How to affirm and support Rainbow families
ALTHOUGH YOU MAY DESIGN your practices and policies to be inclusive, keep in mind that not every family will experience them that way.
As you get to know each Rainbow family, consider the family's unique needs and circumstances. Then encourage each family to offer feedback: Do these family members feel welcomed? Do they truly feel included? Is there more that you can do to support them? Family-related policies are always more effective when they are rooted in relationships that are based on mutual goals, respect and trust, rather than preconceptions or assumptions. By being flexible and responsive, you’ll build more trusting and positive relationships with the Rainbow families in your early childhood community.
How can I affirm LGBTQ+ families’ dignity and value?
- Take the time to get to know each unique Rainbow family. Who provides love and care? What are the family’s strengths?
- Affirm each child’s family in the classroom environment.
- Show respect for the important role that each family member plays and make a point of inviting each family member to participate in your program.
- Consider how holidays such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be addressed for children from a wide variety of families.
- Take time to learn about the specific supports that each family finds helpful.
- Advocate for professional development in your program to help foster an understanding of diverse family structures.
- When others make insensitive and/or discriminatory comments, stand up for the LGBTQ+ caregivers in your early childhood community. Find out how.
Our goal should always be to learn from these experiences and to build and deepen our relationships with every family that we serve.
Visit our Apply Your Knowledge section for practices that you can put in place right now to support and affirm Rainbow families.