Nurturing in the Early Years through a lens of diversity and inclusion

Nurturing pedagogy is positioned as the core framework through which equality, diversity, and inclusion should be delivered in Early Years settings. Empathy and professional love are central to this approach, where every child and family feels safe.

Aaron Bradbury emphasises that nurturing is not exclusive to any one community and must be applied universally, but that young children from LGBT+ families may experience subtle differences in care.

• Secure attachments formed through empathy and affection are the basis for children's emotional and intellectual growth, and educators are responsible for modelling these consistently. Child development occurs within secure relationships and environments.
• All children should feel a sense of belonging, especially in early childhood, to ensure their emotional wellbeing, as well as learning and development.
• The concept of "loving pedagogy" is cited as a published and researched framework that supports practitioners in understanding why nurturing all children equally is both a professional and ethical obligation.

Unconscious and conscious bias

A recurring theme is that differential treatment of LGBT+ families and their children is rarely intentional but stems from a lack of preparation, awareness, and knowledge among practitioners.

A parent from a same-sex couple reported noticing that the positive relationships other parents had with practitioners did not seem equally available to her, raising the question of whether her child was also being treated differently.

• Educators may use language or make unconscious decisions that inadvertently exclude LGBT+ families, such as defaulting to "mums and dads" rather than inclusive terminology.
• Derogatory comments made by Early Years professionals on public social media platforms about sexual orientation were noted as a concern, prompting reflection on what attitudes may be present within settings.

The long-term consequences of exclusion

The science of early brain development is used to underscore why inclusive, nurturing environments are critical, particularly before the age of five, when neural systems are most receptive to experience. Belonging and safety are key to social and emotional development.

Children from LGBT+ families may not identify as LGBT+ themselves, but they are aware when they are treated differently. This awareness can contribute to toxic stress, lasting developmental harm, and poor mental health.

• Research from the Centre on the Developing Child at Harvard University and theorists including Bowlby, Ainsworth, Bronfenbrenner, and Goswami is cited to support the argument that early experiences shape lifelong health, learning, and resilience.
• Aaron Bradbury states that "our own systems and our own processes, by no fault of our own, exclude children and their families because they are different," and that this has been confirmed directly by children and families.

Representation, environment, and the voice of the child

Creating environments that reflect the diversity of the communities children come from is identified as a practical and necessary step, with representation spanning:

• Physical resources
• Language
• Policies
• The emotional climate of a setting.

Children's voices are highlighted as an underutilised resource, with the child from an LGBT+ family described as the best person to inform Early Years practitioners about that experience.

• The Birth to Five Matters non-statutory guidance is cited as explicitly referencing LGBT+ inclusion, race, gender, and children's rights, providing a policy basis for practitioners to act.
• The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory guidance says that it seeks to provide "equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported."
• Practitioners are encouraged to view the environment from the child's physical perspective and to ask whether their setting is outwardly facing, community-engaged, and genuinely representative.

Gradual culture change as the path forward

Rather than reactive or tokenistic changes, sustainable inclusion requires a shared vision embedded across:

• Governance
• Leadership
• Curriculum
• Parent and carer engagement

Aaron Bradbury advises that ethos change takes time and that parents, carers, staff, and children must all be brought along on the journey together. For example:

• Consider whether there are safe spaces for staff to ask questions, learn, and reflect without fear of judgment - this is necessary for building a culture where LGBT+ inclusion is genuinely understood rather than performatively enacted.
• Celebrating Pride alongside other cultural festivals is proposed as an age-appropriate, joyful way to make LGBT families visible and to give children from those families a sense of representation.