Community, Love, and Connection in Early Care and Education

Learn how to create more just and equitable spaces for the young children you serve. Written by experienced educators, Community, Love, and Connection in Early Care and Education is a call to action for early care and education professionals who are ready to make real change in children’s lives. Drawing on Maisha Winn's (2021) framework of transformative justice in education, the authors address the harms and challenges embedded in early childhood education, while offering strategies for dismantling systems of oppression and creating spaces where all children can thrive. You'll uncover how to recognize and confront challenges in the field; implement anti-racist practices that foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for every child; rethink “developmentally appropriate" practices that often fail children from historically disinvested communities; and avoid language that labels and limits children, particularly in relation to race, disability, and multilingualism. Whether you are an early care provider, teacher, administrator, or community advocate, this book will help you challenge traditional practices. It offers a wealth of practical strategies for fostering spaces that are inclusive and just, so you can contribute to shaping the future of education— one that is more equitable, hopeful, and joyful for all young children and their families.

Meghan L. Green, EdD, is an Assistant Professor of Raciolinguistic Justice in Early Childhood Teacher Education at Erikson Institute. She previously served as Lead Researcher on the Illinois Governor’s Office in Early Childhood Development project, focusing on racial equity within the Early Learning Council. With 20 years of experience in early childhood education, Green has worked as a Pre-K to 4th-grade teacher, university field-based liaison/instructor, and anti-bias and anti-racist training facilitator. She holds an EdD in Curriculum and Instruction from East Texas A&M University. Her scholarly work has been published in journals such as the Journal of Childhood Studies, Young Children, Early Childhood Education Journal, and Equity & Excellence in Education.

Lilly Padía, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Raciolinguistic Justice in Early Childhood Teacher Education at Erikson Institute. With more than 10 years of experience as a public school special education teacher, university instructor, academic advisor, and instructional coach, Padía's work focuses on issues of language, race, and disability in education. She centers partnerships with families and teachers in her research. She earned her Ph.D. from New York University and has published in journals such as Race, Ethnicity and Education, Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, and Theory Into Practice.

Mariana Souto-Manning, PhD, is the President of Erikson Institute. She has previously served as a Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, and held academic appointments at the University of Iceland and King’s College London. Dedicated to justice in early childhood education, Souto-Manning’s research focuses on the experiences of intersectionally marginalized children, teachers, and communities of color. She has authored or co-authored 12 books, numerous book chapters, and over 100 peer reviewed articles. Her research has earned several awards, including the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Innovations in Research on Diversity in Teacher Education Award, and in 2023, she was named an AERA Fellow in recognition of her contributions to education research.