Exploring Belonging in Early Childhood Care and Education

Belonging is a fundamental human need with significant developmental implications, influencing identity, self-concept, mental health, emotional-wellbeing, and behavior. While school belonging has been widely studied, research on belonging in early childhood care and education (ECCE) settings, particularly from young children’s perspectives, is limited. This multi-case study investigated young children’s perspectives in ECCE settings to determine how they explained the term belonging and to identify key factors contributing to their sense of belonging through photography, tours, discussions, and drawings. Prioritizing cross-case analysis, the findings revealed that young children could explain belonging and articulate specific factors, places, people, or activities as contributors. The findings also demonstrated that the young children associated belonging with specific experiences, including spending time in special places, engaging in big movements, creating with open-ended materials, and working with Montessori lessons. Additionally, the young children emphasized acts of nurturing – such as serving, sharing, and helping – as a factor that contributed to their friends’ sense of belonging. These findings highlight the importance of including young children’s voices in research to inform teaching practices and environmental design. By integrating young children’s perspectives about belonging, ECCE teachers can better meet the developmental and emotional needs of young learners by fostering a sense of belonging in ECCE settings.