Equality and Diversity in Childcare

Inclusive practice is identifying and understanding any barriers that are stopping children from completing the activity. We have to make sure that whatever the child’s background they are able to fully join in with everything within the school. This will make the children feel valued and have a sense of belonging.

1.1 Areas of legislation are ever changing but it is important to be able to identify current and relevant aspects of those which promote equality and value diversity.

In this essay i will be discussing equality amongst children, inclusion, inclusiveness and diversity and how to put these things mentioned into practise when working with children and young people.

There are many different legislations and codes of practice that are relevant to the promotion of equality and valuing of diversity. These are known internationally and are stated in the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child in the year 1989. Though most countries like the UK have approved these legislations, they are still similar to those of the treaty.

Understand the importance of promoting equality and diversity in work with children and young people

When a child has a different race or religion it can cause prejudice and discrimination

Page 5 - 1.1 - Identify the current legislation and codes of practice relevant to the promotion of equality and valuing diversity

Within a school, equality, diversity and inclusion is very important. It is their duty to make sure all children have equal access to the curriculum. Whether they are a different race, culture, gender or have a special need or disability, it is important that they are supported and have a right to participate and be treated equal; this is known as inclusion. As part of this it is important that schools and other professionals support and promote cultural diversity in schools and the wider society, breaking down any discriminatory barriers to learning.

1.1 Identify the current legislation and codes of practice relevant to the promotion of equality and valuing of diversity.

The follow assessment will have a brief description of the importance of inclusion and inclusive practices in work with children and young people. And it also contains an exploration of how our own attitudes, values and behaviour may lead to that inclusive practice, how to challenge discrimination and how to promote some important anti-discriminatory and inclusive practices.

UNIT 053- PROMOTE EQUALITY AND INCLUSION IN HEALTH, SOCIAL OR CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S SETTINGS

Julie- educator 2 is a white Australian female in her late 20’s. She is a qualified group leader currently working in a Kindy room with children aged 2.5- 2.5 years; she is also assistant director (2IC) of her centre that she has worked at for the past ten years. The interview was a one on one scenario, conducted in her staff room after work, the interview was recorded. Both educators signed a letter of consent to participate in this research project, allowing the interviewee to explore the educators’ experiences and personal beliefs in relation to diversity and difference with the families and children in their centres.(As seen in Appendix 1 & 2). Key aspects and issues in relation to families, diversity and difference were considered essential data to be analysed for this research report.

“Males make up about 5% of all RNs working in the United States today” (Poliafico). Nursing is a profession in the health care field that concentrates on the nurturing care of individuals. The United States currently lacks testosterone (the male hormone) in the nursing field. The subject is something many people have thought about at least once in their lives. Some may argue nursing is a career meant for a woman, while others may argue it is a non-gender specified career option. Either way, the world has come to accept the lack of men in nursing. The nursing profession should be for both men and women, but society puts a stereotype on the ‘average nurse’ preventing men from being accepted into this career.

We all have been victims of gender bias, whether in the academic fields; our roles at home; or even in the clothes we chose to wear. This problem is not something that came up recently, rather it’s an issue that has been ongoing for centuries. As a child, if you are a girl, you wear pink clothes with flowers and play with Barbie dolls. A little boy on the other hand, wears blue and walks around with toy cars and video game controllers. Before we can choose our goals, we are assigned specific gender roles and career paths according to our sex. Nursing is one of those fields oriented mostly towards females, despite all the advancements made in gender equality; a male nurse is still frowned upon. According to the textbook, nursing originates

I grew up in a very 'non-visibly gay' part of the country: The Midwest. Worse even- I hail from a staunch evangelical family. Before now, my parents had never known anyone openly gay. This completely rendered my formative exposure to a minimum. I also grew up without cable, which does indeed retard my adulthood pulp conversations. My ideas of homosexuality were predominately characterized by Ernie and Bert on Sesame Street and Jack Tripper from Three's Company, whose character only pretended to be gay to get cheap rent. There was also a neighbor boy on Too Close For Comfort, whom was just assumed to be gay, but was never outed.