In this episode of Early Childhood Chapters, we talk with Dr. Thomasa Bond about why family first isn’t just a philosophy but a practical approach to building strong, safe, and successful early childhood programs.

Dr. Bond brings over 30 years of experience in early childhood education, including 14 years as a child care licensing consultant. She shares real-world strategies to help program directors, teachers, and administrators strengthen communication with families and create true partnerships that put children’s well-being at the center.

Highlights include:

• Why clear, open communication with families starts before enrollment
• How strong policies and procedures build trust instead of barriers
• Advice for handling challenging conversations with parents with empathy and respect
• The importance of staff training to support effective, consistent communication
• Real-life scenarios where centers repaired trust with families after mistakes
• Simple changes centers can implement to keep families engaged and informed

Dr. Bond is the author of two Gryphon House books: The Early Childhood Director’s Guide to Solving Everyday Challenges and Build Your Dream Team: How to Recruit, Train, and Retain Early Childhood Staff.

She’s dedicated to helping programs create safe, high-quality environments that truly partner with families to support every child’s learning and well-being.

Connect with Dr. Bond:

• Website: drthomasa.com
• LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X: @DrThomasaBond
• Virtual and in-person training provided through Early Childhood Education Growth LLC
• Annual early childhood conference

For the episode transcript, video and other resources, view this on our website!