Children's rights and citizenship: A perspective for inclusive and democratic education and care for young children

Abstract

Early childhood education and care centres are unique contexts where children's rights, responsibilities and democratic citizenship can be practiced and further developed. Our image of the child is crucial here: do we see children as ‘immature’ and ‘not yet competent’, or as a competent citizens with needs, rights, interests, ideas, and evolving capacities? By seeking a balance between protection and participation, democratic citizenship is simultaneously a practice (being) and a goal (becoming). In contexts of diversity, ideally also practices of bonding (group formation) and bridging (appreciating, accepting, and celebrating diversities) are included.

In this dissertation, we studied how implementing children's rights and democratic citizenship in childcare can contribute to the well-being, inclusion, and socialization of children at various levels. This created the outline of a pedagogy for childcare based on children's rights and citizenship enhancing the well-being of children that can be scaled. We interviewed various stakeholders during the research process, including young children. Our main findings showed that child participation is important for children’s development and contributes to quality improvement in childcare. Particularly direct forms of child participation were found to contribute to children’s well-being, involvement, quality of interactions with peers, experiences, and their sense of belonging and inclusion. Practices of promoting agency and social responsibility were not found to oppose but instead reinforce eachother. In The Netherlands, principles like these are still hardly formally recognized. Therefore, the renewal and extension of current quality concepts in childcare based on an image of children as competent citizens with voice and responsibilities, is strongly recommended, while systematic direct child participation should be included as a prerequisite in the legal framework of childcare, also holding for the youngest children.