DECET (Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Training) brings together a network of European organizations 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.
Steps towards accomplishing the aims stated in the DECET mission statement:
1. Networking with trainers, practitioners, researchers and policy makers throughout Europe;
2. Actively and critically promoting quality in early childhood education services, which includes equity, accessibility and respect for diversity;
3. Developing new knowledge and insights in this field;
4. Working in collaboration with other networks in and outside Europe.
