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Resource Collection: Working Towards Equity for Native American Children and Families

Resources about the Native American populations in the United States provide foundational knowledge to inform early childhood systems building with tribal communities and help state, community, and tribal leaders take steps to address inequities and impact structural and institutional barriers to opportunity so that all children can reach their full potential.

A commitment to equity, with an emphasis on racial equity, is central to BUILD’s work. By this we mean the just and fair opportunity for all children to get the resources and support they need to prosper and reach their full potential. Equal opportunity for all will not result in equity because some children need more than others because of US colonialism and racism that have marginalized and under-resourced so many communities and people. If we want children to thrive, families and communities who have faced historic and persistent racism—individual, structural and institutional—need more and different types of opportunities.

BUILD isn’t new to working with Native American tribes. We are supporting state leaders’ work with tribal leaders; we have organized site visits to Native American communities; we encouraged state leaders to focus on tribes in the Birth to Five Preschool Development Grants. But we know we have only skimmed the surface of sovereignty and racial equity issues related to Native Americans and tribes. BUILD wants to ensure that we see Native children and families and that we collectively hear about their experiences. And, that our actions then are responsive and in partnership.

This collection of resources, that will evolve and grow over time, provides information to help us understand more about Native American populations to support our goals to help state, community, and tribal leaders take steps to address inequities and impact structural and institutional barriers to opportunity so that all children can reach their full potential.

Food Sovereignty: Combatting Childhood Obesity in Native American and Black Communities

Blog November 22, 2021

This blog was written with input from Barb Fabre, CEO, Indigenous Visioning; Trisha Moquino, Co-Founder/Education Director, Keres Children’s Learning Center; A-dae Romero-Briones (Kiowa/Cochiti), Director of Programs, Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative; and Gale Spotted Tail, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Child Care Services/Lakota Language Preservation Project.

In Recognition of Indigenous People’s Day

Blog October 11, 2021

The BUILD Initiative joins 17 states and the District of Columbia, as well as many cities, in recognition of the 60 million Native peoples who inhabited the Americas before Columbus’s arrival and pays homage to Native Americans in the US and its territories.

Culture, Identity, Sources, and History of Strength and Resilience for Tribal Communities

Archived Webinar September 1, 2021

The Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation offers virtual training webinars from experts on key topics in the field of infant & early childhood mental health, followed by meaningful discussion. Webinar 2, accessed on this webpage, examines issues of racialized inequities and bias on the early care and education experiences for Tribal Communities, explores traditional practices and their role in healing and resilience, examines the commonalities of IECMHC and traditional practices; and identifies practices and policies to strengthen cultural responsiveness in IECMHC for tribal communities, in order to reduce disparities and support children’s healthy development.

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Racial Equity Toolkit

Planning Tool September 1, 2021

The new Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Racial Equity Toolkit is a collection of videos, tools, and resources that can help consultation systems leaders and all IECMHC practitioners build capacity in understanding race and systemic racism, bias, and culturally responsive practice and meaningfully embed equity in their programs and practice. Each resource includes accompanying discussion questions that can guide reflection of the central issues.

The National Indian Child Care Association

Website September 1, 2021

The National Indian Child Care Association is a representative American Indian and Alaska Native Organization serving the 268 Tribal Child Care Development Fund grantees that represent Tribal communities across the nation. Tribal child care and early childhood programs work hard to provide our children, families, and communities with high quality child care services all across Indian Country. This website provides program information and a wide variety of resources.

The Tribal Child Care Association of California: The Voice of Tribal Child Care in California

Website September 1, 2021

The mission of Tribal Child Care Association of California (TCCAC) is to sustain and maintain high quality, culturally relevant child care programs through the unification of tribal voices and by providing support, sharing knowledge, educating Tribes, federal, state, and local governments and agencies. This website provides a calendar of events, resources, and a variety of information about Tribal Child Care in California.

Tribal Early Childhood Working Group Summary Report and Blueprint for Action

Report January 6, 2021

In 2020, The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) held a series of working group meetings to better understand successes and challenges in providing early childhood services in tribal communities. This report provides a synopsis of those proceedings and the blueprint for action that ACF plans to take as a result.

Start with Equity 14 Priorities to Dismantle Systemic Racism in Early Care and Education

Report December 1, 2020

This resource names 14 critical priorities to advance equity in the early childhood education system. It provides a policy agenda that serves as an actionable roadmap with specific recommendations to help federal and state policymakers, paired with the work of families and advocates, move the field closer to realizing racial equity for our youngest children.