[evabird]

. How can childcare providers support families in this role? Why is supporting families so important?If we were to look at raising children like we were observing a play, we’d have the child as the main character and the family members as several other individuals that have primary roles. The service providers would be more like the supporting cast and chorus in this play. If the child is the main character in the play going through the most growth and story line development, then the parents are there to serve as guides, conduits, and people who carry special roles in teaching, observing, and helping the child grow through consequences. But the supportive cast is also so important because those providers are like the objective, third person perspective not directly involved in family dynamics, one degree removed, who can hopefully look at the internal family structures and see patterns, dilemmas, solutions, and provide overall background accompaniment to really embody this play fully.