How Racism Influences Quality and Access in Early Care and Education

This chapter describes how racism influences the quality of early care and education (ECE) and racially marginalized learners’ (RMLs’) access to quality programs. The authors explain how the philosophical roots and early theorists of ECE perpetuated racism by overlooking the experiences and environments of racially marginalized children and families. Because such philosophy undergirds the field’s definition and measurement of quality, RMLs attend early learning environments that fail to recognize their cultural strengths and assets. The authors state that there is a need for definitions of classroom quality that consider both racial equity and linguistic diversity. They then discuss the learning outcomes of RMLs when they are enrolled in ECE. Finally, the authors articulate the field’s need to reconceptualize ECE from a perspective that includes RMLs in order for these children to receive the maximum benefit of participation in ECE programs.

Keywords: preschool; racial equity; quality; policy; early childhood education