54 10.2: Summary

The socioeconomic status of families may affect their access to resources to support their families. Families with higher income parents/caregivers may have the resources and connections that help them meet their family goals, while families that are impoverished may need to focus on meeting the basic needs of their family. While poverty can cause inequity that affects access to and involvement within developmentally appropriate early childhood education programs and presents risks to children’s health and safety, experiencing poverty is not bad.

Families may also experience stressors such as homelessness and long-term parental/caregiver absence. As these and other stressors have a cumulative effect on families, it’s important that early childhood education programs offer whatever support they can to help minimize stress, or at least the effects of the stress they may be experiencing.