Web Resource

NAEYC

I have worked side by side with the NAEYC organization for numerous years.  They have only improved the quality of life for the program that I look over and the lives of our children.  As we wrote a letter to the leaders in Washington, NAEYC has a link where they have already prepared a letter to our congressional leaders separated into three different parts.  Looking below is how they are listed in order in the letter:

a.       Provide grants to states to accelerate their work, expanding access and improving quality for prekindergarten programs.

b.      Create Early Head Start-child care partnerships to raise the quality of child care and expand access for infants and toddlers in programs meeting Early Head Start standards.

c.       Voluntary support for families that promotes positive parent-child interaction, healthy child development and family self-sufficiency.

NAEYC has taken a stand and we should join in with this project.  Advocating for the improvement of early childhood education programs is the ultimate goal for any persons involved in this field.  I am so thankful for all the hard work that NAEYC and all of their supporters do to advocate for all of us.  I have attached the link that you can go to and attach your name to the letter to our congressional leaders.

http://strongstart.naeyc.org/

No Luck Getting to know International Contacts Yet

My luck has not been the best with the podcast or hearing from my contacts that I have attempted to email.  I chose to explore Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website to gain an insight about early childhood systems around the globe.

I am familiar with the many challenges in our families here in the U.S., but when  I read the article written by Millicent Lawton, “Studying the Effects of Global Adversity, Two Generations at a Time”;  I was frightened to see what others are struggling with.   Keeping children alive is what most countries are struggling to accomplish and I am not ok with that.  Child soldiers in Seirra Leone and children whose parents are dealing with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda are two hardships that are discussed in this article.  Theresa Betancourt is the person running the research on this and she is determined to having research more orientated towards key questions and understanding the problems that these two countries are dealing with and strategically come up with solutions to the problems (Lawton, 2013).  I have to agree with Betancourt; we have not investigated the mental anguish that these children and families are dealing with enough to make immediate decisions on how assist with them.

Belonging to a group of professionals believing that we can make a difference in society with our children makes me proud.  I admire women like Theresa Betancourt who think outside the box and want answers to questions that are not necessarily asked rather swept under the rug.  Supporting and working side by side with professionals is a joy I have and one day want to stand next to the people like the examples listed.

Lawton, M. (2013) “Studying the Effects of Global Adversity” Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/

 

 

Highs and Lows of Resources

As the weeks have flown by, I found it amazing that so many people of all areas of this planet share the same love and concerns about early childhood.  There are so many concerns that are interconnected with children and they all need advocated for throughout the planet.  As an administrator, professional development is always needed.  Looking more into the international organizations was refreshing.  We hear so much about local programs but never that involve overseas.  I think it is important to network with other professionals; what is working for them may work for my program.

My biggest frustration about networking with other professionals is not able to personally contact them.  I have tried numerous times with the email addresses and no luck!  But other than that the websites and newsletters are informative.  The two resources below have been my favorite.  I feel very comfortable using the two for resources and they are easy to use.  They are both very involved with the wellbeing of each child in our programs and continue to promote their program with the community. 

The Global Alliance of NAEYC has e-mail addresses for early childhood professionals worldwide:
http://www.naeyc.org/resources/partnership/globalalliance

 

UNICEF has local organizations and representatives worldwide. Check out the country specific links and contact a local representative:
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html

They also work hand in hand with economists, neuroscientists, and politicians to help with funding, getting the word out about early childhood education and pushing for new policies that will assist with the wellbeing of each child.

Poverty in India

I am waiting patiently for a response from the emails I sent out almost three weeks ago from educational professionals in far off lands that are working side by side with children.  But for the mean time I visited the Childhood Poverty research and Policy Center webpage and read some very interesting facts regarding childhood poverty.

As I was reading in to more of how poverty was affecting other countries; India caught my eye.  I did not realize that they were second to China in the lead with the largest population.  With this poverty is high as well.  The following are founding’s in India after initiating research (Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre, 2013)

·         Drought and environmental deterioration have significantly undermined livelihoods and exacerbated poverty in Rajasthan. Responses which may contribute to poverty cycles include pressures on children to work, undermining their education and health.

·         Children from 10-15 per cent of households had migrated for work, usually with parents, but sometimes alone. Income from migrant children's work constituted between 18 and 45 per cent of the poorest households' income.

·         Indebtedness, related to drought-related pressures and social obligations (eg marriages, death feasts) affected over 80 per cent of households, and was a major factor leading to intergenerational poverty cycles.

·         At present national and state development programmes in health, education and livelihoods are not fulfilling their potential to help break poverty cycles. This reflects under-resourcing, the low status of the (mostly) women with responsibility for implementing these programmes, and limited accountability of staff to the people they are intended to serve. As a result core education, health and nutrition programmes are of variable quality and not all available on a reliable basis in the areas studied.

Ending poverty should play a part in everyone’s lives.  Not just an organization.  Poverty does not discriminate, it could be anyone of us living a life that has us thinking is today the day I eat.

http://www.childhoodpoverty.org

 

NAEYC, One of my favorite professional organizations

National Association for the Education of Young Children, (NAEYC), is an organization that supports not only professionals in the early childhood field but the families as well.  As a professional in this field my program and I refer to the NAEYC for best practices and resources that improve the quality of the program.  This organization has a great website that is informative on a variety of subjects that involve children beginning at infancy to eight years old.

 

As a member of this organization, I find it a bonus to participate in professional development workshops, attending conferences with fellow EC professionals, and the continuous improvements of the knowledge, skills, practices, dispositions (NAEYC, 2013).  Right now if you were to visit the website, you would see the excitement of the upcoming NAEYC’s annual conference.   The location of the event is in Washington, D.C. and the dates are November 20-23, 2013.  I am not attending but I encourage anyone that will be in the area to attend this amazing event.  It is a great way to network and to expand your knowledge of early childhood education.

 

http://www.naeyc.org/

 

Professional Contacts

Having professional contacts is very important for anyone, so to have professional contacts that share the same interests in another country is even better.  I have attempted to contact a few professionals from The Global Alliance of NAEYC and UNICEF.  Time will only tell if I will be able to move forward with my contacts, but I am hopeful. 

I chose two organizations that I have used for references before and are familiar with what their organization stands for.  I have attached a few more organizations that are well worth the reading to assist with networking. 

The Global Alliance of NAEYC has e-mail addresses for early childhood professionals worldwide:
http://www.naeyc.org/resources/partnership/globalalliance

UNICEF has local organizations and representatives worldwide. Check out the country specific links and contact a local representative:
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html

National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies
http://www.naccrra.org/
(Newsletter: http://capwiz.com/naccrra/mlm/signup/ )

Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Familieshttp://www.zerotothree.org/ (May have to use http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/ )
(Newsletters:
http://zttcfn.pub30.convio.net/child-development/from-baby-to-big-kid/ and
http://capwiz.com/zerotothree/mlm/signup/ )

National Black Child Development Institute
http://nbcdi.org/
(Newsletter: http://nbcdi.org/support/sign-up-for-nbcdi-newsletters/ ) 

Ghana
Rev Charles Arko-Nunoo
P.O. Box MK 157
Mankessim
C/R Ghana
Tel: + 233 42 34180
Email: 2kdotcom@ghana.com

 

My Supports

I have many “supporting” people in my life.  I could go down a list of people but I am going to just hit on the most important people in my life.  First there is my husband of eleven years; who puts a smile on my face even in the darkest of days.  He shares the same passion as I do for early childhood education and understands my joy and frustrations that come with my position as an administrator in a very large facility.  My children are who keep me sane and know exactly how to lighten the mood.  There unconditional love is what I live for. 

As for professionally I give my team the supporting award.  I can yell, cuss, shout to the moon and they sit back, laugh and say ok, not let’s get down to business.  I would not ask for a better team than what I have now.  To have a team that supports our program unconditionally and live for the wellbeing of our children that we educate every day for is just a wonderful feeling.  Advocating for our program is very challenging and at times we have to shut the door and let it all out so that when we get in front of the people that decide our fate we can be professional and the tension is out of our behavior.

There are so many more benefits of the support that I receive personally and professionally.  I am a better person because of the support each person gives me.  It would be very difficult for me to be where I am in my life.  I would not love like I love and strive for more without the support I get from the people I have listed. 

I cannot imagine a challenge that I would not be able to overcome.  I have such a great group of supportive people and programs in my life that I would find a way to get through this challenge.  There are always benefits after overcoming a challenge.  Team is stronger and up for a new challenge.  I love the challenges that come with early childhood education.  I love making a positive outcome with the many challenges that come with this field.