This week we have read and listened to how important it is for us to invest in early childhood education. It is something that is happening in my community where a group of concerned teachers, preschool directors, parents and community members have come together to find a way to provide access for low income children to a high quality preschool program.
The web site that I have been exploring is the Head Start web site and I have learned a lot about the organization. Today as I was looking on the web site for Head Start I went under that tab for resources. Their was an announcement of grant funding opportunities for Head Start and Early Head Start. I went to the link for the Health and Human Services Department and there was a listing for a grant for a basic center program. I did not know that a private preschool could qualify because I thought Head Start had to be run by the government but it seems to be that a preschool has to meet certain criteria and then they would be able to apply for a grant. I was surprised that faith based and community preschools could be eligible. I am interested in learning more about this potential of opening up opportunities to serve families and children by being able to receive government funds. I felt that this was relevant to my professional development because it is something that I am involved with in my community and ties into what we are learning about how economists, scientists and politicians are talking about when they emphasize early learning. President Obama has recently talked about the importance of early learning and has set new standards for Head Start programs.
I think what I find interesting is that their is this emphasis on helping children from low income families and yet in some communities Head Start is not in because the population does not meet the federal income levels required to be eligible. I think that the families that have jobs but do not fit in the low income level are struggling just as much to be able to find and afford high quality child care/preschool for their children. How do we meet the needs of these families? I can only think of getting corporations, businesses and private donors involved to donate funds to support these communities. If we seriously want all children to be able to have access to early learning programs then we all need to get involved.
I like how the Head Start web site has tabs that contain information to help support teachers, administrators and parents. The web site has a great teaching and training tab with a pod cast that has information for teachers on how to teach the different areas of curriculum.
I am hoping to be able to introduce some international contacts next week. I was able to get a hold of another colleague who gave me e-mails to several people who she keeps in contact with on a regular basis. Since these e-mails are working I hope to hear back from them soon.
Since I have not yet made contact with ECE professionals in another country I have done the alternative assignment. After going to the childhood poverty web site I looked at the information on childhood poverty in China. This country has always interested me because it is so large and they are attempting to modernize under communist rule. I have learned that 4.2 million children in China live in poverty and 8.7 million are living in disadvantaged situations. These numbers are high but what I did not realize until I read about the childhood poverty in China is that they have been working to lessen poverty in the country since the 1990's. I also learned that education and health are higher in China than in most countries with equivalent incomes. I know that we need to do more in the United Stated and this made me realize that I really do not know how poverty is affecting the community and country that I live in.
It is interesting to me that their is such a difference in the statistics from eastern China to western China. About 80% of children in western China finish primary school and only about 65% in eastern China finish primary school. This could be because families can not afford educational supplies that children need.
Their has been some social reform to help ease the disadvantages people may have because of the changing economy. In 1992 a system was set up for people who had lost their jobs, had no money in savings and did not have any family to help them to be able to apply and receive government assistance. This was only set up for people in urban areas but the concern is the the amount of money allocated for each family does not meet the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. It also does not allow the families to afford education for their children.
China is making efforts to address poverty in rural areas and in the urban areas and this issue has been put on the agenda of the 14th Chinese Communist Party Conference.
Web Resource The National Head Start Association organization web site is where I have spent some time getting to understand what they do, their philosophy and their commitment to early childhood. The vision of NHSA is:
To lead.
To be the untiring voice that will not be quiet until every vulnerable child is served with the Head Start model of support for the whole child, the family and the community.
To advocate.
To work diligently for policy and institutional changes that ensure all vulnerable children and families have what they need to succeed.
The Mission of NHSA is:
NHSA Mission
Our mission is to coalesce, inspire and support the Head Start field as a leader in early childhood development and education.
We are compelled to fulfill this mission by the promise of all the possible outcomes:
one powerful, united Head Start voice;
a collegial, collaborative Head Start field, one that is a valuable and valued partner and resource to early childhood development and education;
nonpartisan support of increased Federal commitment to Head Start and, ultimately
healthier, empowered children and families and stronger, more vibrant communities.
I did not see a newsletter to subscribe to but they do have a pod cast that covers important ECE topics. In looking to see if I could find any mention of an ECE issue or trend I came across a section called National Associations and it had a link to National Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Association. Some of the programs and services they provide are:
Education We
provide migrant and seasonal children learning environments and experiences that
enable them to solve problems, initiate activities, explore, question, and gain
mastery through learning by doing. We make home visits twice a year, allowing
parents and Head Start staff the opportunity to jointly develop goals for the
children.
Health and Disability Services We provide a broad range of medical, dental,
and mental health activities to promote sound physical, social, and emotional
growth and development. We offer total health screenings for infants, toddlers,
and preschool children. Parent health education teaches migrant and seasonal
families how to assess and seek help and care for their children's health. Over
ten percent of the children we serve have disabilities.
Nutrition We conduct nutrition education in the classroom and in the home. We
serve breakfast and lunch, or lunch and an afternoon snack, family style. All
meals meet USDA/Head Start requirements. The meals/snacks we serve support the
health-medical-dental component.
Parent Involvement We offer parents educational, nutritional,
medical, dental, mental health, and social services training with concrete
experiences to support them in their role as parents. Migrant and seasonal
programs accommodate the working schedules of parents by conducting center and
parent council meetings in the evening or on weekends. Parent meetings allow
parents to be active in the decision making process of their local programs.
Social Services Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs teach
migrant and seasonal families how to find and utilize available local community
services and resources enabling them to improve their families' condition and
quality of
life.
I came to understand why Head Stat is so important for the migrant community with this statement that is on the National Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Association web page: Migrant and
Seasonal Head Start was a response to the needs of migrant farm worker
families. In most states, local childcare resources are not available when
migrants come into a community, especially for infants and toddlers. When
resources are not available, parents have no choice but to take their children
to the fields where they are exposed to pesticides, hazardous equipment, extreme
heat and other health dangers.
We can not fathom this happening today but it seems that it does. Are we really prepared for the changing demographics in our communities? Families who are only in the area for the season of the crops and harvest are not able to afford traditional child care and this is why the NMSHSA provides a program for these families. In looking at when these schools are open it varies, some are open September to May and some are only open May to November. I learned that Head Start provides many types of services and that they are not all like a traditional preschool but they strive to meet the needs of the families and children in each community they are in to help build stronger families and communities.
This song and video tells the story of the migrant and seasonal farm worker and how important the NMSHSA is to them.
Contacting an Early Childhood professional outside of the United States proves to be a challenge. I started by going to the resources and choosing several people to e-mail. The e-mails came back to me as being unable to find the address so I guess the e-mails are no longer valid. I have also contacted the ECE professor at Pacific Union College where I work to see if she personally new of any ECE professionals in another country. She was going to try to contact someone, but she had not talked with them in three years so she was not sure how to get into contact with them. I will check with her again to see if she has had any luck. In the mean time I have decided to do the alternative assignment. I went to the World Forum Foundation web site and listened to a pod cast.
The pod cast I listened to was by Meridas Eka Yora. Mr. Yora is the founder and director of the institution Fajar Hiayah for Islamic Education. He is also the Director of Yayasan Fajar Hidayah Foundation. He lives in Indonesia and through these organizations he had founded three boarding schools so that children who were affected by the the 2004 Tsunami would have a place to go. Many people were killed instantly and many children were left without parents and families. In creating these schools he hopes to give the children a better chance in life. It was interesting what he said about how the teachers at the schools were realizing that it was important to be a Mother or Father figure first then to be the teacher. This helped the children feel more secure. He also talked about how the older children took on the roles of older sister or brother to the younger children.
Mr. Yora has many schools throughout Indonesia. One of the things that stands out in a list of the Foundations corporate social responsibilities was that all children from poor families between the ages of 4-15 would have access to free education if they live in the surrounding neighborhood of one of the Fajar Hidayah schools.
The early childhood organization web site that I choose to look at more closely was the National Head Start Association. I found that they support early childhood professionals, parents and children in many different ways. They provide awards and scholarships to teachers, parents and administrators who demonstrate leadership and a determination to continue their education. The offer conferences and training opportunities for their teachers and administrators on a regular basis. They have pod casts that cover important early childhood topics that teachers and parents can listen to. They also have a disaster relief fund that helps those that have gone through a natural disaster. They provide preschool and many other programs for low income children and families.
