Chelsea T. Morris, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Individual, Family, and Community Education at the University of New Mexico. Her research responds directly to the exclusionary practices that occur in preschool and child care settings, examining how systems of policy, licensure, and workforce development can be restructured to foster inclusion and equity. She is the editor and co-author of Strengths-Based Family and Community Partnerships in Early Childhood Special Education: Research and Practice (Routledge, 2025), which advances community-centered and justice-oriented approaches to early childhood education. Through state and federally funded projects, Dr. Morris bridges research, policy, and practice to build early learning systems that honor family voice, cultural wealth, and the holistic well-being of young children. Her scholarship also extends to infant and early childhood mental health and trauma-informed care, emphasizing the need for responsive, relationship-based approaches that support children, families, and the workforce.