A PARENTING PROGRAM TO OPTIMIZE PARENTAL PARTICIPATION IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROCESS

Abstract

Parental participation is one of the key factors in supporting the success of early childhood education. However, in practice, there are still parents who do not participate optimally in their children’s educational process, both at school and at home. Parenting programs are one of the efforts undertaken to strengthen the synergy between families and educational institutions. This study aims to describe the implementation of a parenting program in optimizing parental participation in the early childhood education process at Tri Sukses Kindergarten in Bandung. This study employed a qualitative descriptive method, with the research subjects being the school principal, teachers, and parents. Data collection techniques included observation, interviews, and documentation, while data analysis involved data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of the study indicate that the parenting program implemented at Tri Sukses Kindergarten in Bandung City has been effective in enhancing parents’ understanding of child-rearing and education, strengthening communication between teachers and parents, and increasing parental involvement in their children’s learning and development activities. Thus, the parenting program plays a crucial role in building an effective partnership between the school and families so that the early childhood education process can proceed optimally.