Promoting quality inclusion in early childhood care and education : inclusive practices for each and every child

The quality of early childhood services relies on the knowledge, expertise and skills of early childhood leaders and practitioners. However, despite this shared recognition, the shortage of a well-prepared workforce across many countries is a major barrier to ensuring quality inclusion. This challenging reality indicates that preparing and supporting a high-quality workforce to promote inclusive experiences for all young children is still a priority. The aim of this paper is to provide a synthesis of inclusive practices that can be used in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) settings to promote equitable and inclusive learning experiences for all children. The practices are described within five areas: Learning Environments; Instructional Practices;Relationships and Supportive Interactions; Partnerships with Families; and Professional Collaboration. These practices, strongly supported by research evidence, are essential for achieving key goals of inclusion, such as development and learning; a sense of belonging and membership; and development of social interactions and friendships for all children. This paper will describe the practices that can be used in ECCE settings to support children’s inclusive learning experiences, and the benefits of using such practices for children, families, and early childhood practitioners. Additionally, this paper will consider the conditions that need to be in place for ensuring the successful implementation of inclusive practices. The field of implementation science has provided some useful research-based frameworks for understanding the drivers that support the adoption, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based practices in early childhood. Using an implementation science framework, this paper will consider the drivers for supporting the implementation of inclusive practices in ECCE settings. Examples include building the capacity of the early childhood workforce to apply inclusive practices effectively across various learning environments; supporting leaders and leadership implementation teams in building an inclusive culture within ECCE environments and promoting continuous quality improvement through assessment systems that monitor the application of inclusive practices. Developing a shared understanding around high-quality inclusive practices and the drivers that support implementation can be an important step towards building consensus around a transnational professional development framework to support the application of quality inclusive practices in ECCE settings. This paper draws from international research evidence on quality inclusive practices at the early childhood level that are essential for ensuring quality inclusive experiences for all children and their families and will consider policy implications for building quality inclusion for all

Small Steps: The Inclusion of Young Children With Disabilities in Australia, Greece, and Malaysia

Although international research has accumulated significant evidence on inclusive practices and their benefits for children, how this translates into early childhood settings is often unsatisfactory within and across countries. Against the background of general acceptance of the principles incorporated in the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, we examine how 3 countries who are signatories to this convention, Australia, Greece, and Malaysia, are making progress towards inclusion in early childhood. Using an implementation science framework, the key components of enabling contexts, research-based practices, and effective implementation supports are explored. In this framework, each of these components is essential for achieving the desired outcomes of inclusion. The country profiles of Australia, Greece, and Malaysia are examined (including similarities and differences in legislation, policies, early childhood services, and practices) in an effort to support understanding of factors facilitating and challenging early childhood inclusion