Presents guidelines for child care administrators to become more effective in communicating with families and staff. Suggestions for beginning a dialogue include being visible and accessible, familiar, personable, professional, ethical, and timely. Details procedures for facilitating parent and staff meeting in a confident manner. Reiterates that…

Provides suggestions for day care center directors on a variety of topics, including letter writing, weekly planning, staff interviewing, and evaluation of personal success in management. (RWB)

Explains to day care directors the guidelines for writing an updated, comprehensive, clear, user-friendly day care staff handbook that spells out which types of employee behavior are encouraged and which are discouraged, and informs employees about rights and benefits. (RWB)

To help their staff become more active in solving problems that arise, day-care administrators need to teach the tools of empowerment; help people understand feelings; stick with the problem, not the person; avoid sweeping statements; recognize successes; believe in the staff; do the unexpected; and avoid taking sides. (MDM)

Examines causes of mistrust between a board of directors of a child care center and child care staff. Presents ways in which a center director can help build positive relations between board and staff members. (RWB)

Maintains that a process consultant may be needed to help find and solve common and not-so-common problems in a day care center through observation, diagnosis, and intervention. Also suggests how to find the consultant who will best serve the organization. (BB)

Discusses confrontations which lead to growth in day care teachers. The steps of confrontation discussed include: (1) identifying the problem; (2) describing the desired behavior and how it will come about; (3) determining how the successfulness of the change will be measured. (RJC)

Uses the analogy of running a ship in discussing the everyday problems encountered in the direction of a day care center. Emphasizes the efforts of teachers and administrators to make a commitment to resolving difficult issues by problem solving. Stresses the need to build and maintain a real sense of community in the center. (RWB)

Offers administrative ideas for childcare directors. (HOD)

Notes that delivering difficult messages to parents or staff is rarely an easy task, and that a hasty effort can make an uncomfortable situation worse. Offers 10 tips for developing a planned and professional approach that will better serve the organization and the individuals involved. (TJQ)

Presents techniques that directors of child care facilities can use to deal effectively with angry confrontations from parents and staff members. These techniques include listening to and rephrasing the complaint during the initial encounter; dealing with one's own anger in safe surroundings; and offering explanations or solutions to the…

Describes ten techniques for motivating child care employees. (HOD)

Offers guidelines for developing a pregnancy plan for child care staff. Guidelines relate to physician's permission to continue working in the child care setting; the need to be fair to all child care staff; the need for flexibility; the importance of preparing to address questions from parents and children; and the need to prepare for unexpected…

This article describes 10 behaviors of day care center directors that undermine the team performance of the caregiving staff. Also described are three behaviors that are crucial to fostering successful teamwork. A day care center teamwork evaluation form for staff is provided. (BC)

Discusses how early childhood directors can effectively communicate their values and expectations to teachers and parents. Describes strategies for centering discussion with teachers on the value of childhood, including reclaiming the concept of indicators and setting expectations for joy in learning. Strategies for communicating with parents…