Parent, Family and Community Engagement

The stories touch me personally and professional because they provided insight into the great experiences many children and families have encountered through the Head Start program.  The parents spoke of the educational opportunities that were provided to their children and how they where enriched and empowered by being a part of the program.  Head start helped them to acquire knowledge and services that were important to developing relationships with their children and with staff members.  It also helped many parents build their self esteem by being a part of the program and the positive experiences that the program instills. 
These stories help childcare professional realize the value and the reward of what they do and it allows them to continue to advocate for young children in order to make sure their needs are being met.  It renews the strength of educators and helps them to keep fighting to make sure policy makers and the government understands how essential early education is to children and families.

Involvement opportunities for parents and families in the early childhood program are essential for meeting the needs of children, both at home and at school.  Effective communication is key in setting goals for children and families and for meeting and addressing the needs that will allow the child and the parents to develop successful relationships that will continue throughout their lifetime.  I believe parent/family involvement is an essential system element for all strands of service in the early childhood field because it shows parents how important their role is in educating their children and helping to set goals for what they want to see them accomplish.  It's also essential to make sure the needs of children are being met on all levels possible and that adjustments are made to make sure children grow develop appropriately.


Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC), part of the Office of Head Start.http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/about/stories/pfs

What Resonates With You About Early Childhood Public Policy and Advocacy

"In the field of early childhood education, advocacy is the willingness to take a stand on behalf of children and families that goes beyond common decency or expectations" (Kieff, J, 2009). As an educator and an advocate children, it is important for me to continuously increase my knowledge of the issues and concerns that that regularly affect children and families.  It's also important for me to recognize and understand the different concepts of advocacy and the characteristics that will make me a more effective advocate.

"Advocacy is a proactive stance taken by individuals in response to particular issues that concern them" (Kieff, J., 2009).  Becoming a skill and confident advocate is crucial for early childhood professionals and the field because it puts professionals in a better position to work for children and families on local and national levels.  It allows professionals to make sure that others know the importance of what children need to grow and development, as well as, protect their individual rights and needs.

I hope to learn how advocacy and public policy impacts children and families in both positive and negative ways.  I also hope to learn how to become a more effective advocate for children and families by learning from others and by learning how I can increase my advocacy efforts for children and families.  Also, I hope to develop ongoing resources and support that will allow me to become a more effective advocate for the early childhood field.

Kieff, J. (2009). Informed advocacy in early childhood care and education: Making a difference for young children and families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc

Time Well Spent

I am extremely happy about finally completing this program at Walden.  It has been a long, but successful journey,  and I have learned a lot of new things that will benefit as I continue on life's journey.  I've learned about diversity which allows me to understand the differences in other cultures, lifestyles, and background.  Diversity has also taught me to self-evaluate in order to eliminate personal biases I have about others and to recognize the individual differences that make us all unique.  I've also learned about building communities of practice in order to help me identify the problems and concerns that exist in the early childhood field.  The more people I involve in my community of practice will help me to broaden my thinking and develop solutions that will benefit children and families.  Also, I've learned that early childhood field consists of a lot of dedicated and passionate educators who work hard to ensure that all children receive appropriate educational opportunities.  These educators continually strive to increase equality in education in order to promote growth and development in all children.

One of my long term goals is to continue my education in order to stay informed of the constant changes in the early childhood field and become a stronger advocate for children and families. 

Dr. Shephard, you have made this last semester a true learning experience.  I thank you for all of your feedback, suggestions and additional resources which were all very helpful through the course.  I have been inspired by your dedication to helping us complete our journey.  Again, thank you and God bless.

Colleagues/friends, it has been an amazing journey!  I have learned so much from all of you through your stories and experiences, and it made learning so much easier knowing that we were all in it together.  I wish all of you much success in the future, and hopefully I will see some of you in future courses.  Stay positive, remain passionate, and continue to work for our children, as well as inspire others.  Good Luck and Thanks for Sharing!!!  
(Email: angel2angelx3@yahoo.com)


"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
                                                                                 Dolly Parton
"Be who you are, and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter
  don't mind"
                                                                                        Dr. Seuss

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

National Children's Advocacy Center - works to respond to and prevent child abuse through education, service and leadership.  It works to get the agencies, law enforcement and the courts to respond in a timely matter to child abuse issue, as well as, train others to deal with the problem of child abuse.  I chose this organization because it encourages organizations to work together to protect children from abuse
National Head Start Association - works to provide low income children and families with early childhood educational opportunities.  It also participates with community outreach in order to place families with needed services and information. I chose Head Start because I am a big supporter of the program and how they make a difference in the lives of children and families. All children need to receive an appropriate education regardless of financial abilities, and Head Start works to make sure that they have the opportunity
National Association for the Education of Young Children - works on behalf of young children to set standards of excellence for programs and teachers in early childhood education.  I chose this organization because it  makes sure that the ece programs and teachers are providing quality education and service to children and families.


Job opportunities:  Early Childhood Instructor, Child Life Specialist, Parent Educator
Along with the current skills and experience I have, I would need to become familiar with the specific regulations related to each of these jobs including curriculum development and identifying developmental objectives for children and families.


www.nationalcac.org
www.nhsa.org
www.naeyc.org

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Child Care Resources, Inc - Provides resource and referral services for children and families, supports high quality learning and helps programs start, improve and sustain high quality services.
I chose this program because it helps families locate and afford child care services within the community.  Many families have trouble finding quality child care, especially when they are new to an area, and this agency helps with referrals and with the cost of child care.
Smart Start - A private organization that provides health, family support and early care and education for children ages birth to five and their families.  I chose this program because it focus on meeting the needs of children from birth, it supports health and education, and  it also provides early childhood educators with incentives for working with children and families.
Thompson Child and Family Focus - Provides developmental and preventive services to children and their families through educational and therapeutic resources.  I choose this agencies because it provides family support services to children and families facing a variety of needs and concerns in order to promote future development and learning.

Job opportunities:  Inclusion specialist, Child Development Specialist, Education Coordinator, Child Care Director.
Along with the current education and experience that I already have, I would need to become more familiar with the NC licensing guidelines and the 5 star rating system.  Also for the Child Care Director position I will need to complete Administration I & II.

When I Think of Research.....

The insights I have gained about research from taking this course is that there is a lot of work and effort that goes into doing research, and a lot of information obtain as a result of it.  I am glad that I learned how to look for reputable information when doing research, and how to determine what makes a research study more valid.

My ideas about doing research haven't changed much.  I still think it's a complicated process that requires special people to do it, but I don't think I'm one of those people.  I will be willing to read the results, but I don't think I want to be the one doing the actual research.

The lessons I learned is to make sure that you are researching a topic that you are interested in, and to develop the research questions thoroughly in order to be able to move forward with the next steps of the research process.  One challenge I encountered was that my research questions was initially too broad and it hindered me from moving on with the next steps in the research process.  I am glad I have some excellent feedback during this class that helped me to sort out the steps that were the most challenging for me.

My perceptions have been modified because I have gained a new respect for the people that do research.  I understand that there is a definite need for research in order to find answers to important questions that will benefit the early childhood field, as well as, many other areas.  I'm glad there are those out there who are committed to doing research in order to provide others with a better understanding of the various questions of this world.

Thanks to everyone for being so supportive during this course.  I hope you all have gained a better understanding of the research process.  Good luck in the future!!!

Research Around the World

Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is committed to  improving the quality of life for children and their families in Africa.  Their efforts are continent wide efforts with ECD leaders addressing capacity building and leadership development in Africa.


Some of the current research topics include: Leadership skills training for administrators and parent support training for caregivers, 2) Curriculum development  using community resources, 3)Strengthening the capacity of grandparents in providing care for children less than 8 years old affected by HIV/AIDS, 4)Assessment of interaction and stimulation in single parent low income families, 5)Involving fathers in early childhood care and development.


Insights about early childhood from exploring this international early childhood site:  ECDVU uses a generative curriculum approach. Some characteristics of this approach is 1)learner-focused approach which is drawing as much as possible on the learner's experiences in their personal and professional lives 2)ecological approach-placing individuals, programs and policies into an interactive and dynamic context and seeking to plan activities and interventions to maximize resonating impact throughout the larger ecology 3) capacity building approach-aiming to strategically strengthen the capacities of participants to effectively fulfill their mandates in their professional position and to be accountable to their constituents and the broader ECD community in their countries.  Although most education activities claim this a general purpose, the ECDVU addresses capacity development in a specific strategic manner.


-ECDVU sees great potential in leadership capacity building through face to face interviews, on the job learning, web-based learning and network building.
-ECDVU candidates were chosen by their country committees as emergent leaders to function as key interactors within  and outside their countries.  Participation in ECDVU is an investment in improving the well being of children, families, and communities in their countries.  Participants are evaluated in terms of their effectiveness in moving forward 'agendas for children' in their countries.   






http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php