Aussie Childcare Network Forum

Hi,
I am working on a case study, reporting and principles of decision making. Please help me to understand this scenario.

You get on well with a family in the service and one day they ask you to a barbeque. You go, and over time you make close friends with the family and see them on weekends and after work.
After some months you find out that one of the family members has told another person some negative information about you.
You have an argument with this person and they start to tell other parents that you are an unfit educator.

Is this inappropriate or within its limits? why?
I think having a barbecue with a family you have become close with is appropriate and the fact that they all became close friends is appropriate and i don't see it as an unethical situation until its been brought back in to the workplace with the lies being told and spread about the educator.

Thanks in advance

I am not sure how to answer this question but in the setting where I used to work we could not have any relationships with the parents unless we knew them before the child started attend our setting. It was in the settings policy. So I would say that this kind of relationships are unethical and against our centre's policy. In my opinion the contacts with parents shouldn't be available out of settings to avoid complains, gossiping and favorites of their child in the settings. But as I said I an not sure what the correct answer should be.

Thank you Alax, I agree with you at first I thought yeah why not have relationships out of work but then I thought about how favouring those children over others and that specific family only ever wanting that educators attention would definitely be unethical and cause conflict within in the centre.

I am happy I could help you