It is vitally important that all cultures be acknowledged and accepted in early childhood education services. Multiculturalism then becomes an exciting and rewarding way to learn and to teach.

New Zealand is accepting more and more different cultures into its society every year. As a result, ECE services are enrolling more and more immigrant and refugee children. It is important for staff members of these services to be welcoming of new religions, languages and customs ensuring a smooth transition into the centre.

Teachers are required to work with children and families from diverse cultures whether they agree with their own personal beliefs or not. In order to understand a child better, the teacher must also understand their family and culture. This can be achieved by building meaningful relationships with the caregivers of children, where teachers can gain greater insight to the lives of the children they teach.

Families' cultures can be incorporated into the preschool’s learning environment in many other ways, including:

• Creating a family tree that includes photos of all the families in the centre

• Making a world map/globe with the children and placing family names or photos on the countries where different families are from

• Singing songs and playing music from different countries

• Making the flags of different countries with the children

• Encouraging parents to come and cook different ethnic food with centre

• At least once every term, hold a cultural day. Ask the children to dress in their country's traditional clothes on that day

• Learn a new greeting each week

• Acknowledge different cultural celebrations not just Easter and Christmas

• Include clothes from around the world in the dress up box

• Have books in the centre from around the world. A number of these books will be written in English as well as the native tongue.

• Display posters and pictures of children from around the world

• Create a time when the children's family members can come and share something special

• Have family evenings where families get the opportunity to meet others in the community

• Use the notice board to provide useful information to newly-arrived families

These are only a few of the many wonderful ways early childhood education services can meet the needs of new families enrolling into centres.

"People can only live fully by helping others to live. When you give life to friends you truly live. Cultures can only realize their further richness by honoring other traditions. And only by respecting natural life can humanity continue to exist." -Diasaku Ikeda.