What's Care Got to Do with It? Expulsion Practices in Family Child Care

Abstract

Expulsion of children under five years old in early childhood care and education settings is a problem, especially in family child care programs with the highest expulsion rates across early childhood care and education settings. Recently passed Oregon legislation prohibits expulsion in child care programs (Oregon SB 236, 2021). Influencing outcomes for young children and the family child care providers who work with them. Family child care programs are small businesses primarily run by women who work alone from their homes. Systemic inequities contribute to a lack of support and access to resources for family child care providers. These inequities are a barrier to providers working directly with children with little to no support. Compounding these issues is an isolated and overburdened workforce. While expulsion is an inequitable act rooted in bias, we should not ignore the compliance driven system that contributes to and acts as a barrier to changing outcomes for both children and those who care for them. This study used Narrative Inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) and an Ethics of Care framework (Tronto, 2013) to explore the thinking and experiences of family child care providers about expulsion and their work as caregivers. The participants in this study brought their stories and experiences of care. Every experience and story shared carried an authentic representation of the heaviness of their work as FCC providers.