The first step for your Infant/ Family Case Study is to find a family to work with. You should carefully choose the family. Select a family who:
- Has a child who was born between March 2019 and July 2020 and is two to 18 months old
- Is willing to meet with you several times during the semester
- Enjoys talking to you about their child
- Lives near enough to you (or the school or your job) that you can complete this series of assignments conveniently
- Is not someone you already know well*
After your approach the family to introduce yourself, explain the project, and ask if they are willing to participate complete the Initial Contact with the Family of an Infant Report, which is page 19 of your Assignment Guidelines and on Blackboard.
*Choosing a family:
It is okay for you to choose a family you know, but please do not use a relative or close friend for this assignment. We tend to have ideas and opinions about the people we know well. For this project, the goal is to learn about a family and child, and that will be easier to accomplish if you do not work with someone already close to you. If you know a family well who fits the age range and other criteria, please let me and/or your peers know so one of your colleagues can work with that family.
When you contact the family via phone or in person, introduce yourself as a student at BMCC who is studying infant and toddler development and learning. Explain that you are approaching this assignment as a professional and will respect the family’s privacy. Although you will ask questions about the child’s birth and earliest years, family members are welcome to respond to only those questions that they wish to answer. You also will be doing an observation to get to know the child. Assure the family that you are not assessing the child.
Please also explain that you are working within a tight time frame. Make sure that the family can be available when you need them. Ask the family if they can be available for additional visits and phone calls in case you have questions or want to gather more than the minimum amount of information.
Complete the form & submit it on Blackboard
Initial Contact with a Family of an Infant Report
Initial Contact with Family Form