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someTitle Both family systems and family-centred approaches to early childhood intervention recognise and take into consideration family and cultural diversity in order to ensure that intervention practices are sensitive to and respectful of family beliefs, desires, and preferences. This is accomplished, to a large degree, by the relationships early childhood practitioners have with families and family members, and especially rela- tionships that support and strengthen family competence and confidence. Early childhood intervention is now practised throughout most of the world (e.g., European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2015; Guralnick, 2005; New & Cochran, 2007; Odom, Hanson, Blackman, & Kaul, 2003). In many countries, and especially those that differ considerably in the ethnic, linguistic, and reli- gious makeup of their citizens (Fearon, 2003), such diversity demands highly individualised practices in order for early childhood intervention to be culturally sensitive and competent. Within this diversity, however, is one common feature: the family (however defined) as the primary social context for child learning and development, and carer-child interactions as sources of variation in child learning, development, and socialisation. As noted by Richter (2004), caregiver sensitivity and responsiveness to child behaviour shapes and influences social acculturation where these “nurturing caregiver-child relationships have universal features across cultures, regardless of differences in specific child care practices” (p. 3). The importance of caregiver-child interactions is no doubt the reason so many approaches to early childhood intervention place primary emphasis on influencing caregiving practices, and why supporting and promoting caregiver competence and confidence are viewed as a primary way to have capacity-building and empow- ering consequences. The chapters in this section of the book include insights and guidance for adopting practices that strengthen carer-child and family- practitioner relationships from family systems and family-centred approaches to early childhood intervention. References European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice. (2015). Early childhood education and care systems in Europe. National information sheets – 2014/15. Eurydice facts and figures. Luxembourg: Office of the European Union. Part III Understanding families and family-early childhood practitioner relationships Sukkar, H., Dunst, C. J., & Kirkby, J. (Eds.). (2016). Early childhood intervention : working with families of young children with special needs. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com Created from csuau on 2018-07-31 05:00:03. C op yr ig ht © 2 01 6. R ou tle dg e. A ll rig ht s re se rv ed . 74 Families and family-practitioner relationships Fearon, J. D. (2003). Ethnic and cultural diversity by country. Journal of Economic Growth, 8(2), 195–222. doi:10.1023/A:1024419522867 Guralnick, M. J. (Ed.). (2005). The developmental systems approach to early interven- tion. Baltimore, MD: Brookes. New, R. S., & Cochran, M. M. (2007). Early childhood education: An international encyclopedia (Vol. 1). Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. Odom, S. L., Hanson, M. J., Blackman, J. A., & Kaul, S. (2003). Early intervention practices around the world. Baltimore, MD: Brookes. Richter, L. (2004). The importance of caregiver-child interactions for the survival and healthy development of young children: A review. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organisation, Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development. Sukkar, H., Dunst, C. J., & Kirkby, J. (Eds.). (2016). Early childhood intervention : working with families of young children with special needs. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com Created from csuau on 2018-07-31 05:00:03. C op yr ig ht © 2 01 6. R ou tle dg e. A ll rig ht s re se rv ed . Family systems across Australia could be classified as complex, as they are diverse in structure and representation due to significant change in fertility options, the life expectancy of time spent in relationships (demographically speaking) and a sense of the shifting social, cultural and economical values of Australia in the present day (De Vaus, 2009). No longer are we portrayed as the “typical,” homo- genous, traditional, nuclear family presented back in the 1950s era of Australia. Families are diverse and this is highlighted and considered within a myriad of further information or even influence, such as gender, culture, marital status, children; who can be brought into the family system through biological parent- ing, step-parenting, adoption, or perhaps assisted through in vitro fertilisation (IVF), which enables the eggs of a woman’s ovary to be removed and fertilised with sperm through laboratory processes, and then the fertilised egg is returned back into the woman’s uterus (IVF Australia, 2015). There are also children who come under the guardianship of family members such as older siblings and grandparents as well as family friends. The reasons for these arrangements are complex and may include parental deaths, the inability of a parent/s to carry out adequate parenting, court rulings or simply decisions by biological parents who are struggling for any number of reasons. When I refer to “complex” family systems, it derives from a place of respect and interest associated with the diverse nature of families across the States and Territories of Australia. Our diverse nation is recorded predominantly through the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) information. For the purpose of representing the ABS data in an authentic and statistically minded gathering of information, it is fair to highlight that there are people who choose to keep their information exempt from such surveys (such as that which is presented in the ABS data). This chapter will provide readers with a deeper understanding and broader context to represent our family compositions or per- haps systems across Australia. This chapter also explores how children from diverse families experience the qualities, or perhaps disharmony in expressing their voice about their community, identity and belonging. It investigates whether there is a disjunction between 5 Family composition and family needs in Australia What makes a family? Sara Holman Sukkar, H., Dunst, C. J., & Kirkby, J. (Eds.). (2016). Early childhood intervention : working with families of young children with special needs. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com Created from csuau on 2018-07-31 05:00:03. C op yr ig ht © 2 01 6. R ou tle dg e. A ll rig ht s re se rv ed . 76 Holman policy imperatives and how diverse families experience such values and practices encouraging their participation and relationships between educators and diverse families. The early childhood policy frameworks promote an ideal practice, but I am eager to discuss if such positive values are being enacted in practices towards our diverse families within early childhood settings. The early childhood frame- works suggest a broad range of appropriate practices and are simply frameworks for guidance. To interpret the frameworks and magnify the essence of their policy intentions would also expose gaps and resistance to knowledge, practice and the desire of families to convey their truth, beliefs and values without prejudice and simply the need for acceptance without explanation. Current family structures across Australia Families are no longer defined by the nuclear structure, as was the case in the past. Our children transition and interact amongst a reality that warrants a sincere need to re-connect to the question: what makes a family? “Families can be described or characterised as big, small, extended, nuclear, multi-generational, with one parent, two parents, same sex parents, and grand- parents” (Carpenter, 2002). Discussions in this chapter will focus on an Austral- ian context examining family systems and family dynamics across current early childhood frameworks, Government policy and its implication in practice for educators across the early years. The early childhood sector has responded to the early years frameworks conservatively through both moral obligation and a need to conscientiously utlilise the available frameworks according to direction from the Government, funding and the requirement to present the National Quality Standards (ACECQA, NQS, 2011) across Australia. This uniform approach by the Federal Government is welcomed by many in the early childhood sector, yet early childhood educators must reflect whether their responses are connected to a genuine partnership with families or perhaps they have chosen to opt for a super- ficial engagement where diverse families partner with early childhood services and educators on the surface yet experience invisibility in family structure, functions and true acceptance (Slattebol & Ferfolja, 2007). The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data from 2011 highlights that there are 5,584,000 families across Australia (Australian Institute of Family Studies, n.d). The majority of this number (close to 75% of this total number) represents couples without children (37.8%) and couples with dependent children (aligning closely with couples without children at 36.7%). The remaining 25% of the total number of families across Australia include one-parent families with dependent children (10.6%), couples with non-dependent children (7.9%), one-parent families with non-dependent children (5.3%) and “other” family types (1.7%) (AIFS, n.d). To understand these data, it is vital to understand five key definitions that relate to family types as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which include (1) Couple family; (2) Dependent children (3) Non-dependent child; (4) One- parent family and (5) Other family (AIFS, n.d). Sukkar, H., Dunst, C. J., & Kirkby, J. (Eds.). (2016). Early childhood intervention : working with families of young children with special needs. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com Created from csuau on 2018-07-31 05:00:03. C op yr ig ht © 2 01 6. R ou tle dg e. A ll rig ht s re se rv ed . Family composition 77 A couple family is identified as “[a] family based on two persons who are in a registered or de facto marriage and who are usually resident in the same house- hold. A couple family without children may have other relatives, such as ances- tors, present. A couple family with children may have adult children and/or other relatives present” (AIFS, n.d). Couples with dependent children are “[a]ll family members under 15 years of age;