The Welsh Government have committed to the target of becoming an anti-racist nation by 2030[1]. This is outlined in the anti-racist Wales plan, which confronts systematic and structural issues, with the aim of promoting fairness and justice for everyone[2].
Early Years settings play a vital role in this vision, supporting the next generation by providing crucial nurturing and socialising developmental experiences for young children. We know that experiences in the early years inform our development, all the way from early childhood to later childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
Therefore, providing positive nurturing experiences in settings for all children in the early years, childcare and early years are asked to contribute towards three goals in support of the ambition to become an antiracist nation[3]. By providing a high standard of care for every child, regardless of their background, early years practitioners are at the forefront of social justice.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an individual employing an anti-racist practice is "opposing and making efforts to end policies, rules, behaviours, beliefs, etc. that result in a continued unfair advantage to some people and unfair or harmful treatment of others, based on race"[1].
In the context of early years practice, this can mean undergoing a period of staff reflection to challenge existing internal beliefs, as well as a review of practice to ensure that the needs of every individual child in the setting is cared for. This is an incredibly important process for all of us to undertake, as it teaches us about the challenges faced by individuals from global majority backgrounds in society, and how, in our daily lives, we can proactively address barriers and systemic racism in everyday life. .
Anti-racist practice is about sharing the importance of inclusion, diversity, and tolerance in our communities, eroding existing stereotypes, celebrating differences and cultures, and building a brighter future for all individuals who call our communities home, regardless of their background.
Therefore, if we are to realise our dreams of building a better and more inclusive society for generations to come, the practice needs to be employed effectively, in childcare. The following sections will discuss how anti-racist practice employed in the early years is pivotal in supporting children, their caregivers, and their community at large, enabling the development of a more connected and tolerant environment for the child to develop in.
Anti-racist Wales action plan goal: "all children will have the opportunity to explore and celebrate racial diversity in a positive and supportive way".
Anti-racist Wales action plan goal: "the Welsh Government will work with parents and carers from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities, to improve access to childcare and play settings as well as access to play opportunities".
Incorporating anti-racist practice in early years settings is crucial for all individuals involved in childcare.
For children, seeing and experiencing anti-racist practice is incredibly important in a number of ways. Firstly, one of the main goals of anti-racist practice is to ensure that all children entering the setting are treated equally, regardless of their background. This is of vital importance to children from global majority backgrounds, as they are provided with equal opportunities to experience full benefits of attending an early years setting, such as access to play and further developmental opportunities.
Equal opportunities provided by early years settings helps counteract the impact of societal structural racism on child development. To ensure this is achieved practitioners can consider who is attending the setting from the community; reflect on whether this is representative of the families and children in the area; consider how families are welcomed, and how the setting learns about each child's unique heritage and family; and consider how to genuinely represent the families that they work with positively and the diversity of the populations in the community, Wales, UK and the World.
Alberta Family Wellness Initiative[1] have produced extensive research into the impact of various types of stress on the developing brain. Whilst some types of stress are normal for children to experience, "tolerable" and "toxic" stress can occur when a child is subject to continuous negative experiences[2]. These types of stress can have a negative impact on children, weakening brain architecture[3].
Structural racism, which is racism that upholds laws, rules, or official policies in a society that result in and support a continued unfair advantage to some people and unfair or harmful treatment of others based on race, exposes young children and their caregivers to continued negative experiences, meaning its impact on later life can be incredibly profound. Therefore, anti-racist practice employed by settings has the potential to help mitigate the impact of structural racism on young children from global majority backgrounds, enabling equal exposure to the physical and cognitive developmental benefits that early year's settings provide, in an environment which is crucially, anti-racist.
Secondly, a positive impact of employing an anti-racist policy within childcare settings is that all children in the setting are provided with the opportunity to learn about new cultures, traditions and customs, building tolerance and understanding of the importance of diversity in our communities from an early age. Much research has been undertaken into the importance of the first 1,000 days, laying the cognitive and physical foundations for our lives[4].
Furthermore, "the next 1000 days of a child's life from 2–5 years of age offer a window of opportunity to promote nurturing and caring environments, establish healthy behaviours, and build on early gains to sustain or improve trajectories of healthy development"[5]. Our increased understanding of childhood development in this period underlines the vital importance of childcare, and the impact it has on outcomes within our lives.
Reflection:
Practitioners can reflect on how they explore and celebrate diversity in a positive way. Does your setting review and design resources to support settings to be culturally sensitive and offer diverse provision within childcare? Who do you work with to support your practice?
Anti-racist Wales action plan goal: "staff will work in safe, inclusive environments, built on Allyship, supported to reach their full potential, and be empowered to identify and address racist practise (sic)"
Furthermore, for staff, anti-racist practice incorporated within the setting provides numerous benefits. Most notably, with anti-racist practice asking staff to understand and incorporate the different cultures of the children who may be entering their setting, this process of learning will lead to increasing levels of tolerance and acceptance and promote belonging. This is incredibly important, as increasing levels of globalisation across the world means that we are more likely to experience an expansion a diversity of cultures in our communities.
Individual children who feel welcomed, recognised, valued and accepted develop their sense of belonging and Cynefin which facilitates a positive play and learning environment for all children.
"In time, changing societal norms can affect how people feel about the out‐group practices and beliefs that they tolerate. Because of mere exposure and cumulative experiences, people can gradually become adjusted to ideas and practices they once found deeply offensive"[1].
This quote sums up perfectly the idea that exposure to different cultural practices can help individuals become more tolerant. The history of the United Kingdom is intertwined with migration, with many different cultures calling these isles home. This means that the UK is incredibly diverse, which benefits all of us.
However, in recent years, we have unfortunately seen an increase of intolerance, reported incidents of racism, and racial hate crime[2]. The reasons for this increase are outside of the parameters of this blog, but, in order to counteract this narrative, voices promoting inclusion from the ground up is incredibly important.
To do this, an anti-racist policy not only asks staff to consider the needs of children from global majority backgrounds within their setting but also encourages them to challenge their own internal beliefs. This self-awareness process not an easy one to undertake, but self-reflection is a positive step and enables the opportunity for greater support for all children within the setting.
Furthermore, increased self-awareness has a knock-on impact outside of the setting, enabling staff to be role models for inclusion within their communities, creating a more inclusive environment for all individuals within it. Early years staff have the opportunity to be at the forefront of this narrative, adopting an anti-racist policy and sharing ideals of inclusivity and equality of opportunity with the next generation.
Therefore, this policy enables staff to further consider the latest understanding we have in child development, and how their actions can make real lifechanging impacts for the child within their care. A developing workforce is a healthy workforce, as it enables the sector to keep pace with current trends and reinforces the true value of the early years sector to the development of future generations in our society.
Reflection:
Practitioners can reflect on how they demonstrate Allyship for children and colleagues working in the early years childcare sector. What policies and procedures does your setting have for professional learning, understanding the children and families you work with, recruitment and retention of the workforce, practice and pedagogy, and recognising, recording and reporting racist incidents?
Finally, childcare settings employing anti-racist practice will have a powerful impact on community cohesion and inclusivity. Anti-racist practice creates space for childcare settings to have a better understanding of the range of cultures and practices habiting the community it serves and in wider society.
By celebrating this diversity, settings will become a real pillar of inclusivity. This means values of anti-racism can be shared to the wider community at large, enabling parents to understand what it means to be anti-racist. In order to achieve the goal of reaching an anti-racist Wales by 2030, collaborative working to facilitate the change we want in society is incredibly important. Childcare practitioners have a vital role in working with parents, caregivers and the wider community to understand the value of antiracist practice in working towards this inclusive future.
One of these methods is by employing the most human tactic available, coming together, finding common ground and forming positive in person relationships. In order for this process to take place, we need more community spaces where people can come together, meet and interact with different cultures and gain familiarity with one and other. Early Years settings are great spaces for where these interactions could take place, providing an opportunity for parents across the local community to come together.
Furthermore, settings employing anti-racist practice are role models to parents using their setting, showcasing why tolerance and understanding of cultural norms and values is important, and how embracing practices of other cultures can truly enhance communities. Acting as a role model brings communities together, enables individuals from global majority backgrounds to feel recognised, valued and included , and building a thriving tolerant mindset which will enhance community wellbeing for the long term.
This blog has aimed to showcase how anti-racist practice employed in childcare settings benefits all of us, in the short, medium and long term. From the hugely beneficial impact on child development and equality of opportunity goals, to the wider advantages for staff and the local community, employing anti-racist practice in settings can have a wide-ranging positive impact on our society for years to come.
The view of this blog is that settings can be assisted in delivering anti-racist practice with support from the Welsh Government. With this we are encouraged to see continued investment in DARPL and the funded professional learning that is on offer to practitioners and professionals through this initiative.
In addition, Early Years Wales has a wealth of resources, training, and support outlined on the training planner, which can help providers and practitioners consider their needs and plan for their own contribution to the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan. If you would like to find out more, please email [email protected].
A key part of the practice is an understanding that continual reflection is required by practitioners to ensure their approach is up to date and caters to the needs and requirements of all children in the setting, as well as the latest societal developments. This continued reflection is important, as it enables you, as a setting, to continue to learn and enhance practice to support every child coming into the care of the setting.
As referenced in this blog, for many children, the childcare setting is the first experience of true equality of opportunity, being provided with the same high quality of care and developmental opportunities as all other children in the setting, regardless of their background. Practitioners are playing a vital role in shaping the life course of our young children, laying the foundations of early learning and socialisation which future development is built upon.
It is the view of this blog that this incredible importance of childcare goes understated, in all areas of society. However, we acknowledge the value of high-quality childcare, demonstrated by a wealth of research, and recognise the great practice taking place in the sector that already contributes to the aspirations for an Anti-racist Wales.
The Welsh Government's vision of an anti-racist nation by 2030 is an important target which can be achieved with sustained support from the Welsh Government into organisations and professionals who can support practitioners and providers across Wales. This long-term and sustained support recognises the value of this work and its importance in supporting future generations with learning the importance of anti-racism, providing settings with the opportunity to implement anti-racist practice.
It is a journey Early Years Wales is committed to supporting through our policy, training, and resources for all our members and every early years child in Wales, promoting the best start in life and allowing all children to thrive.
Blog by Leo Holmes, Head of Policy and Advocacy