“We want to give them emotional security above all, that is our objective”, explains Ardi van Wiechen, pedagogy specialist at the childcare organisation. "It's not about differences, but about what we have in common."
“All parents know: your child is the most precious thing in your life. Culture or background make no difference”, says Ardi. “It is therefore very important that we communicate effectively with parents who do not speak the Dutch language about the development of their child. The language barrier sometimes makes that difficult. But people have great non-verbal capabilities.”
Predictable daily routine
Cheyenne Molendijk recognises that too. She is a childcare worker at the Partou site at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam where she works with expat children daily. “Parents always have a dedicated point of contact with us, which feels familiar. In addition, you can do a lot with facial expressions. We usually use Google Translate and show pictures, objects and pictograms. This is also useful for showing the children what we do during the day, so they know what to expect. A predictable daily routine and recognisable rituals are very important for them.”
Partou's OuderApp is also a handy aid in communication with expat parents. We use it to share photos and videos and describe what children do during the day. It is also used to follow their development. Cheyenne: “It shows parents that things are going well. That increases their trust in us.”
Focus on diversity
Both children and their parents must feel at home at Partou. “To know that their culture, background and customs are accepted. That they are heard”, says Cheyenne. “We have a strong focus on diversity. It is important for you to take an interest in the parents. We always try to take their expectations into account and translate them into our own way of learning and playing.” This is also outlined in Partou's pedagogy policy. “We respect parents' educational wishes as far as possible,” Ardi adds.
Connecting parents with one another
The great added value of childcare for expats is that it can expand their social network. Ardi: “Parents see one another when they drop and collect their children, as well as at parent evenings. And we can play an active role in that by putting people in touch with one another if they have a need for that.” This is done very actively at the site where Cheyenne works: “We look at where people come from and whether we can put them in touch with one another. Expats encounter many challenges. They may be able to support one another with those.”
Immersed
Cheyenne finds her work with expats incredibly interesting: “It is an extra challenge to work with foreign parents and children, you are really immersed. It also requires the ability to empathise: how would I myself like to be received in a strange country? That is why I always try to greet parents in their own language. I can now say hello in Chinese, Polish, Italian and many more!”