Embrace culture in kindy
- 1. Reflections on our learnings about cultural inclusion in early childhood Presenters: Cherie Lamb Ranu James Rekha Prasad Elle Hughes
- 3. L to R: Ranu James, Elle Hughes Dorothy Brown (C & K), Cherie Lamb and Rekha Prasad
- 4. To increase kindergarten participation for children from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds Purpose:
- 5. • Professional development training for educators • Resource development and information dissemination • Policy development to remove barriers to kindergarten participation • Supporting strong linkages between community and the early childhood sector http://embracekindy.com.au EMBRACE has promoted cultural diversity in ECEC through:
- 6. Partners:
- 7. • Poorer health and wellbeing outcomes • Risk of educational failure • Exclusion in their teenage years • Acculturation stress • Reduced coping strategies • Limited access to higher education & employment • Reduced financial opportunities • Risk of incarceration • Resultant cost to society (economic & social) What happens when children don’t participate in a high quality ECEC?
- 8. What are some of the barriers to participation for families from diverse cultural backgrounds that you have experienced in your service?
- 9. Financial barriers • Cost of kindergarten is prohibitive in Qld. • Fragmented ECEC system • Subsidies poorly understood by educators and parents • Waiting list fees • Structural poverty and Environmental stress factors: • Unemployment/ underemployment • Financial hardship • Sub-standard housing/homelessness • Transport is unaffordable/inaccessible
- 10. Cultural Safety is “...an environment that is safe for people where there is: • no assault, challenge or denial of their identity, • of who they are and what they need. It is about shared respect, shared meaning, shared knowledge and experience. Of learning, living and working together with dignity and truly listening” (Williams 2008, p213-214) Are all our children and families ‘culturally safe’?
- 11. Lack of cultural safety • Cultural bias in service delivery • Lack of belonging – no incentive to change • Racism - enforcing conformity to dominant mainstream culture • Educators lack understanding of cultural diversity Fear of getting it wrong or offending so do nothing • Entrenched institutional racism Discriminatory institutional policies, practices and procedures (often unintentional) No ESL provision Interpreters rarely used
- 12. Structural and organisational barriers • Lack of cultural competence prevents inclusive practice in organisation and governance structures • Lack of funding to embed cultural competence e.g. ECEC can’t afford: • staff training in cultural competence • translated materials • bilingual workers • Interpreters • Limited availability • Restricted hours of operation
- 13. Trauma-related barriers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families • Effects of colonisation • Oppressive legislation • Stolen generation Has lead to: • Intergenerational impact on health and wellbeing of whole communities • Negative perception of government services including ECEC services • A well founded fear of having children removed
- 14. • Differences in educational systems • The purpose of kindergarten not understood • May not exist in some countries • Adaptation may be difficult • May not rate highly compared to basic survival needs: food, shelter, employment • Structured learning environment – o behavioural requirements o new language o new cultural norms Paperwork - in English, complicated & stigmatising Limited shared understanding of ECEC
- 15. Families with refugee experience • Isolation • Loss of family and support networks • Differences in family composition • Differences in childrearing practices • Language and communication barriers Source: Diversity in Practice: A resource kit for early childhood services working with children and families from migrant and refugee backgrounds in the Nepean area (2011). • Limited knowledge of systems • May lack confidence to approach services • Lack of awareness of rights and responsibilities • Distrust and fear of professionals
- 16. More flexible service delivery Development of cultural competence, meaningful relationships in communities = increase in participation rates. Lack of participation in mainstream services does not indicate a lack of demand but rather appropriateness. National favouring “mainstreamisation” Treating everyone the "same" is not the same as treating everyone "fairly" or "equally" because the needs and experiences of all people are diverse. ‘Mainstreamisation’ of EC services
- 17. What strategies do you use to assist families from diverse cultural backgrounds to participate in early childhood services?
- 18. Strategies used by our community partners to assist families to participate in early childhood services.
- 19. Developing the cultural competence of all staff through: • professional development • resourcing • support and advice • participation in professional networks • personal cultural competence journey Strategies that work
- 20. Cultural destructiveness Cultural incapacity Cultural blindness Cultural pre- competence Cultural proficiency The Cultural Competence Continuum • Inclusive policies and procedures are in place and reflect your commitment to cultural diversity. • Your staff reflect the cultural diversity of your community. • Continuously reflect and improve practices through research and professional development. • Stay up to date with research. • Engage with the cultural communities in your area. Aware Sensitive • Hold beliefs and engage in practices, and have policies that perpetuate and reinforce historical notions of Western racial and cultural superiority. • Sufficient knowledge, insight and skills to operate in less culturally destructive ways. • Reinforce culturally biased policies and practices. • Foster paternalistic notions of Western superiority. • Working towards nonbiased policies and practices that implicitly or explicitly encourage assimilation. • Inadequate recognition of cultural diversity. • Recognise the need for culturally competent practices procedures. • Recognise the need for continuous professional development in cultural diversity. • Practices and policies have not yet moved beyond tokenism. • Developed knowledge and reflective practices and skills necessary to genuinely accept and respect cultural differences. • Your policies and procedures are ‘living documents’ supportive of your commitment to cultural diversity. • You are also aware of your own culture and the how this can impact upon others. Cultural competence Find more information here: http://ceh.org.au/culturalcompetence © EMBRACE - Culture in Kindy, 2015
- 21. Employment of culturally and linguistically appropriate support workers Strategies that work http://embracekindy.com.au/stories/family-belonging-is-supported-when-staff- reflect-the-community/
- 22. Embed services in local communities through: • community-based partnership models & • alliances with: local health services schools and community organisations families Engage in continuous community consultation • appropriate feedback mechanisms Strategies that work
- 23. Link services with: • People who have the cultural knowledge local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations ethno-specific cultural community groups Elders Create opportunities for parents to participate in adult programs such as: English classes, parent support groups, therapeutic groups or parenting programs run through or linked closely to ECEC services Strategies that work
- 24. Elimination of physical barriers by provision of practical and material support directly to families through: • fee relief • waiting list payments • assistance with enrolment paperwork • transport • lunch boxes, hats, bags, sunscreen Engagement of families via soft-entry activities: • playgroups • community barbeques Strategies that work
- 25. Provision of outreach • home visiting • advocacy • establish trust and build sustainable relationships • take the time to engage Strategies that work
- 26. How did EMBRACE assist educators, families and community partners?
- 27. Module 1: Cultural awareness Module 2: Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country Module 3: Cross-cultural communication Module 4: Working with interpreters Module 5: Working with families with refugee experience Module 6: Building cross-cultural relationships with parents Embracing diversity in kindergarten Free e-learning modules
- 29. Our policy messages to government Universal access to free kindergarten (24 hours p/w for 3 & 4 year olds) Extend the Kindy Plus subsidy to refugees and asylum seekers Do not link ECEC participation to parental workforce participation Train and employ more Aboriginal, TSI and CALD educators & family support practitioners Ongoing face-to-face cultural proficiency training for all staff in ECEC Collect CALD/NESB participation data in all ECEC services