Abstract
Vulnerability is identified as multifaceted, in which young children's holistic wellbeing is threatened. Children are exposed to intersections of potential risk-clusters in their environments. This chapter illuminates intersections of vulnerabilities affecting young children. It conceptualises these in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic within an early childhood care and education (ECCE) context. The effects of COVID-19 intersect existing vulnerabilities in young children. A discourse of enlightenment addresses young children's vulnerability to promote healthy childhoods. A glimpse into ECD policy and relevant theories supports the contextualisation of children's vulnerabilities. A transdisciplinary approach is presented to invite various disciplines who are involved in working and supporting young children. The chapter hopes to contribute to the work of the ECCE sector and all those associated in the efforts to transform early childhoods and to optimise young children's early childhood experiences.
TopIntroduction
Young children live and grow up in a world of social hierarchy, as imposed by significant adults. Often children’s reality surrounding them is murky and unsettled, leaving them vulnerable. Children in the world today are too often strangers, forced out by social imbalances to the verges, by the very people who are supposed to nurture and protect. Perceptions are that children live in social world constructed by adults, where there are familiar, friendly, and welcoming spaces (Górnikiewicz & Jaszczyszyn, 2013), yet too often, children’s lived reality is disconnected from this picture.
Various policy, media, and initial research sources, indicate that Covid-19 has a damaging effect on young children’s developmental learning, wellbeing and safety. The virus has had a corrosive effect on familial function and resources, impacting social-economic wellbeing, health, finance, and day-to-day survival. Cumulative stressors have impacted children’s life-world including lockdown restrictions such as school closure and decreased access to essential services (Bakrania, Chavez, Ipince, Rocca et al., 2020).
The first five years of a child’s life represent a critical maturational and developmental period, indicative of rapid brain activity. Synaptogenic and synaptic plasticity allows for extensive brain growth, pliability, and absorbency, yet it is considerably more vulnerable and sensitive to environmental risk factors (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). Neuroscience illuminates early childhood development (ECD), from a neuro-social perspective which informs the nature of children and childhoods, in a socio-economical-political perspective. Researchers encourage the custodians of young children, to exercise ethical and moral values in an empowering discourse to nurture, protect, and ensure the health and wellbeing of all young children (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000; Shonkoff & Levitt, 2010).
While there has been a massive public discourse of collaboration, humanity and saving lives, there now needs to be another discourse of enlightenment to address young children’s vulnerability, wellbeing, safety and protection and healthy childhoods. The silence needs to be broken. Young children need opportunities to share their confusion, their fears, anxieties, and concerns about their future in order to rebuild and restore their confidence and develop their agency to ensure their wellbeing (Shonkoff & Levitt, 2010). As the world continues to watch the waves of Covid-19, perhaps it is time to re-imagine, re-assess and re-create early learning opportunities for young children. Perhaps it is time to consider new ways of rebuilding relationships and partnerships with parents, families and other significant adults as well as reconstruct caring and nurturing environments to restore the vitality of humanness, and citizenry of young children, in light of the Covid-19 aftermath
Key Terms in this Chapter
Vulnerability: Vulnerability is a humanistic characteristic, an inevitable part of being human. Young children are more susceptible to being vulnerable than at other life stages. Vulnerability is defined as “the likelihood of being harmed by unforeseen events or as susceptibility to exogenous shocks” embedded in the broader spectrum of socio-economic, political, and institutionally interconnected relationships in micro-macro environments (Johnson Harbach, 2020; Better Care Network, 2004).
Young Children: Young children in this context refers to all babies, toddlers and young children whatever their abilities, gender, background, language, or culture from birth to 4years (preschool) and 5 – 9years (schooling phase) (DBE, 2015).
Discourse: In this context, discourse refers to children’s vulnerability when framed by an intersectional lens to view the processes of interconnecting disadvantage, radiating from the conjecture between multiple intersections of vulnerability (Floya, 2013).
Intersections: In this context, intersections refers to the way in which multiple vulnerabilities intertwine and overlap to intersectionalise against a background of asymmetric risk, support or coping strategies. The intensity of these intersections results in a downward spiral. Each downward loop exacerbates the child’s vulnerable state, increasing the likelihood that the child will have a negative experience as a result of the shock. The 'spiral' concept adds to the vulnerability definition by allowing for multiple stages of vulnerability (Better Care Network, 2004).
Transdisciplinary: In this context, transdisciplinary refers to an approach called for to address young children’s vulnerabilities. It comes from Nicolescu’s (2014) take on Piaget’s (1970) term transdisciplinarity, which calls for a collaborative approach that invests support ‘through’ and ‘beyond’ various disciplines which serve to complement each other (Moodley et al ., 2019).
Early Childhood Development: Early childhood in this context refers to the critical foundation period wherein the architecture of the developing brain is influenced by young children’s early experiences and their environment. Early childhood development is the crucial window period of opportunity that supports health and all domains of holistic human development which forms the cornerstone of subsequent skills and higher learning capacity. Early childhood impacts wellbeing, emotional competence, mental health, educational prowess, and economic status (Proulx & Lye, 2016).
COVID-19 Pandemic: COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, is linked to respiratory illness, occasionally to severe pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress. Covid-19 has impacted societies, families, and children worldwide and is therefore not only a medical issue but a “social disaster” as well (Maestripieri, 2021). In this context, an intersectional view illuminates how the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic intersects with and exposes existing vulnerabilities in young children.
Children’s Wellbeing: In this context wellbeing refers to a priority early learning and developmental area. It applies to the development of young children’s self-awareness, positive self-image, and self-efficacy. It takes cognizance of young children’s agency in developing their physical, psycho-socio-emotional, and self-regulatory skills in relation to their peers (DBE, 2015).