Guidelines teachers have found useful for initiating and maintaining formal and informal communication with parents are provided in this discussion for child caregivers. Topics briefly discussed include the mechanics of initiating a conference, working with parents during a conference, arranging meetings for parent groups, and techniques for fostering parent involvement. The general aim of the discussion is to provide teachers with a strategy for reducing the atmosphere of personal threat to participants in parent/teacher dialogues and for increasing the effective exchange of information in the conference situation. In addition to a list of specific techniques for working with parents during a conference, the paper provides a list of ways teachers can use language to establish rapport with parents. A brief form for assessing the extent of parent/teacher communication in day care centers and a sample report form for recording topics discussed in conference are appended. (RH)