Early Childhood Services Replacing Mother's and Father's Day With Family Day

Early Childhood Management Services (ECMS) in Melbourne has decided to replace Mother's and Father's Day celebrations with "Family Day" to honour all caregivers and significant figures in children's lives.

This move aims to be more inclusive, especially for children from diverse family backgrounds.

While some parents support the change, others feel blindsided and believe it excludes those who want to celebrate traditional Mother's and Father's Days. It's definitely sparked a lot of discussion and mixed opinions.

Some parents feel blindsided and believe they weren't adequately consulted. They voiced their concerns about the change, suggesting that it doesn't include those who want to celebrate the traditional days. On the other hand, ECMS Chief Executive Kieran Kearney emphasized that the move aims to recognize diverse family structures and that change can be difficult to accept for some.

“Next year we’ll be holding Family Day to honour all caregivers or significant figures in your children’s lives. Children will be encouraged to express gratitude and recognise those who play a supportive role in their lives,” the email stated.

“We won’t be holding titled celebrations like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day but we will have a fabulous Family Day celebration.”

While some see this as a progressive step towards inclusivity, others argue it excludes traditional celebrations. It's a complex issue that highlights the challenge of balancing tradition with inclusivity in educational settings.

Early Childhood Australia, an advocacy group that has pushed for the use of more inclusive, gender-neutral language, provided guidance that led to the events. 

Mother's and Father's Day can be "tricky for children from various homes," according to an organization guide on incorporating diverse families. It advises schools to "place a focus on all of the love ties a child has instead of a specific one." According to the guide, "some families make the day about other individuals in their child's lives, such as grandparents, older siblings, or family friends."

Reference:
Parents ‘Blindsided’ As Dozens Of Kindergartens And Childcare Centres Scrap Mother’s and Father’s Days, Sky News Australia