How to run a successful care team in early childhood education

In today’s early learning spaces, more and more children are arriving with developmental delays, disabilities or complex support needs. For many educators, it’s no longer just one or two children in a group, it can be half. That’s a big shift. And it calls for a stronger, more coordinated approach to care.

Building a successful care team isn’t about adding to your workload, it’s about sharing it. When families, educators and professionals work together, everyone feels supported and children thrive.

So where do you start?

1. Understand the family’s context

Take time to build a strong relationship with the family. Ask about what’s happening at home, what’s working, what’s hard and what they’re worried about.

We’ve heard stories from families who held back information for months, not because they didn’t care, but because they were afraid. Afraid of being judged, of not being believed, or of what might happen next. Creating a safe space for honest conversations is the foundation of any strong care team.

2. Identify all involved professionals

Find out who else is supporting the child. Are they seeing a speechie? An OT? A paediatrician?

Getting a full picture helps you understand the child’s needs more clearly, and shows families you’re invested in working together.

3. Obtain consent for shared communication

With the family’s okay, set up a shared way to communicate, an email thread, a shared document or even a group chat.

It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just needs to keep everyone in the loop so plans don’t fall through the cracks.

4. Schedule regular care team meetings

You don’t need to meet weekly. Once a term is a good rhythm for most teams.

Choose a regular day and time, and ask each team member to share a quick update, even if they can’t attend. When everyone knows the plan, it’s easier to show up and contribute.

Keep the meetings focused: start with a quick parent summary, then go around the team and finish with clear next steps.

5. Set clear goals and responsibilities

Choose 2–3 shared goals to work on between meetings.

Be specific: who’s doing what, by when, and how will you know it’s working?

For example, the speech therapist might work on naming feelings, while the educator supports that learning during group time.

6. Document and share meeting outcomes

Summarise the meeting while it’s fresh, just a few dot points are enough.

Share with the team and the family so everyone’s on the same page. If you’re using tools like Gemini or Otter.ai, you can save time by having the notes drafted for you.

7. Monitor progress and adjust as needed

At the next meeting, check in. What’s going well? What’s changed? Are the strategies working?

Be open to tweaking the plan as you go. Children grow fast and their needs do, too.

8. Plan for transitions

If the child is moving on soon, to a new room, a different service or school, start planning early.

Reach out to new educators, arrange extra transition visits, and talk through what’s worked (and what hasn’t). The earlier you start, the smoother it tends to be.

Final thoughts

Running a care team takes time, yes, but it also saves time, reduces stress and builds better outcomes for everyone involved.

When you bring people together around a shared goal, magic happens. Families feel heard. Professionals stay aligned. And most importantly children feel safe, supported and seen.

Need a hand getting started? We’ve got templates, scripts and checklists ready for you inside our Educator Hub. Or just reach out, we’d love to help you make care teams a powerful part of your everyday practice.