Early childhood education leaders take action for acceptance, inclusion and belonging
The Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC) commits to using combined resources to formally incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion into programs
WASHINGTON, June 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC) issued a joint letter confirming that the nation's largest child care providers have committed to formally incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion into their programs:
In a year of historic and unprecedented events—the devastating COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic fallout—we are facing yet another crisis as a country and community: Racial injustice, blatant discrimination and violations of basic human rights.
The tragic deaths of people of color including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor have prompted an eruption of outrage, protests and violence across the country. In this stressful and precarious environment, we are witnessing an outpouring of longstanding pain and suffering.
We truly believe that the child care sector can be a critical piece of affecting much-needed change in this country. We must ensure that the voice of every child, family and employee is heard and valued. Children are a reflection of who we are, and we take our role as caregivers and nurturers of the nation's future very seriously.
Together we strive to create a new normal—a world of inclusion and belonging. Learning about acceptance, respect and fairness are important building blocks of our programs today. But we can no longer wait while we build our future. The time has come to take action now.
We collectively commit to using our available resources to help us better support all our children, families and employees by formally incorporating diversity, equity and inclusion into our programs. While we all lead different organizations, we are united by many shared beliefs—including the conviction that our greater community deserves to be treated equitably.
Together we will take on the challenge to create a truly inclusive environment for our children, families and communities—and take a stand for equity for all.
- Tom Wyatt, CEO, KinderCare Education
- Jo Kirchner, CEO, Primrose Schools
- Mark Bierley, CEO, Learning Care Group, Inc.
- Chad Dunkley, CEO, New Horizon Academy
- David Evans, CEO, Childcare Network
- Scott Thompson, CEO & Founder, The Gardner School
- Richard Weissman, CEO, The Learning Experience
- David Goldberg, President and CEO, Cadence Education
- Mary Lou Burke Afonso, Chief Operations Officer, North America Center Operations, Bright Horizons
- Hal Kaplan, Executive Chairman, Kaplan Early Learning Company
- Henry Wilde, Founder & CEO, Acelero Learning Company
- Rhonda Paver, Founder, Owner and Executive Director, Stepping Stone School
- Bruce Karpas, Chairman & CEO, Crème de la Crème
- Dennis Maple, CEO, The Goddard School
- Shawn Weidmann, CEO, Spring Education Group
- Andy Sherrard, CEO & Co-Founder, O2B Kids
- Reggie Bicha, Executive Director, Shine Early Learning
The Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC) is a non-profit alliance of the leading multi-state/multi-site child care providers, key state child care associations, and premier educational service providers, representing over 6,000 programs in 48 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and select international locations. ECEC's members serve as the unified collective voice for providers of high-quality programs and services that support families and children from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. ECEC advocates for strong federal and state policies that bring quality to scale.
SOURCE Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC)
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