Early childhood educators working with children who have lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents: what does the literature tell us?

• Published in: Early child development and care Vol. 184; no. 8; pp. 1267 - 1280
• Main Authors: Cloughessy, Kathy, Waniganayake, Manjula
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 03-08-2014
• Subjects: Australia; bisexual; Bisexuality; Bisexuals; Children; Descriptive Writing; Dominance; Early childhood; Early childhood education; Education; Educational Environment; Educational Policy; Educational practices; Educational research; Foreign Countries; gay; Guides; Homosexuality; Homosexuals; lesbian; Lesbianism; Literature Reviews; Parent background; Parent-teacher relations; Parents; Position Papers; Preschool Children; Preschool Teachers; Relevance (Education); Sexual Identity; Sexual Orientation; Sexuality; symbolic interactionism; Teacher Attitudes; Australia
• ISSN: 0300-4430; 1476-8275
• DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2013.862529

Early childhood (EC) educators are expected to cater for all types of families from diverse backgrounds. Research involving EC educators and the spaces they create indicate the dominance of heteronormative practices. This silences programmes, policies, experiences and interactions that could reflect and support children with parents who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered. It is therefore important to consider ways of disrupting this dominance to ensure equity and respect for all children and families. By analysing relevant literature published between 2000 and 2012 we have identified strengths and weakness of existing studies with a view to informing future practice, policy and research in EC education.