MY OWN CAPACITY

For this week’s blog assignment we were asked to respond to three of the assigned questions.  I chose the following:

Which issues impacting young children and their families and/or the field of early childhood fuel your passion? 

Two of the issues that fuel my passion is diversity in the classroom as well as access to affordable, high-quality programs.  As a licensed child care educator since June, 1990, I have seen many changes in both the licensing standards/regulations as well as what is expected of the child care field professionally.  I have also learned how important it is to view situations from a variety of viewpoints as well as being a neutral third-party when it is needed.  It is very important to keep our minds open in order to learn a greater variety of tools which can be used personally, professionally, and in a local context. 
 

Further understanding of tools such as awareness viewpoints are beneficial in many situations, including but not limited to, situations working with families, when conducting research, and when advocating.  Becoming aware of factors such as the importance of respecting that each student and their family have a culture that is to be valued and affirmed; allowing students and families to fully participate in the educational process – keep communication open in both directions; reflection periodically on our own definition of diversity and educating ourselves in any areas in which we, as educators, need more information in, are also very important (Salend, 2008).

 

What resources do you have at your disposal that can benefit your advocacy work?

I am very fortunate to have access to many resources.  I am very fortunate to have worked in the field of early childhood education since June, 1990 so I have made some great acquaintances through the years.  I have also worked with foreign exchange students from all over the world.  Many of these students still keep in touch with me so if I have a cultural question all I have to do is email them.  I am also a member of the South County Community Partnership in my area.  I also am privileged to have worked with a large amount of individuals when I was a regional manager for six states (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire) while working with the exchange students.  These individuals range from educators, community advocates, newspaper employees, those who hold political offices, etc.). 

In what ways do you hope to grow in order to be a more effective advocate?

One of the most important focuses in the early childhood field, is the need of a system designed to assess, improve and communicate the level of quality of early and school-age care programs (Neugebauer, 2009, p. 66), as well as finding quality and affordable child care.  Individuals have diverse abilities and these abilities account for a substantial portion of the variation across individuals in socioeconomic success.  These gaps across children from different socioeconomic groups emerge before their formal education begins (Heckman, 2008, p. 307).  As an early childhood educator, it is imperative that I understand this and more in order to be an effective advocate/educator.

References

Heckman, J. J. (2008). Role of income and family influence on child outcomes. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, pp. 307-323. doi:10.1196/annals.1425.031

Neugebauer, R. (2009). Quality rating and improvement systems. Exchange (01648527), (188), 66-68.

 

Salend, S. J. (2008). Creating inclusive classrooms: effective and reflective practices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

MY ROLE AS AN ADVOCATE

For this week’s assignment we were asked to respond to a set of questions from the perspective of the advocate each of us hopes to become in the future.  Here are my answers.

- What motivated you to start advocating for very young children?

I have been a licensed home child care worker for twenty-three years now and the decision to further my education so I could advocate for children and their families has progressed during the years.  The main motivation was an incident I had with one of the children enrolled in my child care.  This delightful three-year-old boy had been with me since he was approximately eighteen months old.  During this time he had been diagnosed with autism and his mother’s boyfriend was fixated for some reason on this young man being potty trained pretty much instantaneously.  One day this young man was sitting at the children’s table in my kitchen and basically asked me why his mom’s boyfriend hated him.  I asked him why he thought that his mom’s boyfriend hated him.  He replied because when he had an accident (bowel movement) in his diaper he was made to eat it to teach him a lesson not to go in his diaper.  Mom admitted this happened and the Department of Children and Families as called.  The investigator who came out stated to me that mom had taken back the statement she had given, and since the child had no voice, there was not anything they could do.  I replied that he did have a voice and she was not happy at this moment.  Ultimately I was able to get another person assigned to this situation.  I had no idea what I was doing at the time but had to try something.

- Why is it essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro as well as the macro level?

It is essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at both the micro as well as the macro level as we, as advocates, need to be well informed on how to be effective on both levels.  On the micro level we engage more with the individuals and their families in order to solve their specific problem.  For example, helping to find housing, health care, family therapy, individual counseling, and other solutions would fall on this level.  On the macro level we would engage more with the large systems and may need to lobby to change a health care law or advocate for a large-scale social policy change.

- What does it take to be a community leader on early childhood issues?

I believe it is essential to have a passion and the drive needed for the work as well as for the people you are working with to assist.  Communication is also an essential characteristic.  Without positive communication skills it would be impossible to form an effective collaboration.  We also need to remember to listen and really hear what others are saying.  Everyone has something important to say in an effective collaboration.  Without this respect the collaboration will not be successful.  A successful advocate also needs to be committed to see the issue resolved.  There is no getting out if it gets too tough.  We need to each be committed to what we have started and stay until the end.

- What resources does it take to be a state leader on early childhood issues?

Sadly the first resource would be financial in nature.  Finding and maintaining funding is not an easy job at any level.  Though my experience is limited in dealing with grants, what experience I have has not been easy.  We also need a great network on a regional and local level.  As I stated above, communication is the key to success.  A state leader needs to know what is going on at a local level as well as a regional level with the people they are trying to advocate for.

- What tactics or strategies do you use to mobilize others?

Networking and passing along information and in turn getting information from others is the best strategy that I know of.  When you work with other individuals who are of like mind, passion and motivation, positive outcomes begin to emerge.

- As Robin Roberts stated in her interview, “the biggest obstacle is getting those that have never participated in the public policy process to do it for the first time” (zerotothree.org, pg. 4).  I know from personal experience that it is very hard to take that first step.  As a licensed home child care provider, I am used to be considered a babysitter not an educator.  It can be very difficult to break out of that stereotype and get the courage to speak up and have others actually listen to what you have to say.  Educating others to understand how important they are to the field of early childhood education is also tough at times.  Many individuals believe the stereotype and need a little help in overcoming it and finding their voice and passion.

Reference

Zero to Three Policy Center. (2008). Advocacy strategies to improve outcomes for very young children: Interviews with leaders at the state and community levels. Retrieved from
http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/AdvocacyLeaders_final.pdf?docID=1882

PERSONAL ADVOCACY REFLECTION

I have always tried to advocate for others when I could.  One incident in particular reinforced the path I have chosen to pursue.  This incident occurred with one of the children who were enrolled in my childcare.  The basics of the situation are this little boy had been (allegedly) subjected to physical abuse from his mother’s new boyfriend.  Because he was only three-years-old at the time and had been diagnosed with high functioning Autism, the investigative worker through DCF (Department of Children and Families) made the statement to me that this child had no voice.  She did not see why she should keep the case open since the child’s mother recanted her corroboration of the event which took place.  I explained that this little boy did have a voice and that she was getting really frustrated with the system.  I reminded her that this was not a good thing since I would be calling her supervisor in order to discuss the situation.  Suffice to say this investigator was taken off the case and a case was opened in order to make sure the children in the household were being taken care of and not being subjected to abuse by the mom’s boyfriend.  I am happy to say that mom eventually left this guy and the children (from what I hear) are doing great.  The little boy in question is now eight-years-old and has been mainstreamed into the regular classrooms at school.  I was given a picture of him by a mutual friend and was very happy to see how well he is doing.

I see this situation (mentioned-above) as the reinforcement I needed that I was heading in the right direction with my studies.  At this time in my life I was still trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted to do now that I was no longer in the role of wife (since my late husband's accident).  This situation led to one another and so on.  I now have a new confidence that I did not have at that point in my life.

THE BEGINNING OF OUR NEXT CLASS

We are now in week 1 of our next class - Tools for Policy Makers and Advocates (EDUC-6766-1).  We may have a small class, but there is a lot of knowledge to be shared.  I look forward to working with everyone over the next eight weeks.