Sharing the responsibility of education: the relationship between teachers and parents in 0-6 year-old services and schools

Social transformation in the realm of family and traditional models brings to light new needs and questions about early childhood education and requires greater attention to problems of communication and relationship between educational partners. Nowadays in Italy infant-toddler centers (for children from 3 months to 3 years old) and preschools (for children from 3 to 6 years old) are seen as valuable resources for children but also for their families. The paper aims at analyzing good practices of Italian educational services for 0-6 years old children regarding relationships with families; it explores the ways to transform educational services in educational communities, where good relationships between teachers and families can create places where early childhood educational culture is developed. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.