"My
Own Capacity."
The
issue impacting young children and their families and/or the field of early
childhood that fuel my passion is ensuring that all children and families have
access to quality care and service they need. Young children across the United
States have suffered for many years due to the lack of quality care. The first
5 years are the most critical to future growth and development. This is the
time they should be building the foundation for their future outcome in school
and as adults. Even though we know how important getting a head start is, many
young children and their families lack access to affordable quality care. Access
to high-quality early childhood opportunities is all too often determined by
parental income and geography; and federal programs designed to support
high-quality early learning and development are too underfunded to serve all
eligible children (CDF, 2011).
My work
as an advocate will depend on me serving in a leadership capacity, partnering
with different professional organizations, acting in my community as a resource
provider, and addressing the needs of children and young families at board or
public meetings. These are just a few resources that I can utilize that can
benefit my advocacy work. Working with local and state officials will also be a
major resource. There are several professional organizations within my
community and across the U.S. that I can be a part of to increase my efforts.
My
personal and professional growth is important when working as an advocate. It
is very important that I stay up to date with current policies and laws that
may have an impact on our children. I hope to gain as much knowledge as
possible by continuing my education and training. I am committed to empowering
families and hope that my efforts will change the way we view education.
Resources:
Children's Defense Fund. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.childrensdefense.org/
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThis is indeed so true that we need to have quality child care. I work in a private school setting and there is no child care assistance for Pre-K 3, but they have a program called NSECD for Pre-K4. However, in order for them to keep the voucher program, my Pre-K 3 has to pay on a monthly basis. I don't think it's fair that they aren't allowed to be a part of the program. These students and their parents should have some type of resources instead of the CCAP or Child Care Assistance Program. As an advocate, my thoughts are if they are allowed to come into the school setting then they should be able to get the same benefits as the Pre-K 3. Keeping up with the updates and policies will keep you informed and that way you will be able to help families.
Karen,
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday Teresa:
ReplyDeleteI certainly enjoyed reading your post. We are certainly on our way to being effective advocates. We have the knowledge and tools that will enhance the advocacy work that we are doing even now.