Our friends at National Women’s Law Center are spotlighting Latinx early childhood educators for Latinx Heritage Month. Their new blog post about the impactful role of Latinx educators for young children experiencing ethnic-related trauma and fear features two All Our Kin team members, Educational Coach Nancy Carillo and Provider Showcase Director Nilda Aponte. Nancy shares how culturally competent care helps families feel less isolated, and Nilda discusses some of the challenges Latinx family child care educators are facing in the current climate and the importance of building and sustaining networks of support for this community. Thank you Nilda and Nancy for your important contributions on such a relevant topic, and thank you to National Women’s Law Center for highlighting the unique needs and concerns of Latinx children, families, and early childhood educators.
This Latinx Heritage month, we recognize and celebrate Latinx early educators. When families with young children are forced to navigate oppressive systems and threats to the safety of their families, neighbors, and communities, early educators are there to help. With nearly 4 in 5 Latino kids suffering one traumatic childhood experience, these educators spend their time singing, reading, and playing with young children, working to mitigate the effects of the stress and trauma on young children’s developing brains and making little ones feel seen and safe. They listen to parents and other family members, and they create opportunities for families to socialize and support one another. When catastrophe does strike, early educators are there to help. Following the awful ICE raids in Mississippi earlier this year, early educators cared for children when parents were detained and could not pick them up from their schools and child care programs. Early educators help to heal to their communities in the wake of fear.
Read the full blog post here.
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