Include Me

Hope is only the beginning…. What is hope to you, a noun or a verb?  For me, it begins as a noun.  I hope for a world where early childhood educators aspire to stand for social justice and equity by thrusting their fears aside to ensure our youngest learners and families are welcomed in our classrooms, have voices that are heard, and are respected and supported for who they are.  But what about the verb?  Without action, hopes become dreams that fade with time.  No more; I should have or why didn’t I?  Hope starts with me, today, by recognizing the bias and injustice our families and children face every day, every hour and not contributing to it or turning a blind eye but by standing beside my families as an advocate.  Hope also starts with me advocating for myself, for how can a empower others to advocate if I, myself, cannot.  And finally, hope is a reflection.  Imagine if our society had been founded on justice and equity; would children be hunger?  Would families live in poverty

What do you see?   How do you feel?   What if this pathway led to the front doors of your early childhood site, would what you see and feel, change? Each day my staff and I spend our time coaching and supporting classroom inclusion for professionals throughout the county starting with; always see the child and family, first.   The joint position statement created by NAEYC and DEC regarding inclusion is quite clear:  “ Early childhood inclusion embodies the values, policies, and practices that support the right of every infant and young child and his or her family, regardless of ability, to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities, and society” (NAEYC, n.d.).  The defining features?   Access, participation, and support. While the program I manage provides early childhood professionals with in-classroom support to enhance their capacity to support children of all abilities, until a teacher is able to see the chi