Reclaiming Families’ Voices on Preschool Socioeconomic Integration

• In Event: Critical Approaches to Family and Community Engagement in Early Childhood

Abstract

Preschool socio-economic segregation is prevalent in the early childhood field, including in New York City (NYC). NYC is now attempting to address school segregation through socioeconomic integration at the preschool level. We challenge how this implementation and the prevailing socio-economic integration narratives have critically omitted family perspectives. We reclaim those voices by interviewing fifteen diverse families attending preschools in integrated and segregated settings. Using Critical Policy Analysis (CPA), this qualitative phenomenological study found widespread support for integration, tempered by concerns about logistics, power dynamics, social networks, and misconceptions deeply rooted in race and class bias. We advocate for a culture shift emphasizing anti-bias training across community members, including families. This study provided insights to redefine and repair preschool socio-economic integration.

Author

• Maria Mavrides Calderon, Hunter College - CUNY