Key Families

Accompanying Episode 5 of the Atelier Podcast

In Episode 4 of the Atelier Podcast, we turn our attention to something that sits at the very core of our practice: Key Families. More than just a structure — this is a philosophy. A way of being. A deep commitment to connection.

Traditionally, early years settings speak of “key persons” a named adult responsible for the emotional wellbeing and development of a child. It’s a crucial role. But at Atelier, we go one step further. We speak not just of key persons, but of Key Families.

Why?

Because relationships don’t exist in isolation. They are woven through the rhythms of the day, shared between children and adults across time, and strengthened by the presence of others. In our Key Families, children of different ages come together, held within the same consistent group. Babies, toddlers and preschoolers form authentic, lasting relationships with each other and with their key adults. It’s about familiarity, security, and belonging.

Our approach is deeply influenced by the work of Lilian Katz, whose research into mixed-age groupings offers powerful insight into the benefits of this model. Katz found that younger children in mixed groups often demonstrate greater levels of confidence, language, and social development while older children gain empathy, leadership skills, and a stronger sense of responsibility. In short, everyone learns. Everyone grows.

But more than that; Key Families offer something even deeper: Professional love.

This is the kind of love, defined by Jools Page sits quietly in the background, guiding how we hold a child’s hand, how we respond to their tears, how we notice their gestures and value their voice. It’s the love that makes us advocates. That gives us patience. That drives our practice not from obligation, but from deep care.

It is professional in that it is ethical, thoughtful, and skilled.

It is love in that it is generous, wholehearted, and human.

Within our Key Families, every child is known. Not just their interests, but their rhythms. Not just their progress, but their personhood. Educators are trusted figures, building relationships over time that hold space for joy, challenge, and growth.

There’s a reason the word family is at the heart of it. because children thrive in relationship. Because learning is emotional before it is cognitive and because the world, we want to create for children starts with how we respond to them — with love, trust, and unwavering respect.

In future episodes, we’ll take this theme even further exploring attachment, transitions, and the role of the educator as a secure base. But for now, we hope this episode leaves you with a feeling of warmth, of curiosity, and of the quiet power of truly knowing and being known.