The good and the bad: Lesbian parents' experiences of Australian early childhood settings and their suggestions for working effectively with families

There have been few attempts to capture the experiences of lesbian-parented families in Australian early childhood settings. This study explored the experiences of such families since the implementation of the first national Early Years Learning Framework in 2009 by way of an online survey and follow-up interviews that were analyzed taking a queer theory approach. Participants shared their perspectives on positive and negative experiences concerning their family structure and offered suggestions for educators working with lesbian-parented families. These insights can inform educators’ pedagogical decisions in ways that challenge heteronormativity’s dominance in early childhood settings, affirm lesbian-parented families, and foster an understanding of diversity in all children.