Exploring perspectives of young children and their parents on the inclusion of same-sex parented families in Australian early childhood education

Following the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia and the inclusion of gender and diverse family structures in Australia’s updated national framework for early childhood (EC) education, EYLF V2.0, there is increasing emphasis on affirming same-sex parented families in EC settings. Existing literature suggests EC practitioners may hesitate to address the inclusion of same-sex parented families in ways that engage children and parents in their services. However, the perspectives of young children and their parents on the affirmation and education about same-sex parented families in EC settings they attend remain underrepresented in the literature, particularly in the Australian context.

This paper draws from a multi-site case study conducted in metropolitan areas of New South Wales, Australia. It reports preliminary findings from individual dialogic drawing and group picture book reading with 13 children, and semi-structured phone interviews with one or both of their parents. The three participating long day care settings were rated as either Exceeding or Excellent. The participating families were couple- or sole-parent households, predominantly headed by cisgender male or female heterosexual parents.

Preliminary findings point to several emerging themes, including children’s recognition and expression of family diversity, the extent and forms of affirmation perceived by parents, and the visibility (or lack thereof) of diverse gender, sexuality and family structures within early learning environments. This paper assists practitioners and policy planners, instead of assuming resistance or objection, to recognise the potential of children’s and families’ knowledge and experiences to inform anti-discriminatory practices in EC settings.