Inclusive Practice

Each industry has its own buzz words, phrases, and acronyms and as an Educator it’s easy to use these when communicating with a parent. However, it’s vitally important that parents and carers both understand what inclusive practice is and what it means for their child.

Inclusive practice ensures that all children are given the opportunity to reach their full potential. To do so is to support children in developing a sense of belonging, not only in their Family Day Care environment but in their community, society and the world.

As Educators, you do this every day by respecting and appreciating each child as an individual, supporting and nurturing them, while promoting values of acceptance and respect for others. This aspect of each child’s development is the responsibility of each Family Day Care Educator and it ensures that the service you provide caters for each child and their family’s unique identity, skills and ability.

Inclusive Practice also means that you, as an Educator, can make informed decisions and create opportunities for children and their families to participate in the educational program that you offer.

The Practice Principles in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) also asks that you, as an Educator, commit to equity, promoting diversity and difference; to be inclusive.

Inclusive Practices are also evidence that your business is meeting the requirements of the National Quality Framework:

QA1 – Educational Program and Practice;

QA3 – Physical environment;

QA5 – Relationships with Children; and

QA6 – Partnerships with Families and Communities.

To ensure your Family Day Care business is meeting these requirements, and that you’ve fully understood what Inclusive Practice is, place a tick next to each of the following points when you feel that the following conditions have been met. 

• Appreciating and respecting all differences and diversities, whether it be religion, language, gender, abilities, family values and food choices just to name a few.
• Providing a service that caters for all children and families                                                              
• Take the time to get to know each child and develop relationships with their families
• Support children in finding and valuing their own identity
• Help children understand and learn to respect differences
• Support all children and families in fully accessing services, enlist the support of multidisciplinary teams if needed.
• Actively seek to further your professional knowledge, enhance your skills and understand the learning and development of children.
• Critically reflect and develop an awareness and understanding of your own and others’ views on diversity

“Inclusion is much more that accessing a service.  Access or enrolment is the first step, but inclusion is about full and meaningful participation”.

(Practice Principle Guide 4 – Equity and Diversity, VEYLDF)

Interested in learning more?

To further your understanding please read Practice Principle 4 – Equity and Diversity