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Inclusion: Working with LGBTQ+ Families - Feeling welcome

How early years settings can ensure they are inclusive of LGBTQ+ parents and their children. By Julia Manning-Morton with the input of her daughter, Billie Manning
Representation, and eliminating assumptions, reduce the need for parents to ‘come out’ to their setting
Representation, and eliminating assumptions, reduce the need for parents to ‘come out’ to their setting

The EYFS (2021) ‘seeks to provide equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported’ and requires that ‘Providers must follow their legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010’.

It also promotes partnership working with parents and/or carers. Therefore, it should surely follow that every effort is made to include and represent lesbian and gay families in early years settings, but regrettably this is not the case. This is a topic that is given far less weight in discussions of inclusion and diversity in early childhood policy and practice. And, whether unconscious or not, such acts of omission contribute to heterosexist bias.

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