Equity

Equity- The Right of All Children to be Protected from Abuse

                While searching for an appropriate podcast to review for this week’s assignment, I came across a very informative website that addresses global issues on many levels. After reviewing several podcasts on   the guardian (http://guardian.co.uk) which is sponsored by  the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, I decided to use one concerning child violence in Tanzania as the basis for this week’s blog post. 

                The podcast content was upsetting as they interviewed a young girl who had been raped numerous times by her father over a four month period.  The family consisted of the father and his two daughters. The mother was dead. The child feared for her life if she did not compile with his sexual demand on her because the father threatened to kill her.  It was because of a caring teacher that the child’s exposure to the abuse was addressed.   When the child stopped coming to school, the teacher took it upon herself to speak to the sister who continued to come to school and was not subjected to the abuse.  The teacher involved the child protection agency and the end results were that the father was prosecuted and sent to jail for 30 years. The girls were placed in foster care.  The child returned to school and as the interview concluded she commented that when she grows up, she would like to be a lawyer to help others that have experienced abuse.  It was stated that the teacher and social service worker put themselves in an understandably difficult position within their community.  It is only recently that this type of abuse was even spoken about.  Finding support through the law enforcement system has made a huge difference in helping to improve the rights of children in Tanzania.  It was a moving podcast.

                In addition to the podcast presented by Alex Duval Smith, an article follow up article was also on the website.   Smith writes that Tanzania is the first African country to reveal the serious problem of child violence within their country and take steps to improve the systems to protect children from all forms of abuse.  Even though the country struggles with malnutrition, and poor physical health, the government has identified violence against children as a national crisis as well.   UNICEF provided the funding that made the national study possible.  The study strongly supported the need for rethinking the definition of “most vulnerable children” to include exposure to all forms of violence in addition to vaccinations, adequate nutrition and clothing, as being essential if globally we are to improve the lives of children in all countries.    Children have the right to be protected against all forms of violence.

References

Smith, A., (2011) Tanzania report reveals extent of violence against children. the guardian. Retrieved

                from http://guardian.co.uk/global-development/audioslideshow/2011/aug/09/violence –

                against -children

Sharing Resources

Sharing Web Resources

                 In a previous blog post, I discussed a web site that provides a great deal if information on many topics related to Head Start and early childhood in general.  The Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) is managed by the Office of Head Start.  It is updated frequently with not only Head Start specific information but also information for  all early childhood professionals and parents.

                Recently, I have been using a new section on  ECLKC.  It provides a wealth of   information on   School Readiness Goals.  Head Start  programs receive a considerable amount of guidance from the Office of Head Start which is an office of the Administration for Children and Families and a component of the Department of Health and Human Services.  A few months ago, information was pushed out to programs introducing revised child outcomes.  The Child Development and Early Learning Framework (CDELF) outlines eleven domain areas and many indicators within the domains that are skills young children need to be prepared to enter kindergarten.  We were charged with developing School Readiness Goals that specifically met the needs of our respective programs.  I was pleased to notice an area on ECLKC that provides clear guidance and examples for what an appropriate goal should include.  What was even better was that the work I had already done to begin formulating my goals aligned with what I was seeing on the new section!    The CDELF is based on the most current neuroscience and is developmentally appropriate.  A great deal of collaborative work  by the experts in the field went in to the development of the new framework.

                ECLKC also provides information on operational changes for programs.  Most recently, an information memorandum posted about criteria for in-kind contributions.  Head Start funding is unique in that as a program, we must show a 20% match based on the total amount of the Federal money provided in donated services and volunteer hours.  This is sometimes a challenge. The new revisions posted on ECLKC clarify the recent changes.  ECLKC posts all official updates related to the operation of Head Start.

                 I schedule time to review what is new on this web site at least two times per week.  There is a wealth of information that any early childhood professional could find useful.  The information on school readiness is certainly a good example of that. 

Reference

Early Childhood Learning and knowledge Center- http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc

International Contacts

International contacts

                Unfortunately, I have not been able to establish any international contacts.  Through my research however, I have found some excellent resources on the effects of poverty on young children throughout the world. I listened to a podcast of a recent symposium titled “Tackling Child Poverty in the Twenty –first Century “took place at the New School in New York City.  Two of the participants included Dr. Jo Boyden, Director of Young Lives at the University of Oxford, England and Professor Alberto Minujin from Equity for Children project at the New School addressed critical issues worldwide related to the effects of poverty on children.  Dr. Boyden opened the podcast by reviewing general issues we think of most often in terms of poverty and its effects on young children. She spoke from a world perspective stating that we have made strides in the areas of health and education that have been addressed in a straight forward manor. She noted that while gaps still exist, some progress has been made to address them. s.  She then went on to talk about those serious issues that are not presently in the forefront but are extremely damaging to children. Dr. Boyden used the term “child protection issues” which include child trafficking, violence in the home and exploitation of children through child labor (equality for children, 2012). I found her perspective very interesting.  She pointed out how complex these issues are because they are influenced by many things including cultural norms and belief systems.   Professor  Minujin  discussed the Young Lives project which is a longitudinal study conducted collaboratively by several major universities over a 15 year period in four countries- India , Viet Nam, Ethiopia and Peru. The purpose of the study is to effect policy by transforming the way we think about its effects on children (equalityforchildren, 20102).

                I found the discussion on the podcast very informative.  It presented a perspective on the underlying effects of poverty that I hadn’t thought about before.  It expanded my view on poverty and has made me more aware of the complex nature of understanding all of the effects instead of those factors that are in the forefront.  I realized how easy it is to become focused on the aspects of poverty in my community rather than taking a world view.  As an early childhood professional, I also realize how important it is take the next step outside of my own community and gain a world view.

Boydon, J & Minujin, A., (2012). Young Lives panel discussion at the New School. Retrieved from                      http://www.equalityforchildren.org/young-lives-panel-discussion-at -the-new-school

Sharing Web Resources

Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center

                As a Head Start Program Administrator, I refer to the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) website – http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov-  on a regular basis for many things.  I feel that much of the content of the website is useful to all early childhood professionals, not only those involved with Head Start which is why I decided to share it.   When I decided to focus on the issue of dual language learners for our assignment, ECLKC was one of the first places I looked for current information. It is not an area of the website I had gone to before and I was impressed with what I found.  There is a wealth of current research available on ECLKC that addresses the challenges in meeting the needs of dual language learners from the professional viewpoint for early childhood educators as well as from the more personal viewpoint that is useful for families.  There is also an abundance of information on school readiness and the importance of family engagement that is provided in such a way that professionals and families should find it useful.  It is a comprehensive resource. Information is updated on a regular basis keeping its content current.    Most of the information is also provided in Spanish.  It is certainly a resource worth investigating.

Reaching Out and Expanding My World of Early Childhood Education

                Reading through the syllabus for this my fourth class toward acquiring a Master’s in Early Childhood Studies, I found myself thinking about how this experience had the potential to change me as an early childhood professional.  As I read the tips for Part 1, I thought this will be different.   I must admit, I haven’t given much thought to making global connections in the early childhood world.  I was eager to make a connection with someone in the field from another country.  I sent out numerous emails to try to connect with someone but have had no success yet. My first thought was to reach out to someone in Mexico since many of the families we serve in Head Start have emigrated to our community from there.  Sadly, that email address was not a good one.  It bounced back to me. I tried another address in Croatia and have yet to hear from that person. Since the week was going by quickly and I wasn’t hearing from anyone, I decided to check into the World Forum since it seemed that the alternative was probably going to be the route I take.  I was really surprised by what I learned.  Even after over 20 years in the field, I didn’t know this group even existed.  I am eager to learn more about the work they do.  I listened to 2 podcasts that were very interesting.  I decided to try to contact George Forman who was featured on a podcast about play.

                Moving on to Part 2, I looked over the list of resources provided.  I have referred to many of them over the years.  Pre [K] Now: A Campaign of the Pew Center on the States caught my attention. Not being familiar with it, I decided to take a look at it. In Pennsylvania, the previous governor and his administration was extremely supportive of early childhood education.  During Governor Rendell’s eight years in office, great strides were made toward improving quality in prekindergarten settings all over the state. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania has a two term limit on the Governor’s office.  The current administration does not share the same interest or see the value of early childhood education. As I skimmed over the Pew Center website, it seemed to focus on strong advocacy for early childhood education so I decided to learn more about it.

                Each step of this journey has increased my knowledge and appreciation for early childhood education.  I look forward to this course as yet another way to expand my knowledge base and help me grow as an early childhood professional.

                 

My Supports

February 8, 2012

                As I begin each and every day, I meditate and pray about the blessings in my life and the gift that the new  day is.   My faith truly supports me through good times and difficult times.  Moving on in the day, I feel blessed to have many people that support me personally, socially and professionally.  First and most in importance is my husband of 40 years.  Gene is there for me no matter what. When I come home after an unusually stressful day, he provides comic relief when it is most needed.  We are a good example of the old adage that opposites attract.  His laid back personality balances my somewhat intense personality. He provides the calm support I need when I allow things to get to me on a personal or professional level and really helps me remember what is really important when I lose sight of that.  My sister also provides support personally and professionally.   As a Family Therapist, she shares her professional expertise with me when I have situations that are difficult.  She is a good listener, a trait I’m sure she mastered as part of her many years in the therapy field.  She knows how to support me without making me feel like I’m a client.  My adult children and their spouses also provide support.  Even though we all live in different states, we work at keeping that family bond strong. 

                Socially I have a group of friends that share common interests and family values.  Several have been part of my life since high school over 40 years ago. The support they provide is as diverse as they are.  I have friends that are 15 years older than I am that share the wisdom they have gained over the years.  I have other friends that are 15 years younger than me that keep me current. 

                Professionally, I feel very fortunate.  Working for a relatively large organization provides support on all levels.  It is something I didn’t experience when I was self-employed as a Family child Care provider for many years.  When I need guidance on personnel issues, I consult our Human Resources department. When I need help with fiscal matters, I rely on the Business office to provide me what I need.  For day to day guidance and support, I have a supervisor who shares my same passion for early childhood education.

                As I think about all of the components of my personal and professional life, I realize having a network of support that meets each special aspect of my life is essential.  While I consider myself to be a self-sufficient person in many ways, I also know what my limitations are and feel fortunate to have the support in my life that I have.

                As I thought about a specific challenge, what came to mind is actually something currently looming over me.  Professionally, I am at a crossroads in my career.  Currently I work for the organization that is contracted to provide Head Start services for our county.  There is an opportunity to change that due to recent changes in Head Start structure. I am faced with the possibility of writing a competitive grant that would make our organization the direct service provider instead.  The task of evaluating how we do things currently and adjusting and improving our operations to offer a more efficient way of running the program is daunting.  I am able to begin the process with the support of my colleagues who have the expertise in those areas where I don’t.  It would be very difficult for me to complete this task without them.  Finding the time to do it all would be a challenge in and of itself.  In terms of my personal life, the support I have within my family plays a huge part in my being able to focus on work when I need to,

                As I look ahead, the next few months will be challenging both personally and professionally.  I learned a long time ago that it is difficult to not have one impact upon the other.   I am grateful for having solid support in all aspects of my life.  I know I can look to them moving forward.

My Connections to Play

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing”

-          George Bernard Shaw

As I read through many quotes related to play I had a difficult time finding one that related to me at this point in my life, then I read this one and immediately knew it summarized what I felt.  I try to include play, recreation, leisure time activity however you want to label, in my life whenever possible.  Some of the things that are important to me have been part of my life for years.  My favorite place that comes to mind when I think of play is the beach, add some palm trees and I am happy.  We took summer vacations at the beach when I was a child. It was something I always looked forward.  I enjoyed building castles, searching for shells and sea glass and watching the birds.  Strange as it may seem, as an adult, I continue to enjoy doing those same things. 

As a child, we spent our time outside of school and the summers outside.  We played traditional games of hop-scotch and jump rope. Through these activities I was able to stay physically fit.  I grew up in a neighborhood with lots of children my age so there was always someone around to play with.  We made our own fun with very simple things.  Growing up, nothing beat a good game of flash light tag during the summer. 

Sadly, I don’t see children today participating in these simple games or just playing outside. Children today seem to have forgotten how to entertain themselves in many cases.  Instead, they sit in front of the TV or computer.  As a child the pretend games we played added to my level of creativity.  I must admit, neighborhoods were safer back then.  It was safe for children to play in the alley behind their homes.  In many neighborhoods in my community today, that is not the case.       

The other quote I decided to use is as follows:

                                   Play is the highest form of research.

-          Albert Einstein

For children play provides opportunities to explore, try new things and be self directed in their choices. Einstein puts it so simply yet the notion is powerful.  Play is children’s research in many ways.  Play opportunities change as children grow and their abilities change.   Throughout my life, I was fortunate to live in a safe neighborhood with many peers.  I also lived close to a playground that had swings and slides as well as open ball fields.  I think my love of the outdoors stems from the amount of time I spent outdoors growing up. 

 

References:

http://planningwithkids.com/2009/04/14/10-quotes -on-the importance-of-play

http://www.childsplaymagazine.com/quotes