Parental involvement in the explorer's nest: This is how children thrive in Mastershausen!

Parental involvement in the explorer's nest: This is how children thrive in Mastershausen!

In tranquil Mastershausen, in the middle of the picturesque Hunsrück, the Entdeckernest daycare center does an excellent job. The facility currently looks after eight children between the ages of one and three, with the prospect of taking in six more children next year. Daycare director Ulrike Hansen is behind a concept that relies on the active participation of parents. For example, during a spring project, parents brought caterpillars for a butterfly project, which impressively demonstrated the families' creativity and commitment.

Traditional commitments also include mothers baking cookies at Christmas time and helping to renovate the premises. “It is important that parents are actively involved, because this ultimately benefits the well-being of the children,” emphasizes Hansen. In Rhineland-Palatinate, however, parents face challenges: 18.7 percent of under-three-year-olds who need care have no place in a daycare center, a value that is above the national average, as SWR reports.

Parental involvement as a key to quality

A survey by the State Parents' Committee shows that there is still a lack of committed cooperation in many places. 1,257 parents were asked about their experiences in helping to organize day-to-day daycare. Eva Konrath, the chairwoman of the district parents' committee, speaks of obstacles from daycare management and providers that often make it difficult for parents to be involved. Especially in emergency care, parents can often step in when teachers are unavailable, but this shows the need for better cooperation.

According to bm.rlp, observation and documentation by specialists plays a crucial role in supporting children. The documentation is a basis for reflection within the team and offers parents insights into their children's everyday lives. This enables a common definition of upbringing and educational goals, which not only strengthens the educational partnership but also makes the transition to primary school easier.

Role of advice centers and materials

At the national level, parental involvement is seen as an important quality feature for successful daycare work. It also promotes living democracy in daycare centers. The German Children and Youth Foundation offers valuable support with its advice center KITA-Rat, which has served as a contact point since 2019. In addition to offering advice for parents and specialists, the foundation also provides materials that are intended to make the work of the parents' council easier. The brochure “Parental participation is more” contains reflection questions and practical impulses that were developed specifically for daycare center managers and professionals, as [kinderkinder.dguv](https://www.kinderkinder.dguv.de/eltern participation-in-der-kita-staerken/) reports.

The examples and initiatives given in the Discovery Nest illustrate how important the involvement of parents is for the functioning and development of daycare centers. With the right environment, commitment and support, many daycare centers in Rhineland-Palatinate, and even nationwide, can benefit from the positive experiences that the discovery nest offers.