The booklet Diversity and Social Inclusion - Exploring Competences for Professional Practice in Early Childhood Education and Care booklet is a result of the ISSA and DECET (Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Training network) Working Group on Professionalism with the support from Bernard van Leer Foundation. It was created to highlight the need for the professional Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) communities to recognize, respect and embrace diversity and equality as part of their ECEC professional engagement.

Based on interviews with more than 120 ECEC professionals from  Belgium (Flemish Community), France, Ireland, Serbia, Mexico, Morocco, The Netherlands, Scotland and England,  fundamental and essential competences for ECEC providers in addressing diversity and equality issues were defined as well as five specific competences. It includes quotes from practice which are inspiring and which are showing that those working in ECEC  have an openness to grow and learn with the children and families in their services. These competences challenge the profession to explore personal and collective values and holistically embrace diversity and social inclusion. The booklet can also be used as a training tool.