In this episode of DEC Talks, we share selected reflections from the 2025 Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Award Winners, drawn from the DEC Awards Ceremony. These excerpts highlight moments where award recipients spoke directly about their motivation, purpose, and the values that guide their work in inclusion in early childhood, early intervention, and early childhood special education. Featuring voices of educators, family leaders, researchers, and mentors, this episode centers one guiding question: What is the “why” that sustains this work? Listeners are invited to reflect on the relationships, experiences, and commitments that shape inclusive early childhood systems, and the reasons they stay connected to this field. To learn more about the values and practices reflected in this episode, you can access the complete 2025 DEC Awards Ceremony, the DEC Recommended Practices, and the DEC Racial Equity Point of View at dec-sped.org.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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