Katherine Zinsser did a fantastic job shining a light on the issue of young children being removed, excluded, expelled, and dismissed from preschool and daycare settings, sending the message to the child and their family that they do not belong or are “bad.” Implicit and explicit biases, teacher well-being, and the power of relationships are discussed. The impact of COVID is covered, including how it has led to increased losses, including diminished social and emotional skills for children who were isolated at home, stress, and decreased availability of childcare. The author shares information about places where children are less likely to be expelled and the differences in those settings.
Child development and the importance of key elements in early development are covered, such as biology, the environment, attachments with adults, and vulnerability to adversities. Also addressed are areas of intersectionality that can create interference with development, like racism, poverty, discrimination, and other exclusionary practices. She maintains that it is during early developmental stages of life that interventions and protective factors are most effective.
This book is useful to social workers and social work students because they work with people who are either in the early childhood phase of life, will be, or once were. It would be essential to consider the whole person in the environments that do and have surrounded them to understand their situations, personalities, thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. Considering the early stages of development and what happened or is happening to a child in such a crucial developmental time of life could help workers develop treatment plans with individuals and families.
School social workers and human service social workers could be particularly important in addressing this problem in educational systems. Advocating as professionals for proactive measures in early childcare settings to prevent these exclusionary practices would be helpful. Partnering with places that work with these young children to improve the situation lines up with the Preamble to the Code of Ethics in working with vulnerable populations with a dual focus on individual well-being and the overall well-being of broader society.
Social work educators would do well to stay informed about issues like this as they teach their students about risk factors, human diversity, and the social environment. Some of the students coming into social work programs may have even experienced exclusion in early developmental phases of life, which could still be impacting their performances, thoughts, and behaviors. This knowledge echoes the importance of creating a sense of belonging, even in college classrooms, because belonging is a basic human need.
Reviewed by Callico S. Vargas, DSW, LSW, Visiting Assistant Professor at Colorado State University-Pueblo and licensed school social worker.