1. 5/03/14
BECERA, 2014
Building reciprocity
in unequal relations
Michel Vandenbroeck
Department of Social Welfare Studies
Ghent University, Belgium
“Partnership working between practitioners and
with parents and/or carers”"
(Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage)
1

2. 5/03/14
1. What do we mean by that (in curricula)
2. What can it mean in practice (an experiment)
3. What can it mean in policies (in literature)
“The guardian is responsible for their child’s
upbringing and development. The preschool should
supplement the home by creating the best possible
preconditions for ensuring that each child’s
development is rich and varied. The preschool’s work
with children should thus take place in close and
confidential co-operation with the home. Parents
should have the opportunity within the framework of
the national goals to be involved and influence activities
in the preschool” (Skolverket, 2011, p. 13).
Swedish
curriculum
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3. 5/03/14
“If a child does not have a strong grasp of English language,
practitioners must explore the child’s skills in the home
language with parents and/or carers, to establish whether
there is cause for concern about language delay”
(Department for Education, 2012, p. 6).
“When a child is aged between two and three, practitioners
must review their progress, and provide parents and/or
carers with a short written summary of their child’s
development in the prime areas”
(Department for Education, 2012, 10).
EYFS
“Fundamental to the Framework is a view of children’s lives
as characterised by belonging, being and becoming. From
before birth children are connected to family, community,
culture and place. Their earliest development and learning
takes place through these relationships, particularly within
families, who are children’s first and most influential
educators. As children participate in everyday life, they
develop interests and construct their own identities and
understandings of the world”
(Australian Government, 2009, p. 7).
Australian
curriculum
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4. 5/03/14
“The manager of the day-care facility shall include the parent board in
the preparation, evaluation and follow-up of the pedagogical
curriculum. (…) Day-care facility employees shall be represented on
the parent board. (…) The parent board of a day-care centre shall lay
down the principles for the work of the day-care centre and for
applying the budget framework of the day-care centre within the
objectives and framework determined by the local council. (…) The
parent board has a right of nomination and right to participate in the
appointment of the manager of local-authority and independent daycare centres and of local-authority childminding. (...) The parent
board has a right of nomination in connection with the hiring of
employees”
(Christensen, 2007, p. 4-6).
Danish
curriculum
“Children’s learning and development are fostered if the well-being
of their family and community is supported; if their family,
culture, knowledge and community are respected; and if there is a
strong connection and consistency among all the aspects of the
child’s world” (Australia).
“Providers must inform parents and/or carers of the name of the
key person, and explain their role, when a child starts attending a
setting.(…) The key person must seek to engage and support
parents and/or carers in guiding their child’s development at home.
They should also help families engage with more specialist support
if appropriate” (England)
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5. 5/03/14
“a two-way process of
knowledge and
information flowing freely
both ways” (2006)
“Parents and communities should
be regarded as partners working
towards the same goal. Home
learning environments and
neighourhood matter for healthy
child development and
learning.” (2011)
A Brussels experiment
Ethnic minorities are majority below 3 years.
From newcomers to general accessibility
Qualitative evaluation @ year 1
Quantitative evaluation @ year 5
5

6. 5/03/14
Can the subaltern speak ? (Spivak)
Because it’s my first time that I am a mum and they have a lot of experience. I
would have accepted their advice no matter what, honestly. (Neamat, Lebanon)
Can the subaltern speak ? (Spivak)
The child reflects its parents when it goes into society, into school.
(Marie, DRCongo)
6

7. 5/03/14
“Je ne cherche pas à dire que tout est
mauvais, mais que tout est dangereux,
ce qui n’est pas exactement la même
chose
que ce qui est mauvais.
Si tout est dangereux, alors nous avons
toujours quelque chose à faire.”
Yeah my aunts, they had a lot of impact [laughs]. And it was really a good one, because it’s
really nice when you are surrounded by people who already raised children and who know
how to deal. It’s not how to deal, but they already know what to expect and what it should
be done or not. Even though we say they have very ancient methods and I don’t know;
whatever and maybe the modern methods they are better, but it’s really it gives you a lot of
insight and a lot of things you think about… Ancient people, they always feel that children
should eat a lot, and I don’t feel that they should eat a lot. (Neamat,Lebanon).
They say they will never take their baby to the crèche. I say, I want to go to
school, that is why I take my baby to the crèche, to get used to the people. And I
want my baby to talk, to speak Dutch, that is why. (Fatmata, Siera Leone)
7

8. 5/03/14
“Je ne cherche pas à dire que tout est
mauvais, mais que tout est dangereux,
ce qui n’est pas exactement la même
chose
que ce qui est mauvais.
Si tout est dangereux, alors nous avons
toujours quelque chose à faire.”
I really love her [the professional] because also she looked me
up some schools… I think that they are amazing because they
give me the time and they always answer my
question, detailed as much as they can (Neamat).
In the day care centre they are against it, because she’s very
young and … they don’t train the babies until they are two.
Sometimes in the day care centre when she wakes up, they put
her on the potty, but it’s always too late. Because the moment the
child has to wake up, you have to take him, take his diaper and
put it on the potty, you see. But in the day care centre for
example a child… many children would wake up at the same
time, so you have to deal with one child at the time. And until
now she doesn’t know that she has to control her muscles, maybe
she, I think that she can do it now. So she has to learn how to do
it. So most of the time it’s too late, but they try to… I think even
though they don’t agree with me, but they do it. And I think it’s
amazing you know, because for them, err…, when you put a child
of two years on a potty, there’s not a lot of responsibility. Because
you don’t have to watch him. You don’t have to sit, and he has to
finish and he will call you when he’s done. But with my daughter,
she’s very young so someone has to keep an eye on her. And it is
not really logic when you have 21 children. You see, so I think it’s
amazing even if they don’t do it every day. The fact that they do it
from time to time. I think it’s amazing, yeah.
8

9. 5/03/14
In the day care centre they are against it, because she’s very
young and … they don’t train the babies until they are two.
Sometimes in the day care centre when she wakes up, they put
her on the potty, but it’s always too late. Because the moment the
child has to wake up, you have to take him, take his diaper and
put it on the potty, you see. But in the day care centre for
example a child… many children would wake up at the same
time, so you have to deal with one child at the time. And until
now she doesn’t know that she has to control her muscles, maybe
she, I think that she can do it now. So she has to learn how to do
it. So most of the time it’s too late, but they try to… I think even
though they don’t agree with me, but they do it. And I think it’s
amazing you know, because for them, err…, when you put a child
of two years on a potty, there’s not a lot of responsibility. Because
you don’t have to watch him. You don’t have to sit, and he has to
finish and he will call you when he’s done. But with my daughter,
she’s very young so someone has to keep an eye on her. And it is
not really logic when you have 21 children. You see, so I think it’s
amazing even if they don’t do it every day. The fact that they do it
from time to time. I think it’s amazing, yeah.
In the day care centre they are against it, because she’s very
young and … they don’t train the babies until they are two.
Sometimes in the day care centre when she wakes up, they put
her on the potty, but it’s always too late. Because the moment the
child has to wake up, you have to take him, take his diaper and
put it on the potty, you see. But in the day care centre for
example a child… many children would wake up at the same
time, so you have to deal with one child at the time. And until
now she doesn’t know that she has to control her muscles, maybe
she, I think that she can do it now. So she has to learn how to do
it. So most of the time it’s too late, but they try to… I think even
though they don’t agree with me, but they do it. And I think it’s
amazing you know, because for them, err…, when you put a child
of two years on a potty, there’s not a lot of responsibility. Because
you don’t have to watch him. You don’t have to sit, and he has to
finish and he will call you when he’s done. But with my daughter,
she’s very young so someone has to keep an eye on her. And it is
not really logic when you have 21 children. You see, so I think it’s
amazing even if they don’t do it every day. The fact that they do it
from time to time. I think it’s amazing, yeah.
9

10. 5/03/14
In the day care centre they are against it, because she’s very
young and … they don’t train the babies until they are two.
Sometimes in the day care centre when she wakes up, they put
her on the potty, but it’s always too late. Because the moment the
child has to wake up, you have to take him, take his diaper and
put it on the potty, you see. But in the day care centre for
example a child… many children would wake up at the same
time, so you have to deal with one child at the time. And until
now she doesn’t know that she has to control her muscles, maybe
she, I think that she can do it now. So she has to learn how to do
it. So most of the time it’s too late, but they try to… I think even
though they don’t agree with me, but they do it. And I think it’s
amazing you know, because for them, err…, when you put a child
of two years on a potty, there’s not a lot of responsibility. Because
you don’t have to watch him. You don’t have to sit, and he has to
finish and he will call you when he’s done. But with my daughter,
she’s very young so someone has to keep an eye on her. And it is
not really logic when you have 21 children. You see, so I think it’s
amazing even if they don’t do it every day. The fact that they do it
from time to time. I think it’s amazing, yeah.
Inserimento
The slow and mutual adaptation of parents, children and professionals
Starting with a question
10

11. 5/03/14
A Brussels experiment
Ethnic minorities are majority below 3 years.
From newcomers to general accessibility
Qualitative evaluation @ year 1
Quantitative evaluation @ year 5
T1
T1
IT1
IT1
Man
Policy
T1
T1
IT1
Man
Policy
T1
IT1
Man
T1
IT1
IT1
Man
Policy
Policy
A Brussels experiment
Ethnic minorities are majority below 3 years.
From newcomers to general accessibility
Qualitative evaluation @ year 1
Quantitative evaluation @ year 5
11

12. 5/03/14
Nationaliteit (voorrang allocht)
Werknemer
Voltijdse opvang
Regelmaat van opvang
Inwoner van de gemeente
(Toekomstige) schoolkeuze
Datum inschrijving
Beide ouders werken
Lage inkomens
Ouder studeert
Sociaal, pedagogisch wenselijk
crisisopvang
Eenoudergezin
Broer en zus
0
0,5
1
1,5
2010
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
4,5
5
2004
12

13. 5/03/14
Parents search on average 9 months before need
Minority (M = 10,26) > Native (M = 6,52)
Higher education (M = 10,13) > Lower education (M = 5,33)
% single parent families doubled
% low-income families more than doubled
% ethnic minority families increased but did not double
But still not equal
13

14. 5/03/14
Conclusions
Comprehensive policies on macro and micro levels
13 recommendations"
based on lit study and good practices
Vandenbroeck, M.& Lazzari, A, (forthcoming ). Accessibility of Early
Childhood Education and Care: A state of affairs. European Early Childhood
Education Research Journal!
Is it OK to be who YOU are?
Children reproduce social prejudices (e.g. racism by omission).
Policy level!
Provision level!
Parental level!
1. Public funding!
6. Democratic
decision making!
12. Involvement!
2. Integration of
education & care!
7. Analysis of priority 13. Accessible and
criteria & access
meaningful
obstacles!
information!
3. Population based
entitlement in
universal system!
8. Outreach!
4. Regulation of
costs and fees!
9. Flexible opening
hours matching local
needs!
5. Quality monitoring 10. Diverse
& research!
workforce!
11. Inter-agency
cooperation!
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15. 5/03/14
Policy level!
1. Public funding!
100%
2. Integration of
90%
education & care!
80%
70%
Provision level!
Parental level!
6. Democratic
decision making!
12. Involvement!
7. Analysis of priority 13. Accessible and
criteria & access
meaningful
obstacles!
information!
3. Population based
60%
entitlement in
50%
universal system!
40%
8. Outreach!
30%
4. Regulation of
20%
costs and fees!
9. Flexible opening
hours matching local
needs!
10%
0%
CZ
SK
PL
5. QualityRO
HU
BG
UK
GR
IE
AT
10. LT
LV
MT
DE
FI
CY
US
NL
monitoring AU
Diverse
formal
& research!
workforce! informal
LU
EE
ES
BE
IT
FR
SI
PT
NO
SE
IS
DK
11. Inter-agency
cooperation!
Policy level!
8
1. Public funding!
PL
Provision level!
6. Democratic
decision making!
Parental level!
12. Involvement!
inequality ratio
6
Association between supply and inequality of Accessible and
2. Integration of
7. Analysis of priority 13. use (0-2 y)
education & care!
criteria & access
meaningful
SK
BG
obstacles!
information!
IE
8. Outreach!
4
3. Population based
entitlement in
universal system!AT
HU
2
4. Regulation of CZ
GR DE
costs and fees!
IT
UK
NL
FI
FR
LV
9. Flexible opening
BE
SI
ES
CY
hours matching local
NO
PT
EE
needs!
LU
SE
0
5. Quality monitoring 10. Diverse
0
20
40
& research!
workforce!
% places in public or subsidized care facilities (as a share of all children 0-2)
DK
60
11. Inter-agency
cooperation!
15

16. 5/03/14
Policy level!
Provision level!
Parental level!
1. Public funding!
6. Democratic
decision making!
12. Involvement!
2. Integration of
education & care!
7. Analysis of priority 13. Accessible and
criteria & access
meaningful
obstacles!
information!
3. Population based
entitlement in
universal system!
8. Outreach!
4. Regulation of
costs and fees!
9. Flexible opening
hours matching local
needs!
5. Quality monitoring 10. Diverse
& research!
workforce!
11. Inter-agency
cooperation!
ECEC as a place
Where everyone (incl children, parents and staff) can belong
Is it OK to be who YOU are?
Children reproduce social prejudices (e.g. racism by omission).
16

17. 5/03/14
ECEC as a place
Where everyone (incl children, parents and staff) can belong
Where everyone (incl children, parents and staff) can foster multiple identities
Is it OK to be who YOU are?
Children reproduce social prejudices (e.g. racism by omission).
ECEC as a place
Where everyone (incl children, parents and staff) can belong
Where everyone (incl children, parents and staff) can foster multiple identities
Where discrimination is actively addressed
Is it OK to be who YOU are?
Children reproduce social prejudices (e.g. racism by omission).
17

18. 5/03/14
The European Council asks the Member States to take necessary
measures to rapidly and significantly reduce child poverty, giving
all children equal opportunities, regardless of their social
background. (Council of European Union, 2006, p. 24).
Parental engagement is essential to the success of pre-primary
education and, in the case of the disadvantaged, this can be
encouraged through dedicated parental education and outreach
programmes. (EC Communication on Efficiency and Equity in
European Education and Training Systems , 2006, p. 5)
The Communication therefore advocates for a more systemic and
integrated approach to ECEC services at local, regional and
national level, for the involvement of all relevant stakeholders –
in particular, families – and for closer cross-sectoral
collaboration between different policy domains such as
education, culture, social affairs, employment, health and
justice. (Council of the European Union, 2011, p.5).
18

19. 5/03/14
BECERA, 2014
Vandenbroeck, M., Roets, G., & Snoeck, A. (2009). Immigrant
mothers crossing borders: nomadic identities and multiple
belongings in early childhood education. European Early
Childhood Education Research Journal, 17(2), 203-216.
Vandenbroeck, M, Geens, N, & Berten, H. (2014). The impact of
policy measures and coaching on availability and accessibility of
early child care: A longitudinal study. International Journal of
Social Welfare, 23, 69-79.
Special thanks to
Jeroen Janssens for the study of international curricula
Regine De Loose for the graphics
VBJK for the images of Inflammable Fingers
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