About DECET

DECET vzw (Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Training) brings together a network of European organisations and projects with common goals about valuing diversity in early childhood education and training.

The network aims at promoting and studying democratic child care, acknowledging the multiple (cultural and other) identities of children and families. We view early childhood provisions as meeting places where people can learn form each other across cultural and other borders and therefore as public provisions that can effectively address prejudices and discrimination. In this sense early childhood education makes a clear contribution to the construction of European citizenship.

 

DECET Goals

The European DECET Network promotes equity and celebrates diversity in early childhood education services and in training, in the spirit of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child by:

 

1. Facilitating exchange among trainers, practitioners, researchers and policy makers throughout Europe

2. Actively and critically promoting accessibility and quality in early childhood education services, which includes equity and respect for diversity.

• for cooperation with parents this means to empower them to fully participate in early childhood services and in their community as democratic citizens

• for working with educators this means to address stereotypical thinking and institutional discrimination

• for working with policy makers and managers this means to work towards equal access for children, parents and staff and challenging discrimination and unequal power relation in early childhood education services

3. Developing new insights and knowledge in this field

4. Working in collaboration with other networks in and outside Europe

5. Devising and implementing strategies to impact mainstream childcare services and influence current childcare policies

 

Bernard van Leer Foundation

DECET is funded by The Bernard van Leer Foundation.

 

Membership EUROCHILD

Since 2009 DECET is a member of the European network Eurochild. Within this network, DECET is active in the thematic working group on Early Years. For further information on Eurochild: www.eurochild.org