MISSION STATEMENT
January 2005

All children and adults have the right to evolve and to develop in a context where there is equity and respect for diversity. Children, parents and educators have the right to good quality in early childhood education services, free from any form of - overt and covert, individual and structural - discrimination due to their race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status (in reference to Article 2, UN-Convention on the Rights of the Child).

Therefore the DECET Network will empower knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable children and adults to construct together early childhood education services and communities where everyone

  • feels that he/she belongs
  • is empowered to develop the diverse aspects of his/her identity
  • can learn from each other across cultural and other boundaries
  • can participate as active citizens
  • actively addresses bias through open communication and willingness to grow
  • work together to challenge institutional forms of prejudice and discrimination

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


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