RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DAY CARE CENTER AND FAMILY ACCORDING TO DAY CARE CENTER´S EDUCATORS

Abstract

This article presents part of the results from an investigation aiming to understand and analyze representations of those who work in day care centers concerning child care according to
theory of social representations. Data were collected at three day care centers of a public university in the city of São Paulo. The population consisted of nine educators – workers in charge of the direct activities with children –, who answered a questionnaire with questions related to personal features and on their association with infantile education. The educators had participated in a pedagogical workshop, organized in four group meetings, and their speech was analyzed according to the thematic analysis technique. The category day care center and family, approaching aspects regarding the interaction between workers and family, consisted of two sub-categories: factors involved in the interaction between the day care center staff and the family, including feelings, expectations, perceptions and parents’ and staff’s behavior which modulate these interactions and measures to favor interactions between day care center and family, such as: mutual respect, developing confidence and helping parents in their insecurity. The analysis of the content regarding the interaction day carecenter/ family characterizes it as a difficult and fragile relationship. It was observed that workers have an ideal view of mothers and families; they also have difficulties in dealing with manifestations of feelings, mainly regarding how to talk about them. These factors are barriers to the interaction, and they need to be identified and dealt with so that they can be overcome and effective partnerships for the infantile care/education can be built. Contents about abilities and therapeutic communication techniques are proposed to be included in the educator’s education.