Aussie Childcare Network Forum

Many times I've heard other staff discussing whether they do or don't accept friend requests from parents of the centre. Tonight I got my first request from a parent and it's my turn to choose a stance...

On one hand, facebook is about our personal lives and may contain things parents object to or are offended by, or think we shouldn't do as a childcare workers (because we are all saints I hear!) And it could blur lines between personal and professional.

At the same time, we see and speak to these parents every day. We know their children almost as well as they do sometimes, they share personal things with us, and we care for and comfort their children. It's a far more personal and relaxed client-staff relationship than most other professions.

Plus, the type of centre is important too - someone running a small FDC might have a closer and more facebook-friendly relationship with parents than someone working in LDC. I'm in LDC myself and it's a big talking point!

So what is your opinion? What type of childcare setting do you work in and do you add parents on facebook?

I teach in an independent school. I teach Kindy (4 year olds in WA). I won't add parents as facebook friends. My school is very strict on social media and other staff have been taken to task about comments on facebook etc.
Some staff however do have a closed facebook group or blog just for their class where only class stuff is posted.

Cathiek

Hi

I agree with Lorina, Facebook is a huge invasion of privacy. I would personally advise you not to add parents as friends on Facebook or other staff members for that matter. You never know what material/posts might offend another person. In my experience, I had some staff members added on my Facebook account at a LDC I used to work at, and apparently I had posted something that had offended one of the staff members about a work situation, and they went and told the director, who then threatened legal action against me. And I had thought I had a good relationship with those staff members I had added on Facebook and thought I had a good relationship with the director as well. Also I think it's unprofessional - we are called child care professionals for a reason so we must act like it! Needless to say, I no longer have a Facebook account as it's too easy for an employer to look you up and see your whole personal life, which is none of their business. Also, by not having a Facebook account, it automatically gets you out of this whole tricky situation of parents wanting to add you on Facebook. At most child care centres I'm fairly sure there is something in the policy about this matter so your better off just steering clear in case something goes wrong which could jeopardise your relationships with everyone involved and possibly your job.

I'm in total agreement with Law92 and Lorina regarding FB being an invasion of privacy. I have an account but am not a "sharer" with daily status updates. I tend to think its up to the individual how much info they are willing to add to their account.. its a great tool for networking and sharing info but it can be too easy to unintentionally give too much private info at times, and like emails and texts, what is said can be misinterpreted and can cause real issues for people when that happens. I think you have to be very mindful of what you say and do with social media as its all out there for anyone to see.

No no no. Do not add parents to your facebook. It is simply asking for trouble.

If I were setting up this sort of thing, This is where I would do things differently - where Parents can be allowed in a private centre based group where you can post and they can message you, but nothing private will pass through. That way you can do parent announcements and daily communication through facebook and they'd likely find out and be more likely to actually read it than if it's posted on some notice board. You could also post pictures of the childrens activities in real time and involve the parents more, and send cute or happy snaps of the kids privately.


My current centre has a no close friends with parents policy, though, so if we DID friend them we'd get a written warning and have to remove them.