Pride and BIDES (Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Sustainability)
Supporting the Whole Child means supporting the Whole Family and Whole Community to thrive through creating diverse and inclusive spaces where all people belong! Welcoming diversity and differences and ensuring equality, respect and dignity for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, is critical to ensuring that all children and families thrive.
Diversity leads to resilience! Whether in an ecosystem or group of people, the diversity of identities, lived experiences, and thoughts and ideas is necessary for the cultivation of resilience on the personal and communal levels.
Bias, whether around race, gender, physical ability or any other marker of identity, can develop very early on in a child’s life. In fact, it is often passed down by well-meaning adults who simply don’t know how to address differences and instead leave children to make meaning of differences.
Tolerance is also cultivated early in life through the creation of inclusive spaces where the dignity and humanity of all human beings are affirmed and valued.
We believe that there is no place for bias and intolerance in early childhood education. In fact, Developmentally Appropriate Practice plus extensive child development research supports the critical importance of anti-bias education in early childhood.
The phenomenon of “othering,” or the absence of belonging, causes harm to the individual and often leads to the perpetuation of oppression, violence, and inequities on a societal level.
Bias around racial or gender-based identities, including through invisibility and omission is also a mental health issue with multiple social determining factors. Especially in early childhood, the absence of belonging impacts the physical, social, and mental well-being of children, as well as the adults they will become.
Differences do not create bias. Children learn prejudice from prejudice—not from learning about human diversity. It is how people respond to differences that teaches bias and fear.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
At Treehouse Learning, we seek to celebrate and acknowledge Pride all year round! We affirm, include and welcome ALL of our children, all of our families, parents, and staff. We seek to continually shape Treehouse Learning into a place where we are intentionally creating more belonging, and seeking to live out our values of belonging, inclusion, diversity, equity, and sustainability.
LGBTQ Resources for Children:
- Here are two booklists for LGBTQ Children’s literature:
- Check out this song from Sesame Street, Love Makes a Family Strong, created to celebrate Pride Month
- The Parents Guide to Supporting LGBTQIA+ Kids
- Local resources through Mental Health Partners here
- Mark your Calendar: Longmont Visibility March and Pride Festival: Friday, June 30th, 3:30 pm @ Roosevelt Park, followed by Longmont Pride Festival from 4-8pm