The 34th National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Annual Conference is just around the corner! In a few short days, more than 1,000 FCC educators, advocates, and leaders will meet in St. Louis from July 24-27.
This year, as part of our conference line-up, we are excited to host meetings for the Indigenous, Latino, Black, Arabic, and Asian Pacific Islander Caucuses. This year’s conference promises to be an enriching and impactful event, and we look forward to your active participation.
We have dedicated Caucus meetings aimed at discussing crucial issues and fostering collaboration. These meetings will provide a unique platform to address equitable practices within family child care and strengthen networks among our diverse communities. Caucus meetings taking place at the conference include Indigenous Caucus, Latino Caucus, Black Caucus, Arabic Caucus, and Asian Pacific Islander Caucus. We’d also like to note that the Indigenous Caucus is open to any educators who care for and support Indigenous, Native, and tribal communities and children.
We sat down with members of the NAFCC caucuses and learned more about their perspectives, hopes, and excitement for the conference. Here’s what they had to say:
Q&A with Caucus Members
What unique perspectives and insights are you excited to bring to the NAFCC Annual Conference this year?
Meghan Green (Black Caucus): “I am excited to engage Black family child care educators in collaborative dialogues about how to lift the amazing work being done in communities across the country. Over the past two years, we have been able to create a community focused on the needs of Black children and caregivers and share resources that explore issues of racial identity development and racial equity as related to home-based child care educators.”
Tanya Hutton (Indigenous Caucus): “I am excited to bring a unique perspective to the NAFCC Annual Conference this year by highlighting the importance and ease of incorporating Native American representation into classroom environments and curricula. Native American culture is often overlooked in mainstream discussions and inclusion efforts, leading to a lack of awareness and understanding. By sharing practical strategies and examples, I aim to demonstrate how educators can seamlessly integrate Native American culture, history, and contributions into their teaching practices. This inclusion not only enriches the learning experience for all students but also ensures that Native American voices and stories are recognized and valued.”
How do you believe the diverse backgrounds of the attendees will enhance the discussions and outcomes at the conference?
Meghan Green (Black Caucus): “Attendees at NAFCC will have the chance to engage with individuals who both share their intersections of identity and those who do not. As participants interact with folks from multiple perspectives, a kind of synergy occurs and folks have the opportunity to exchange ideas.”
Tanya Hutton (Indigenous Caucus): “The diverse backgrounds of the attendees will significantly enhance the discussions and outcomes at the conference by bringing a rich variety of perspectives, experiences, and knowledge to the table. This diversity is crucial, especially when addressing the often-overlooked inclusion of Native American culture in mainstream education and child care. By engaging with attendees from different cultural, professional, and geographical backgrounds, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of how to effectively integrate Native representation into classroom environments and curricula.”
In what ways do you envision the conference fostering greater collaboration and support among family child care educators from different cultural backgrounds?
Meghan Green (Black Caucus): “I believe that the conference will help attendees learn from one another in a supportive environment. The goal will shift from simply acknowledging cultural differences to understanding how those differences empower us to create spaces of reciprocal authenticity.”
Tanya Hutton (Indigenous Caucus): “I envision the conference fostering greater collaboration and support among family child care educators from different cultural backgrounds by demonstrating the ease and importance of inclusivity within curricula and classroom environments. By sharing practical strategies and examples of how to integrate Native American culture, we can inspire participants to consider and incorporate other underrepresented cultures as well.”
What are some of the key challenges faced by family child care educators in your community, and how do you hope the conference will address these issues?
Meghan Green (Black Caucus): “Family child care educators in my community have voiced several challenges including the need for more collective activism, increased opportunities for networking across geographic regions, a desire for more mentoring opportunities, creating additional empowerment spaces for family child care educators, helping family child care educators sustain their professional identities, redefining and highlighting quality in the family child care sector, and additional research that aligns theory and practice for family child care professionals.”
Tanya Hutton (Indigenous Caucus): “Some of the key challenges faced by family child care educators in my community include under-representation and the prevalence of culturally inappropriate mainstream ideas. Indigenous family child care educators often struggle with curricula and assessments that are not designed with their unique cultural contexts in mind. I hope the conference will address these issues by providing a platform to discuss and develop strategies for more inclusive and culturally appropriate educational practices.”
How do you see the NAFCC Annual Conference as an opportunity to strengthen the voice and impact of family child care educators from diverse communities?
Meghan Green (Black Caucus): “The NAFCC Annual Conference provides a space dedicated to individuals who embody a sense of communal care and respect. This organization has created pathways for increased advocacy specifically for family child care in the broader child care sector. Family child care educators from various social identities have the opportunity to share their lived experiences and build long-lasting relationships with others in their communities.”
Tanya Hutton (Indigenous Caucus): “The conference is a vital opportunity to strengthen the voice and impact of family child care educators from diverse communities by providing a platform for sharing experiences, challenges, and successes. This conference allows educators to come together, learn from one another, and develop strategies for overcoming common barriers, such as under-representation and culturally inappropriate mainstream practices.”
Your insights and contributions are invaluable in shaping policies and initiatives that enhance support for family child care educators and children nationwide. We encourage all members to join us in these discussions, share their experiences, and help drive meaningful change. If you haven’t already, please register to attend the conference.
Thank you for your commitment to advancing family child care. We look forward to seeing you in St. Louis and working together toward a brighter future for all children.
