PARENT, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

 The professional and personal significance I drew from the stories is that people who came across Head Start want to make changes and empower themselves so they can do the same for someone else. The story about Melinda George inspired me with her speech that if you want people to want more show them that it is achievable. She also explained how she wants her children to learn how to give back. I drew this experience from her to effect the change on my children so they do not always look for their own personal need but to always look out for how they can help someone else everyday. Professionally, Terri Denomie’s story taught me that the more input you put in your children, the more output you will get later in life. Her experience of teaching parents the skills on taking care of their children helps her in her journey of parenting. She has a parent child centered program in order to teach other parents (like victims of domestic violence, teenagers having children, parents with autistic children, and parents of children with fetal Alcohol Syndrome). Rachael Morale’s story about Head Start which is helping children at home to facilitate some teaching that will enhance and improve their skills. She encouraged parents to work and support their child’s teachers while they team up to better raise a well developed child. Head Start also helped some parents reach resources they need to support their whole family. I would like to be involved in Head Start in order to help parents and families reach their full potentials in life.

The involvement of parents and family members are beneficial to their children. 90% of brain development happens before the age of five, so it is important for parents to be involved in their child’s development and learning by teaming up with the teacher to build a connection from school to home to enable the parents track their child’s preparation for kindergarten. Parents need to talk to the educators about the needs they identify in their child/children so that the solution to that problem can be met. It is possible to meet the child’s need through early intervention. Parents need to be educated that there are programs and services to help their children meet a need. Parents need to understand that they have the opportunity to help their children to become successful. Parents, educators and community members need to come together to provide the best start that a child can get for their development. When parents and educators do well to meet the needs of a child, the early childhood group has done a lot to impact the life of a child.

The values of hearing the stories in early childhood professionals are important because of the words of wisdom that each of them was able to share. Rachael Morale commented that parents should not always agree with teachers but to try and work with teachers to advance the learning experience of the child.

Most of the parents in the school are involved in making policy decisions for their community or district school.

Parental involvement is an important strand of service for programs in the early childhood program. Parental involvement improves students’ performances when schools partner with parents or families thereby helping to build children’s confidence.

Reference

Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC), part of the Office of Head Start. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/family/For%20Parents/pfs

Quality Programs for All Children

          The public opinion about quality services for young children and their families can be assessed by determining the affordability of the service, access to services for children, and their parents and also the combination of safe and secure care in school environment. Working in the early childhood field, I have grown to be passionate about educating children from different ability groups because children deserve quality education. It is of utmost importance to find out ways we can use resources personally and professionally to meet the needs of children and their families in our community.

          I think public opinion need to have changed in the next five years because more people should have been more knowledgeable and literate about the use of computer (Excel, Microsoft office/word) in order for them to be competitive in the job market. I am passionate about Head Start and its mission for children and families in poverty.  

When early childhood advocates collaborate with other groups of their interest by networking, the community will be aware of their services and families will have support from any area of need. I have a passion to help children in poverty to close the gap in learning, lack of health care, homelessness, and most especially access to quality early learning. In the field of early childhood the care for children in universal preschool, head start, early head start and special education services need to be inclusive so that by the time children reach school age, most of the basic services will not be required any more.

Reference

 Neugebauer, R. (2010). The start of head start. Exchange, (193), 20–21.

Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete 

database

MY ROLE AS AN EARLY CHILDHOOD ADVOCATE

MY ROLE AS AN EARLY CHILDHOOD ADVOCATE

            There are many reasons why I chose this specialization. Children and their families need someone to stand up for them. I want to be an individual that children can count on for support, opportunities, and reach out to resources to help children. I used to be in positions where I did not know what to do to help or how to do them. I am in a better position now to learn more about resources I can use to help children.

            Advocates are essential in the lives of children in order to give them the best needed opportunities to develop and succeed in life. Creation of awareness by starting children on strong foundation can prevent some delays that each child might exhibit later. I want to be involved in being part of an organization that will bring resources, find funders, and help in making things happens for children.

            I have a lot I want to learn about public policy and advocacy, for instance learning about policies, who makes them, their implementation and how children can benefit from the policy. I would like to learn ways of supporting children and protecting them from    things which will get in ways of their development. I would also like to have skills that would enable me be an equipped and informed role model, mentor, or someone children can look up to protect them from hurt or harm and surround them with positive influential people. There should be an individual who will be able to give children the opportunities they deserve to start school ready to learn. When people of like minds work and network together by motivating each other to speak for those without voices they are in a way speaking for themselves as well.