Early Care Research Articles

Family child care educators’ experiences and decision-making related to serving children during COVID-19 and implications for supporting educators after the pandemic

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted early care and education, and many early education programs paused their operations or closed permanently. This study focused on the experiences of family child care educators, how they made decisions about operating during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges they faced, and the supports that helped them. Using a semi-structured interview protocol, we interviewed 27 randomly selected family child care educators in a southern state. We used qualitative analysis to identify themes in educators’ responses. Results show that most educators based their operating decisions on the needs of the families they served. They faced common COVID-related challenges like finding supplies and implementing enhanced health and safety guidelines; however, participants primarily described these as manageable. We discuss implications for targeting future compensation and quality improvement efforts to support educators, help them operate safely, and ensure equitable early care and education access to families. Understanding family child care educators’ decisions can help support continued operations in the future, using lessons from the pandemic to help slow family child care decline and support educators in offering high-quality early care and education.

Midwives' and registered nurses' role and scope of practice in acute early pregnancy care services: a scoping review.

The objective of this scoping review was to investigate and describe what is reported on the role and scope of practice of midwives and registered nurses providing care for women with pregnancy complications under 20 weeks' gestation in acute clinical settings in Australia. In many high-income countries, women experiencing unexpected complications in early pregnancy attend an acute care service, such as an emergency department, rather than a maternity or obstetric unit. This service structure can impact the care women receive, and determine who provides it. Women and their partners, who are often experiencing emotional distress, have reported difficult experiences when accessing acute services, particularly emergency departments, which are not traditionally staffed by midwives. The role and scope of practice of both midwives and registered nurses providing acute early pregnancy care in most high-income countries, including Australia, is poorly reported. Documenting this area of practice is an important first step in facilitating ongoing research in this important aspect of pregnancy care. Published and gray literature that described the role and scope of practice of midwives and/or registered nurses providing care in acute early pregnancy settings in Australia were considered for this review. A scoping review of the literature was conducted following JBI methodological guidance and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. A 3-step search strategy was conducted to explore evidence from databases and search engines, gray literature sources, and selected reference lists. After screening, data were extracted from records selected for the final review, mapped, and analyzed using content analysis. The evidence reviewed (n=23) included primary research studies, conference abstracts, and gray literature, such as clinical guidance documents, academic theses, and websites from January 2008 to October 2023. The most common setting for care provision was the emergency department. Midwives' and registered nurses' roles and scope of practice in acute early pregnancy care in Australia can be summarized into 4 areas: physical care, psychosocial support, care co-ordination, and communication. Women's access to midwifery care at this time in pregnancy appears to be limited. Registered nurses, usually employed in emergency departments, have the most prominent role and scope in the provision of care for women with acute early pregnancy complications. Descriptions of midwives' practice focuses more on psychosocial support and follow-up care, particularly in early pregnancy assessment service models. This review highlights the inconsistency in midwives' and registered nurses' roles and scope in acute early pregnancy in Australia, a finding which is relevant to other international settings. Both professions could further fulfill role and scope capacity in the provision of supportive, individualized, and timely care for women and families accessing a range of acute early pregnancy services. Emergency departments are the usual practice domain of registered nurses who may be limited in terms of the scope of care they can provide to women with early pregnancy complications. Leaders of the midwifery profession should conduct further research into innovative service models that embed a role for midwives in all settings that provide care for pregnant women, regardless of gestation. Open Science Framework osf.io/7zchu.

The Crane bag: Braiding Irish mythology, indigenous knowledge and posthuman concepts in early childhood education and care

Initially, this article aimed to present findings from an empirical set of data, where postgraduates explored their pedagogical practice within early childhood education and care (ECEC). However, predictable modes of knowing were disrupted while braiding an artefact from Irish mythology known as the Crane bag, together with indigenous knowledge and posthuman concepts. In the generation of knowledge, the teachings of the Crane bag transformed the methodological approach to go beyond the fabricated split of matter and spirit. This transformation created the conditions for an onto-epistemological becoming with water. Hence, the intra-action of braiding together multiple theories became part of the empirical data. From the initial set of data, a photograph, capturing children rolling down a hill, was submitted by a research participant as an example of their approach to safety. In agreement with the research participant, I re-present the photograph in a different format, to tell the story of how an onto-epistemological becoming created an opening to decentre the image of the child. This opening changed the approach to the data analysis, which in turn allowed the more-than-human to come to the fore in the spirit of reciprocity.

LITERACY OF COMMUNICATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: INVESTIGATING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES IN GREECE

This study explores the communication strategies employed by young children in early childhood education settings in Greece, as observed by educators. The research aims to understand how children utilize and adapt various communication styles within school environments. The study involved 44 participants, including undergraduate students majoring in Early Childhood Education and Care, as well as early childhood educators. Data was collected using a comprehensive questionnaire that examined different types of communication strategies and the specific contexts in which these strategies are used. Analysis of the data revealed that educators employ diverse techniques, such as incorporating music and encouraging role-playing games, to enhance children's communication skills. Conversely, children utilize a range of strategies to engage attention and interact effectively with peers and educators. These findings underscore the dynamic interplay between educator-facilitated activities and children's innate communication efforts, offering insights into improving communicative literacy in early education.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0777/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and prognosis of chronic kidney disease: a prospective cohort study.

25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency is prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the associations between serum 25(OH)D levels and mortality in patients with CKD remain unclear, and this study aimed to explore these associations further. 4989 participants with CKD were enrolled in the study, and the Cox regression model was used to assess the effects of serum 25(OH)D concentrations on mortality risk. A restricted cubic spline model was used to explore the dose-response relationships, and threshold effect analysis was performed based on inflection points identified by a two-piecewise linear regression model. In addition, subgroup and sensitivity analyses were employed. 1255 participants died during a mean follow-up period of 70months. Compared with the 25(OH)D-deficient group, the fully adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the 25(OH)D-adequate group were 0.631 (0.545, 0.730) for all-cause mortality, 0.569 (0.435, 0.743) for cardiovascular mortality, 0.637 (0.461, 0.878) for hypertension mortality, and cancer mortality was 0.596 (0.426, 0.834). The inflection points of serum 25(OH)D concentration affecting all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were 89nmol/L, and 107nmol/L, respectively. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests suggested that the effects varied across populations. The results of sensitivity analyses indicated a reliable correlation. We found an association between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and the prognosis of patients with CKD as a reliable predictor of early intervention and intensive care.

Early Childhood Development Is Not Enough: In Defense of Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities and Their Right to Family-Centered Early Childhood Intervention (In the Global South).

The international recognition of the critical importance of the early childhood phase has been firmly established through decades of rigorous research, evidence-based practices, and undeniable evidence of the returns on investment made during this formative period. Consequently, early childhood development has emerged as a top priority on both national and international agendas. This momentum reached a pinnacle in 2015 with the unanimous adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations, which placed a particular emphasis on children under the age of five within the education-focused SDG 4, notably target 4.2, centered on ensuring that all girls and boys are ready for primary education through the provision of accessible "quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education". However, the Global South reflects the glaring omission of addressing the needs of children at risk of poor development due to disabilities. This paper underscores the imperative for specialized early childhood intervention tailored to young children with disabilities and their families, commencing as early as possible following birth. It advocates for Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) as a service distinct from general Early Childhood Development (ECD), emphasizing the crucial role of families as active partners from the outset. Furthermore, the paper strengthens the case for Family-Centered Early Childhood Intervention (Fc-ECI) through the integration of evidence-based practices and an in-depth description of one such program in South Africa with specific reference to deaf and hard-of-hearing infants and their families. This model will be guided by core concepts outlined in WHO and UNICEF Early Childhood Intervention frameworks. Through this exploration, the paper aims to shed light on the urgent need for inclusive approaches to early childhood development, particularly for children with disabilities, and to advocate for the adoption of Family-Centered Early Childhood Intervention as a cornerstone of global efforts to ensure the holistic well-being and development of all children.

Supporting post-pandemic recovery: a qualitative study of the capabilities, opportunities and motivations to deliver oral health behaviour change messages to parents of young children in community settings.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated vulnerabilities and inequalities in children's oral health, and treatment activity virtually ceased during periods of lockdown. Primary care dentistry is still in the post-pandemic recovery phase, and it may be some years before normal service is resumed in NHS dentistry. However, opportunities to support the dental workforce through offering some preventative care in outreach settings may exist. This has the additional benefit of potentially reaching children who do not routinely see a dentist. The aim of this research was therefore to explore views around upskilling practitioners working in early years educational and care settings to support families of pre-school aged children to adopt and maintain preventative oral health behaviours. Using the Capability, Opportunity and Motivation model of behaviour (COM-B) to structure our data collection and analysis, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 practitioners (dental and non-dental) and analysed the data using deductive framework analysis. The data were a good fit with the COM-B model, and further themes were developed within each construct, representing insights from the data. Early years practitioners can reach vulnerable children who are not usually brought to see a dentist, and have the capability, opportunity and motivation to support the oral health behaviours of families of children in their care. Further research is needed to identify training needs (oral health and behaviour change knowledge and skills), acceptability to parents, and supporting dental practice teams to work in partnership with early years settings.

Walking a desire track: Montessori pedagogy as resistance to normative pathways

ABSTRACT Following calls to ‘bewilder’ (Snaza 2013) the pioneers of early education, this article positions Montessori pedagogy as a ‘desire path’ that acts as resistance to normative policy-driven pathways in early childhood education and care. Desire paths are alternative tracks made aside from officially established walking routes. In this paper I think with the metaphor of pathways and desire paths positioning an educator’s choice to practice Montessori pedagogy as an approach which wanders outside of mainstream qualifications and education. To do this, I take fragments of a professional life story that chart the agentic nature of choosing Montessori pedagogy as a way to problematise how walking that desire line challenges, and defies normative pathways. I also propose a re-reading of Montessori’s pedagogy, not as pioneering but as nomadic, and suggest that social desire paths enable Montessori education to be viewed as multiple, situated, alternative tracks to prescribed pathways.

Unsettling the unimaginable: a genealogical counterstory of early care and education in the United States

ABSTRACT A critical reappraisal of the origin story of early care and education (ECE) in the United States, this article unsettles dominant narratives by investigating the carceral foundations and liberatory strategies that characterise the emergence and sociopolitical evolution of ECE. Integrating Foucauldian counter-historical genealogy and counterstorytelling, a tool from Critical Race Theory, this article advances a genealogical counterstory that (1) traces the carceral foundations of ECE across three sites typically exiled from public memory and origin storytelling: plantations, off-reservation boarding schools, and incarceration camps; and (2) describes three emergent themes of womanist anti-carceral praxis evident across the sites: redefinition of educational philosophy, creation of educational third spaces, and fortification of culturally relevant epistemologies. Confronting dominant narratives of ECE origins, this genealogical counterstory illustrates tensions and transformations indicative of the complexity and contradictions of American ECE philosophy and pedagogy. This article also attends to the sociopolitical significance of ECE rendered through genealogical counterstorytelling, as well as relations to pressing contemporary equity issues.

The relationship between work-family policies and pro-environmental behaviour of single mothers as economically disadvantaged group

ABSTRACT Single mothers are among the group with the highest risks of poverty. At the same time, pro-environmental behaviour research introduced the ‘motherhood effect’, theorising that the carer role of mothers makes them more likely to engage in pro-environmental behaviour (PEB). Considering that PEB is often expensive, the expectation is that economic insecurities make single mothers hardly able to choose for PEB. In this article, I theorise and test the ability of work-family policies to moderate the relationship by giving the otherwise lacking resources. Estimating multilevel models based on survey data from the International Social Survey Programme (2010) and the OECD Family Database for 21 OECD country years, I find that generous spending on early childhood education and care increases the likelihood for PEB among single but not among partnered mothers. The paper contributes to the environment-welfare nexus by demonstrating the need for intersectoral and inclusive policy approaches.

Attachment in the Context of Early Years Pedagogical Practice: Early Childhood Educator and Director Insights

Given that early childhood education and care is relationship laden, research into attachment can contribute towards our understanding of early childhood education relationships. There is, however, a lack of research in this field and available research is largely absent of the voices of early childhood professionals and directors who work in early years environments. On these grounds a qualitative instrumental case study, nested in a social constructivist paradigm, was designed in Ontario, Canada, to gain insight into how attachment is (dis)embodied in their practice. The ten interviews that informed findings suggest that although attachment merges with practice, reluctance exists to intentionally embrace attachment theorizing and terminology. Instead, attachment is cloaked in care and love discourse, with "two-sided" inclinations. Participants of this study compel pre and in-service organizations to fortify their training to ensure that pedagogical approaches espouse the cornerstones of attachment theory and terminology, most notably to counter attachment (mis)understandings. Findings furthermore point to the intersectionality between the personal attachment history of professionals who work with young children, and their capacity to nurture security in their pedagogical practice.

Early childhood physical activity parenting and sport club participation as predictors of perceived motor competence – a three-year longitudinal study

ABSTRACT Background & purpose Enhancing perceived motor competence (PMC) is an important factor in increasing the physical activity and motor competence of children. Longitudinal research is needed to identify the factors that support children’s positive and realistic PMC development. To address this research gap, we examined physical activity parenting (PAP) and sports club participation (SCP) as predictors of children’s PMC. Methods We assessed PMC using a modified pictorial scale of perceived movement skill competence (PMSC) for young children at the following two time points: in early childhood education and care (ECEC) (T1; N = 259; Mage = 6.27 ± .67; 50.2% boys) and approximately three years later in primary school (T2; N = 259; Mage = 9.45 ± .79 years). PAP and SCP (the type and number of sports) were examined using a parental questionnaire (N = 259; Mage = 36.2 ± 5.64). The children’s actual motor competence (AMC) was assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development – Third Edition (TGMD-3). Linear regression analyses were performed to examine how the number of sports in which a child participates (SCPsum) predicted PMC. Then, we analysed how participation in a specific type of sport (locomotor and ball sports) predicted PMC in terms of locomotor skills, ball skills and total skills. The analyses were adjusted for the T2–T1 time difference and AMC. Results PAP was a significant predictor of PMC three years later for ECEC-aged girls but not for boys. Moreover, participation in a ball sport at T1 predicted higher scores for girls’ PMC at T2. In addition, the girls who participated in more than one ball sport exhibited lower PMC at T2. For boys, higher AMC, higher BMI and less access to electronic devices at T1 predicted higher PMC at T2. Conclusion The results suggest that PAP in ECEC age is important for girls’ PMC development over time. The role of SCP was ambiguous in girls. Participation especially in ball sports may have different influences on PMC in girls depending on the frequency of participation. Therefore, parents, sport instructors and coaches should adapt their child rearing and pedagogical practices by considering child PMC development in addition to promoting physical activity and skills.

Assessment of Safe Early Fixation Strategies in a Cohort Polytraumatized Patients – How is the Surgical Treatment Influenced by the Injury Pattern?

Abstract Background While the inital assessment and the intial treatment of potentially life-threatening injuries is well-described, the surgical treatment strategy following initial resuscitation remains controversial. Timepoint of surgery and type of surgery still reamin topic of discussions. Various, different strategies for optimal timing of fracture fixation in polytrauma patients exist. Aims This study tests the hypothesis that a concept of clearing patients for early definitive surgery that relies on anatomical and physiologic parameters is influenced by the injury distribution. Methods Polytrauma patients treated at a Level 1 trauma center (01.01.2016 - 31.12.2018). Inclusion: primary admission, injury severity score (ISS) ≥16points, requirement of surgical fixation of major extremity or a truncal injury. Exclusion: death <72h after admission, severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Stratification according to surgical fixation concept: Early total care (ETC, all surgeries <24 h), safe definitive surgery (SDS, staged surgeries <72h), and damage control orthopaedics (DCO, definitive care after stabilization). Endpoints: mortality, complication rates. Parameters of interest: Injury severity and distribution (ISS/AIS), pathophysiologic parameters of hemorrhagic shock, coagulopathy, hypothermia, soft tissue trauma. Results 527 patients, mean age 54.8 SD19.9 years, mean ISS 26.9 SD9.0 points, mortality 20.5%. Group ETC (n=21, 3.9%), Group SDS (n = 284, 53.9%), Group DCO (n = 222, 42.1%). Abdominal and spinal injuries associated with ETC (AIS Abdomen; OR 2.1, 95%CI 1.1 to 4.0, p = 0.026: AIS Spine OR 2.0, 95%CI 1.2 to 3.4, p = 0.007). Extremity and pelvic injuries associated with SDS (OR 1.8, 95%CI 1.1 to 2.8, p = 0.012 and OR 1.3, 95%CI 1.0 to 1.7, p = 0.036), head injuries associated with DCO (OR1.5, 95%CI 1.3 to 1.8, p <0.001). Head injuries were most relevant for mortality and were associated with patients undergoing DCO (29.7%) (ETC; 23.8%, SDS; 13.0%). Conclusion The concept of staged early fixation for major extremity and axial injuries (SDS) was successfully applied in the majority of patients. Predominant head and abdominal injuries were associated with ETC or DCO. The injury distribution influences decision making towards surgical management that is associated with a low complication rate.

Critical Care Services for Pregnant Patients in Ontario: A Province-Wide Survey

Critically ill pregnant patients require advanced critical care support, but access to these services is variable. We surveyed active Ontario obstetric facilities regarding critical care access. Responses were received from 44 of 80 obstetric units (55%), 13 (30%) being rural. Transport to another facility was required by 59% (majority >1 hour transport time), and differences were noted in the availability of specialty support services such as anesthesia and internal/obstetric medicine, as well as radiology and laboratory facilities, and use of massive transfusion protocols. Training in early supportive care of obstetric complications and optimized facility transport are areas for potential improvement.

An online survey of women’s views of respectful and disrespectful pregnancy and early labour care in the Czech Republic

ObjectiveTo ascertain and explore the views of women and their partners, giving birth in the Czech Republic, of the level of respectful or disrespectful care provided during pregnancy and early labour.DesignEthical approval was granted for a descriptive, online anonymous survey of 65 questions, with quantitative and qualitative responses.SettingThe Czech Republic.The survey was completed by 8,767 women and 69 partners in 2018. Measurements and findingsDescriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to present results. The majority of women were aged 26-35 years. Most had birthed in one of 93 hospitals, with 1.5% home births. Almost 40% never had an abdominal examination.in pregnancy. Quantitative data analysis revealed that less than half were given information on place of birth, or how to keep labour normal or non-interventionist. Almost 60% did not get information on positions for birth. Most (68%) commenced labour naturally, 25% had labour induced, 40% of them before term, and 7% had an elective caesarean section; 55% stated they had not been given any choice in the decision. Over half of those who had a membrane sweep said permission had not been sought. Half (54%) only had ‘checking’ visits from the midwife in labour.Key conclusionsFindings reveal a lack of information-giving, discussion and shared decision-making from healthcare professionals during pregnancy and early labour. Some practices were non-evidenced-based, and interventions were sometimes made without consent.Implications for practiceThe examples of disrespectful care described in this study caused women distress during childbirth, which may result in an increased fear of childbirth or an increase in free-birthing.

Qualitative evaluation of motives for acceptance or refusal of early palliative care in patients included in early-phase clinical trials in a French comprehensive cancer center: the PALPHA study.

The integration of palliative care (PC) into oncological management is recommended well before the end of life. It improves quality of life and symptom control and reduces the aggressiveness of end-of-life care. However, its appropriate timing is still debated. Entry into an early-phase clinical trial (ECT) represents hopes for the patient when standard treatments have failed. It is an opportune moment to integrate PC to preserve the patient's general health status. The objective of this study was to evaluate the motives for acceptance or refusal of early PC management in patients included in an ECT. Patients eligible to enter an ECT were identified and concomitant PC was proposed. All patients received exploratory interviews conducted by a researcher. Their contents were analyzed in a double-blind thematic analysis with a self-determination model. Motives for acceptance (PC acceptors: n = 27) were both intrinsic (e.g., pain relief, psychological support, anticipation of the future) and extrinsic (e.g., trust in the medical profession, for a relative, to support the advance of research). Motives for refusal (PC refusers: n = 3) were solely intrinsic (e.g., PC associated with death, negative representation of psychological support, no need for additional care, claim of independence). The motives of acceptors and refusers are not internalized in the same way and call for different autonomy needs. Acceptors and refusers are influenced by opposite representations of PC and a different perception of mixed management.

Palliative Care for Patients With Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update.

To provide evidence-based guidance to oncology clinicians, patients, nonprofessional caregivers, and palliative care clinicians to update the 2016 ASCO guideline on the integration of palliative care into standard oncology for all patients diagnosed with cancer. ASCO convened an Expert Panel of medical, radiation, hematology-oncology, oncology nursing, palliative care, social work, ethics, advocacy, and psycho-oncology experts. The Panel conducted a literature search, including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials published from 2015-2023. Outcomes of interest included quality of life (QOL), patient satisfaction, physical and psychological symptoms, survival, and caregiver burden. Expert Panel members used available evidence and informal consensus to develop evidence-based guideline recommendations. The literature search identified 52 relevant studies to inform the evidence base for this guideline. Evidence-based recommendations address the integration of palliative care in oncology. Oncology clinicians should refer patients with advanced solid tumors and hematologic malignancies to specialized interdisciplinary palliative care teams that provide outpatient and inpatient care beginning early in the course of the disease, alongside active treatment of their cancer. For patients with cancer with unaddressed physical, psychosocial, or spiritual distress, cancer care programs should provide dedicated specialist palliative care services complementing existing or emerging supportive care interventions. Oncology clinicians from across the interdisciplinary cancer care team may refer the caregivers (eg, family, chosen family, and friends) of patients with cancer to palliative care teams for additional support. The Expert Panel suggests early palliative care involvement, especially for patients with uncontrolled symptoms and QOL concerns. Clinicians caring for patients with solid tumors on phase I cancer trials may also refer them to specialist palliative care.Additional information is available at www.asco.org/supportive-care-guidelines.

Examining the interplay of teacher well-being, executive function, and adaptability in virtual instruction during COVID-19 disruptions

The documented challenges of the early care and education (ECE) workforce include poor well-being, inadequate compensation, and high turnover rates. The COVID-19 pandemic not only exacerbated these issues, but also imposed additional demands such as virtual instruction, highlighting the need to understand how teachers’ well-being relates to their adaptability in teaching. The present study examined whether early childhood teachers’ well-being is directly and indirectly related to adaptability to virtual instruction via teachers’ executive function during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a research-practice partnership project in a Head Start program in a metropolitan area in the central United States, data were collected from the Early Head Start/Head Start annual teacher survey (n = 148). Mediation analysis showed that teachers who demonstrated higher well-being displayed higher levels of executive function, which in turn was associated with greater adaptability in virtual instruction. Beyond the pandemic, findings highlight the importance of supporting teachers’ well-being and executive functions to promote adaptability, which is critical not only in virtual instruction, but also in successfully navigating other challenges of the teaching profession.

Children’s health-related quality of life in early childhood education and care

ABSTRACT Studies focusing on young children’s self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are scarce. More research is needed on the reliability and validity of the methods as well as how self-reported HRQoL in early childhood is linked to other well-being factors. Using the Kiddy-KINDL questionnaire in interviews with 245 3- to 6-year-old children this study investigated how children view their quality of life in Swedish speaking early childhood education and care in Finland, how reliably it can be assessed, and how it relates to age, gender, parent-reported socioeconomic background, and teacher-reported psychological well-being. The results showed that only the social-emotional scale consisting of eight items was a reliable index of HRQoL. The correlation over time in the 12-week follow-up was significant, but small, which may reflect children’s here and now thinking. Children’s poorer self-reported social-emotional well-being was associated with externalizing problems as reported by the teachers. Older children and children from highly educated families reported better social-emotional well-being.

Beyond omission: analysing the erasure of disability and inclusion in the developmentally appropriate practices

ABSTRACT The 4th edition of the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) had an opportunity to provide the field an inclusive blueprint. While there was an attempt in this edition to respond to decades of critiques (e.g. Bloch [1992]. “Critical Perspectives on the Historical Relationship Between Child Development and Early Childhood Education Research.” In Reconceptualizing the Early Childhood Curriculum: Beginning the Dialogue, edited by S. Kessler, and E. B. Swadener, 3–20. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.; Cannella [1997]. Deconstructing Early Childhood Education: Social Justice and Revolution. New York, NY: Peter Lang.; Escayg [2019]. “Who’s got the Power?”: A Critical Examination of the Anti-Bias Curriculum.” International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy 13 (1): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40723-019-0062-9.; Langford [2010]. “Critiquing Child-Centered Pedagogy to Bring Children and Early Childhood Educators Into the Center of a Democratic Pedagogy.” Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood 11 (1): 113–127. https://doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2010.11.1.113.; Pérez and Saavedra [2017]. “A Call for Onto-Epistemological Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Care: Centering Global South Conceptualizations of Childhood/s.” Review of Research in Education 41 (1): 1–29. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X16688621.; Souto-Manning and Rabadi-Raol [2018]. “(Re)Centering Quality in Early Childhood Education: Toward Intersectional Justice for Minoritized Children.” Review of Research in Education 42 (1): 203–225. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X187595.), the new edition continues to centre dominant developmental approaches where adults hyperfocus on children’s differences or individual characteristics rather than on changing educational structures and practices that promote inequity (Ferri and Bacon [2011]. “Beyond Inclusion: Disability Studies in Early Childhood Teacher Education.”). The revised guidelines do not go far enough to address inequity and to give teachers and programmes tools for addressing injustice for all young children. This manuscript builds on previous critiques of DAP by explicitly addressing the exclusion of disabled children from the guidelines.