
varied needs?<br />
By Vivien Eddy<br />
welcome<br />
REFLECTION: When you see the word “Welcome”, what does it mean to you?<br />
What thoughts and memories does it evoke? How do you make your service welcoming?<br />
How do you embed welcome as a daily practice? How does welcome look and feel?<br />
Why do you think welcome is so important?<br />
Creating welcome can come from a range of areas within the centre - from learning<br />
words in a home language, setting the environment to include familiar items, having<br />
photos of children and families, sharing stories from a recent family holiday, reviewing<br />
the menu to ensure a greater diversity of food and making the menus visual. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
are all areas of consideration when a service is looking for a starting point to create a<br />
warm, friendly and culturally welcoming environment.<br />
In this article, we will explore some ideas about creating welcome in your service for<br />
families, children, community members and for staff.<br />
10<br />
IN THE LOOP