The Timeline: A tool for mapping various perspectives on a child’s situation at home and at school

Effective collaboration between families and professionals in education and youth care is essential for supporting the development of children. Collaboration that centers on the child’s best interests benefits from the diverse perspectives of various stakeholders around a child. The Timeline helps to bring these perspectives together and discuss them, supporting better collaboration. The Timeline tool offers a visual representation of what is happening in a child’s life, both at home and at school. It is particularly useful when multiple professionals from youth care, education and parental support are involved. The Timeline tracks all events in chronological order from a child’s development, the support provided, to the quality of collaboration among those involved. By visually mapping the perspectives of parents and professionals, the tool facilitates open discussions. It also helps to reflect on past events and to plan what is needed to support the child’s ongoing development and education. This tool was developed based on the research project Around the Child.