Establishing connections with your Culturally & Linguistically Diverse children & families

What would it feel like as an adult migrating to a new country and having to start a new job immediately? 

Just imagine. You do not speak the language. You are not familiar with the new culture and practices. You are feeling  overwhelmed, disconnected and anxious in this new country and work environment.

If we would struggle as adults, just imagine how a newly arrived child or a child with little or no English and no experience in the education & care setting would feel.

This is why inclusion is paramount and inclusive practices matter.

It is important that we, as early childhood professionals and teachers establish strong cultural connections with our CALD children and families.  Doing so allows us to better tailor our programs, our support and inclusive practices around the unique needs of all our children.

There are many ways that we can ensure that our services are culturally inclusive and that we connect well with our CALD children & families, creating a sense of welcome and belonging for everyone. 

Below are some practical tips & strategies to add to your Cultural Inclusive Toolkit:

1. Do an assessment of how your Service delivers the EYLF principles, specifically in relation to cultural inclusion and diversity. 
2. Investigate the cultural profile of your service and develop strategies to build cultural bridges and support inclusive practice. What are the cultures represented in your child care and local community?
3. Conduct a cultural checklist to help you reflect on your current practices and identify both individually and as a team any gaps and barriers to supporting cultural inclusive programs. Consider strategies at various levels within your Service including communication, physical environment and practice, staff development, policy, service management and resources.
4. Have cultural conversations at your staff meetings. Make Inclusion a regular agenda item. Embark on an ongoing cultural competence journey.
5. Create an early childhood and education environment where positive and respectful opportunities are provided for all children.
6. Provide additional language support such as access to Bilingual Educators,  translated information and resources.
7. Provide opportunities for parent involvement and participation. Encourage your families to share information about their child and to provide insight into their culture and child rearing practices. Find ways to celebrate, include and encourage your CALD families to participate at your Service.  
8. Tap into Inclusion Support Programmes that can play a paramount role in supporting the settling in, social inclusion and better participation of your CALD children and families. 
9. Access ongoing professional development opportunities that can assist your Service to better culturally connect with CALD children and families.   
10. Develop linkages and partnerships with local ethnic and multicultural support services, compile a directory of services available for your CALD families and participate in local multicultural child, family and community services interagency meetings to maintain your cultural connections.

All these strategies ensure that the voices of all the children at your service are heard, particularly those whose first language is not English.
They also help create a sense of ‘Belonging’  for your CALD children  by providing and maintaining a safe, nurturing, familiar, predictable and culturally/linguistically relevant care environment, where they feel comfortable and safe in their experiences and identity.

DIVERSITY KIDS can provide support in all key areas suggested above!

As we highlight in our well known quotes:
“Before a child is able to Be, to Belong & to Become, they need to be included.” 
"There is Belonging, Being & Becoming. But Inclusion comes first."