Supporting home-based child care educators: Practices and experiences from the field

• In Event: Relationship-Based Professional Development Models That Support Teaching Practices in Early Care and Education

Abstract

Home-based child care (HBCC) represents a large sector of child care with around 5.2 million educators caring for children younger than 13 (Datta et al., 2021). Research shows that HBCC educators affiliated with networks (e.g. staffed organizations providing support and training) provide higher quality care to families (Bromer, 2009). This presentation aims to highlight how HBCC networks support educators via professional development and systemic support to engage in social justice and equity work.

To situate our definition of equity we relied on the 11-evidence based benchmarks and indicators for high-quality HBCC networks proposed by Erikson Institute and Home Grown (2022). HBCC networks employing equity instill a culture of self reflection, understand and respect diverse backgrounds, and take action to support historically marginalized communities.

Data was collected via focus groups and surveys from October to December 2023. Five networks participated with eight leaders participating in a one-time 90-minute focus group. 12 providers were recruited by participating network leaders and participated in four 75-minute focus groups conducted in English and Spanish.

Findings from networks indicated that professional development focused broadly on diversity, equity, and inclusion topics and included staff. Leaders discussed providing all staff training on white privilege, becoming “equity agents,” and anti-racism. Another network leader ran workshops for staff on recognizing bias. Most networks relied on children’s books to discuss stereotypes, which included staff and providers, and helped them select anti-bias materials for children. One network leader provided an experience utilizing an anti-bias tool: “So, as part of our activities, we did a read-aloud, showed a video, someone reading this book with the pictures, and then had them reflect on the anti-bias checklist. And we had a lot of our staff realize they identified the stereotypes in the book, and it was really kind of powerful.” Whereas, providers valued working with staff members with similar lived experiences and with experience working in HBCC given differences that emerge between home-based and center care. One provider indicated this challenge,stating that staff coming from center-based care are “very, very different from home base. So that made [the] situation a little bit difficult.”

Given the evidence above, recommendations from educators and network leaders included wanting networks to offer training for the network staff on relationship-based approaches to support, as well as hiring support staff that shared similar backgrounds (i.e. race, ethnicity, language, experience). In addition, educators wanted increased access to materials, information, and training on equitable practices with children and families to implement in their caregiving.

Research suggests that current research on HBCC largely excludes narratives from Black, Latine, and Indigenous populations (Bromer et al, 2021). Data from this study, garnered from HBCC network staff and providers, begins to examine how issues of cultural and linguistic competency are being addressed on the ground. Additional research is needed to address this topic as many HBCC networks are still building their cultural and linguistic competency and working to address educational disparities.

Authors

• Jessica Miguel, University of New Mexico

• Juliet Bromer, Erikson Institute

• Toni Porter, Early Care and Education Consulting