The Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC) in the US has announced that its members have committed to formally incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) into their programmes to combat racism and inequality. The announcement follows the tragic deaths of people of colour including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, which have prompted an eruption of outrage, protests and violence across the country.
“We truly believe that the child care sector can be a critical piece of affecting much-needed change in this country. We must ensure that the voice of every child, family and employee is heard and valued. Children are a reflection of who we are, and we take our role as caregivers and nurturers of the nation’s future very seriously,” stated ECEC members in a joint letter statement.
“Together we strive to create a new normal – a world of inclusion and belonging. Learning about acceptance, respect and fairness are important building blocks of our programmes today. But we can no longer wait while we build our future. The time has come to take action now.”
EQUALITY FOR ALL
The organisation said it has collectively committed to using its available resources to better support all children, families and employees by formally incorporating DE&I into their programmes. “While we all lead different organisations, we are united by many shared beliefs – including the conviction that our greater community deserves to be treated equitably,” it explained. “Together we will take on the challenge to create a truly inclusive environment for our children, families and communities – and take a stand for equity for all.”
ECEC is a non-profit alliance of the leading multi-state/multi-site child care providers, key state child care associations, and premier educational service providers, representing over 6,000 programmes in 48 US states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and select international locations. Members committed to promoting equality for all, include:
- Tom Wyatt, CEO, KinderCare Education
- Jo Kirchner, CEO, Primrose Schools
- Mark Bierley, CEO, Learning Care Group, Inc.
- Chad Dunkley, CEO, New Horizon Academy
- David Evans, CEO, Childcare Network
- Scott Thompson, CEO & Founder, The Gardner School
- Richard Weissman, CEO, The Learning Experience
- David Goldberg, President and CEO, Cadence Education
- Mary Lou Burke Afonso, Chief Operations Officer, North America Center Operations, Bright Horizons
- Hal Kaplan, Executive Chairman, Kaplan Early Learning Company
- Henry Wilde, Founder & CEO, Acelero Learning Company
- Rhonda Paver, Founder, Owner and Executive Director, Stepping Stone School
- Bruce Karpas, Chairman & CEO, Crème de la Crème
- Dennis Maple, CEO, The Goddard School
- Shawn Weidmann, CEO, Spring Education Group
- Andy Sherrard, CEO & Co-Founder, O2B Kids
- Reggie Bicha, Executive Director, Shine Early Learning
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