Policy and spaces of belonging: Hidden voices in New York City's early childhood socioeconomic integration effort

Preschool socioeconomic segregation is prevalent in early childhood, including in New York City. New York City attempted to address school segregation through socioeconomic integration at the preschool level. We challenge how this implementation and the prevailing socioeconomic integration narratives have critically omitted family perspectives, inquiring if families see integration as promoting preschool as a space of belonging. We reclaimed those voices by interviewing 20 diverse families attending preschools in integrated and segregated settings. Using Critical Policy Analysis for this qualitative phenomenological study, we found widespread support for integration, tempered by concerns about logistics, power dynamics, social networks, and misconceptions deeply rooted in race and class bias. We advocate for a culture shift emphasizing antibias training across community members, including families. This study provided insights to redefine and repair preschool socioeconomic integration across international contexts as a space of belonging for all families.