Culture, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Representation
“I live in a community that is over 50% racially diverse. But I was the only person of color when I 1st started…I really want to be here to serve my community. I understand what it's like to be in it with them.” - from a direct service provider
“My dream would be to have equitable, culturally competent leadership and policy making, so leaders understand lived experience and value community wisdom over rigid Western metrics. Eliminate top-down management, encourage more horizontal structures that put families first, and trust community members to define quality and success.” - from a direct service provider
Participants shared a strong desire to focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. They recognized that the IECMH workforce is mostly made up of white women, which does not reflect the diversity of the clients they serve. Both men and providers of color said that a big reason they work in this field is to give back to their own communities. Their lived experience was highly valued and appreciated.
However, these providers also shared that they often face racism and stigma. They said it can be hard to work in a system that doesn’t match their cultural values or support them in culturally responsive ways. They are left constantly advocating for their own needs, alongside the needs of their clients.
“I don't feel like there is a pipeline to get more diverse work (people of color, people of all sorts of different backgrounds, including males) to enter the early childhood workforce. It just isn't set up in that way. It tends to be a very traditionally female dominated profession. I would love to see some of that change a little bit...It's nice for families to have a provider that looks like them that they can connect with. That's been really hard to find and recruit for.” - from a direct service provider
Call to Action
The focus groups brainstormed several actions those with authority and influence within the IECMH system can take to address Culture, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Representation. Below are some suggestions, organized by specific roles.
Do you have additional ideas on how to to address Culture, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Representation? Click here to download a blank template and track your actions!
Connection to Other Topics
The chart below shows how Culture, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Representation is connected to other topics. The numbers show how often the topics were discussed together. To address Culture, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Representation, these related topics must also be considered.
