Confronting Racism and Bias Within Early Intervention: The Responsibility of Systems and Individuals to Influence Change and Advance Equity

Many early intervention systems are focused on “fixing” children to support development and inclusion. However, we need to acknowledge systemic racism and bias to focus on early settings, schools, and practitioners who are ready for all children. Furthermore, knowledge about the existence of bias and its possible harmful effects support a need for thoughtful, systems-level decisions. We propose a conceptual model for acknowledging the impact of social stratification mechanisms like systemic racism on the development of young children of color in early intervention to ensure equitable access and outcomes. Through this acknowledgment, we can consider systems-level change to build equity-empowered settings and classrooms that support optimal development for all children, especially children of color and with disabilities.