Under current government directives, parents, along with professionals, are ascribed a central role in contributing to the processes associated with meeting their children's special needs. Yet many obstacles continue to hinder the achievement of good working relationships between parents and professionals. For parents located within minority ethnic communities, however, it is known that the challenges to attaining partnership working are often further heightened. Drawing on the day-to-day experiences of six families located in one minority ethnic context--the Anglo-Jewish community--the author uses family systems theory as a useful lens through which parents' understandings of, and responses to professionals can be further interpreted and understood.