I just got word I will be receiving a new child from Hong Kong. I will do the following to prepare myself and my staff to be culturally responsive towards the new child and their family. The first thing I will do is make sure I’m able to make the family comfortable by learning what their primary language is, so I can make the arrangements needed to make sure I get a translator to help them feel welcomed by having someone explain to them about their child’s new center, and have them comfortable speaking their primary language when filling out the enrollment application, and giving us important information about their child , so we can make sure all the necessities are provided in order to make sure we provide a high quality learning environment that caters to their child’s needs. The Second thing I would do is educate myself on the new family’s country, so that I learn about their cultures, foods, music, language, religions, and traditions. This way I can have some knowledge of where they come from, and be able to relate to them. The third thing I would do is educate my staff on our new family we will be receiving, and all that I have learned from studying their country. I would then look into buying books, music, pictures, dolls, manipulatives etc. With these items I would put in the child’s learning environment, and within the center. Lastly I would make sure I translate everything I have up within my center to their primary language so they are able to read the parent boards, announcements, what they are signing, also I’d make sure the child’s classroom is all labeled throughout classroom in their primary language such as tables, chairs, centers, vocabulary words, trash cant etc.
I hope with all these preparations I will be able to welcome the family to my center and have them feeling comfortable in an environment they are familiar with. I also hope it will provide their child with a learning environment that respects who they are and where they come from.
Stacy D. Almendarez 