Preparing a New Generation of Practitioners: An Equity- and Inclusion-Focused ECSE and SW Personnel Preparation Program

Introduction

In their early years, it is vital young children have enriching learning experiences and supportive, nurturing adults to support them in acknowledging and valuing differences in others. Early childhood experiences and interactions impact overall development, including but not limited to cognitive, social, emotional, physical and mental health outcomes of young children (Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University [CDCHU], 2016). Specifically, an infant’s first relationships with their primary caregivers, starting in the first minutes after birth, serve as the infant’s buffer through which to regulate their emotions. This regulation teaches the infants about emotions and relationships. The quality of the environment and the quality of the experiences an infant is exposed to early in life will have a significant influence on them as they grow up and interact with their outside world (Gerhardt, 2015). The primary relationship an infant has with their caregiver is attuned and available to minimize negative affect, such as fear, and maximize positive affect, such as joy. Feeling the range of emotions while feeling safe and secure from a caregiver is essential for their future mental health and the infant’s ability to build relationships in the future (Schore, 2003).

There are many things that can solely or collectively impact an infant or young child’s development. The initial 3 years of a child’s life mark a critical phase for brain development, characterized by remarkable plasticity and adaptability. During this period, the brain undergoes substantial growth and sets the foundation for emotional understanding and regulation (Gerhardt, 2015). However, early brain development is negatively impacted when adversity and/or when young learners are stripped of sensory, emotional, and social experiences. More recently, research has indicated the COVID-19 global pandemic increased the likelihood of children being subjected to maltreatment and experiencing interpersonal trauma (Cénat et al., 2020). Additional elements that have become more centered in discussions are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), or 10 potentially traumatic events or experiences that occur during childhood. These adversities are experiences to which a developing infant or child must notably adapt socially, developmentally, and psychologically (McLaughlin, 2014). When compounded with systemic racism and inequities, young children who are Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color (BIPOC) face even more dire negative impacts in accessing early intervention and special education services (Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children [DEC], 2023) and on their overall well-being (CDCHU, n.d.; Heard-Garris et al., 2018; U.S. Department of Education [DOE], 2016; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS] & DOE, 2015b).

With 9%–14% of infants and young children experiencing emotional or early childhood mental health (ECMH) issues with enough intensity to interfere with their development and learning, practitioners must be trained to intensely, accurately, and quickly respond (WestEd, 2012). In this chapter, the term “practitioners” refers to professionals who support the learning, development, care, and overall well-being of young children identified as being at-risk, delayed, or having disabilities and their families. These practitioners include early childhood special educators (ECSE), early interventionists (i.e., developmental specialists), early childhood educators, social workers (SW), occupational therapist, speech language therapists, physical therapists, and other service providers.