Conference Commitment
Conference Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB): Justice demands we take the necessary steps to reimagine and begin to create systems to ensure that every person has fair conditions, support, and agency to live free of oppression, with humanity and joy. The home visiting field is in a necessary and ongoing period of grappling with and addressing the deep economic, social, and racial disparities that exist in the United States. As a leader in home visiting, the Summit invites you, through work in policy, practice, and research, to change the systems on which these inequities were built.
What We Value
- Respect for Others – Use appropriate communication for a diverse professional audience
- Speaking your Truth – Be truthful and intentional in your participation and show dignity to those who are being equally willing
- Confidence and Trust – Help us build a safe community by welcoming differing perspectives and valuing the experience and expertise of our participants
What We Won’t Tolerate
We are committed to providing a harassment-free experience for all attendees. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form, including but not limited to:
- Offensive, exclusionary or disrespectful comments related to gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, mental health, age, race, or religion
- Continued disruption of discussion
- Unwelcome sexual attention
- Aggressive, threatening or deliberately intimidating language
Managing Conflict
We want the Summit to be a safe and inviting environment for generative dialogue with colleagues that share similar and differing values and beliefs. If you find yourself in a conversation that feels uncomfortable, the following strategies may be helpful:
- Remain Calm: Remaining calm in tense situations can reduce tension in others.
- Listen: Attending to the conversation without interrupting and asking relevant questions to gain an understanding of another person’s perspective can help promote constructive dialogue.
- Empathize: Demonstrate genuine concern without judging can create a pathway to understanding.
- Walk Away: If conflict escalates beyond the point of resolution, agree to disagree and leave the situation.
Reporting
If you are being harassed by any participant or speaker at the event, notice that someone else is being harassed or have any concerns, please contact a member of the the Conference Planning team immediately. Staff will be identified with gold lanyards and present in all meeting rooms. You can find support at the registration desk and submit via email to Events@StartEarly.org. We will respond promptly as we can.
Consequences
Anyone asked to stop harassing behavior must do so immediately. We reserve the right to terminate anyone’s participation in the event if they do not comply with the Community Agreement.
