Abstract
This article provides insights into Middle Eastern parents' involvement in their children's early education services in New Zealand and outlines the factors that influence the extent and nature of this involvement. The findings showed that teachers generally had positive perceptions of working with Middle Eastern families and the comments mainly revolved around parents’ willingness to share their culture and get involved with the centre. As will be discussed throughout the paper, several factors inhibited parents’ involvement within the centres, including unfamiliarity with the New Zealand education system and trust issues rooted in past experience. However, the main barrier seems to be a lack of effective communication between parents and teachers. These findings have important implications for early childhood teachers in New Zealand and beyond.