Inclusion of Infants and Toddlers: Perspectives from Childcare Providers

Infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds with disabilities or developmental delays often participate in center-based childcare. Just like other care and education settings, childcare for very young children should provide high-quality inclusion. To date, minimal research has been conducted on practitioner perspectives about inclusion in childcare for very young children, and no study has explored childcare practitioners’ use of inclusive practices to include very young children with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore childcare practitioners’ perceptions of their role and practices used to facilitate inclusion. We used a qualitative approach, interviewing childcare practitioners in one Midwest community about their experiences with inclusion. We found that childcare practitioners in this study perceived that inclusion involves close proximity of children with and without disabilities, teachers using individualized practices, and collaboration between adults (e.g., families, colleagues, administration). Some participants stated equity was important for inclusion, while others emphasized the need for equality. Participants also believed inclusive practices should support children’s identities, such as by teaching children about disability or culture. These views generally align with the tenets of early childhood inclusion (access, participation, supports). Implications include the need to support childcare practitioners in developing shared views of inclusion that supports all children in their work.