Diversity+ looks to develop governance, benchmarking, recognition and professionalisation tools for Early childhood education and care professionals in order to understand and improve their current approach to diversity inclusion, under the light of high-quality lifelong learning provision.

Early childhood education and care – ECEC is a growing priority on the policy agenda of the European Commission. This urgency is inspired by a rapidly expanding body of scientific research in different disciplines that points to substantial economic, social, educational and developmental benefits of participating in high-quality ECEC provision. These benefits are not limited to the children involved, but extend to society at large.

Moving from the Commission’s Recommendation on Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage and disengagement, the project looks to allow ECEC organisations to fully understand how multiple identities (the “diversities”) fit into their services, so to develop approaches which are fully inclusive to all, with a specific focus on children from marginalised or vulnerable groups.