Culturally responsive child care supports a fair, equitable, and inclusive society.
Being culturally responsive can reduce inequities and raise achievement among all cultural groups. It is particularly vital for fostering inclusion among newcomer, ethnocultural, and multilingual families and children. These are groups that often experience social exclusion and barriers related to language, differences in power, and challenges in understanding the early learning and child care system.
Children’s cultural identities are shaped by how important people in their lives, like educators, interact with them. A culturally responsive approach to child care can make families “feel seen” and recognized as experts in the needs of their children.
Equality versus equity
The concepts of equity and equality are similar, but they are also different in important ways:
Equality means that everyone gets the same input or investment, such as resources or opportunities like time or attention. Equality is about treating people equally, regardless of their circumstances.
Equity means responding to people’s unique needs and priorities by providing specific resources and opportunities. These may be different for each person.
The goal of equity is to achieve equal outcomes. Equality, on the other hand, aims for equal investment despite people’s differing needs—which may produce unequal outcomes.
To be culturally responsive is to be prepared to have difficult discussions, reflect on your practice, and think from the early childhood educator point of view.
-Thought Leader
Learn more about these topics and gain helpful information to guide your journey to being more culturally responsive.