Equity Principles & Practices
We commit to practicing the following Equity Principles and Practices to guide all decisions and approaches throughout the Community Needs Assessment and the development of the Chatham Early Childhood Action Plan (ECAP).
These principles and practices reflect the values and approaches already used by Chatham County Partnership for Children, our consultants (Partners for Impact and Community Voices Method), and our funders (Chatham Education Foundation and Smart Start/NC Partnership for Children).
In alignment with these Principles and Practices, we welcome constructive feedback and/or ideas on these Equity Principles & Practices from community partners, parents, caregivers, families, providers and community members.
We believe in….
Centering
Racial Equity
Therefore, we will…
Apply a racial equity lens to all approaches and decisions by holding ourselves accountable to actionably practicing the following principles and practices of this Equity Plan, and establishing explicit racial equity goals in all plans.
We will continually return to these principles/practices throughout the process to inform and evaluate our actions.
Transparency
Share data with the Chatham Community via the ECAP website, the Community Collaborative*, and other community-oriented platforms, and specifically with research participants.
Dissemination results in accessible formats, such as video, digital formats, print copies available in diverse locations, and in Spanish.
Practice shared decision-making processes by working in partnership with our community collaborative.
Accountability to Principles and People
Fairly compensate participants who respond to the survey, participate in focus groups or interview, and/or attend a listening session.
Maintain confidentiality of child and family information. We will not disclose or discuss with others and/or in public areas. All focus group and interviews participants will have to provide informed consent.
Honor lived experience as expertise in our research, analysis, prioritization, and decision-making processes.
Equitable Access
Promote Language Justice by translating print and digital materials into Spanish and providing Spanish-language interpreters at community events and meetings.
Promote Digital Inclusion by reducing barriers that limit opportunity and access for participation for individuals and communities with varying levels of digital access.
Promote geographic inclusion by ensuring the voices of diverse of geographic regions are represented in data collection process, providing print surveys are available in rural/remote community, and engaging rural/remote communities in and listening sessions.
Foster a family Friendly Environment by understanding supporting the needs of families, and providing accommodations and support.
Ensure literacy and dual-language access by providing easy-to-understand print and multimedia materials, and/or materials available in Spanish.
Inclusive Public Engagement
Intentionally recruit study participants with diverse experiences, including by race, ethnicity, class, gender, geographic location, language, and/or abilities.
Use a participatory processes that lift up systemically marginalized voices for interpreting results and determining priorities.
Sharing Power with Parents & Community
Engage in shared leadership and decision making through recruiting a diverse and representative Community Collaborative*
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Offer deliberative community listening sessions, which will be participatory, held at multiple times and locations in order to maximize accessibility, and provide ongoing opportunities for parents, caretakers, families and residents to share their thoughts, reflections and ideas for the ECAP.
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Be grounded in the voices of community members, including parents, caregivers, childcare providers, and community partners.
Thinking and Working
at Multiple Levels
Think at the systems-level by collecting and interpreting data and determining priorities that address the personal, interpersonal, institutional, and structural levels.
Disaggregate data by race/ethnicity to assess for potential racial disparities and inequities.
Strategize structural interventions that acknowledge and address structures and power relationships, and their cumulative impact.
*Community Collaborative is a convening of community partners (i.e. nonprofits, public sector, service providers, faith-based organizations, etc.) that share a common goal of ensuring the wellbeing of Chatham County’s youngest residents. This body will provide ongoing input and feedback on the Community Needs Assessment and Chatham Early Childhood Action Plan, and will assist in connecting community members with this process.