PARENT, FAMILY, and COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

From reading about the different families and professional stories with regards to how HEAD START has impacted or changed various individuals you recognize how important it is for families to become involved in an early childhood system that meets their needs. These systems should reflect the family because the system is really a service to children and their families. What struck me most about these stories that I listened and read about were the parents especially the fathers want to have an input in their children’s lives especially from a very early stage. HEAD START formed the foundation to help parents to recognize their role as a parent. When you read these stories you realize how much impact early childhood has on children and their parents. It makes you feel encouraged and appreciated. I was very impressed with a father when he mentioned that the most important thing we can give to my children is time (Jorge Avendado, Father of the Year. As a mother and an early childhood professional I can compare myself to his story. So many times we believe that we can give children material wealth to make up for the time lost between parent and child but I have learned from early that it is so important to spend quality time with your child. Although money is very important we must go the extra mile to ensure that we listen and talk to our children. It is about developing a strong bond between parent and child. What I appreciate with HEAD START is the fact that they provide parenting classes. Avendado realized the importance of making time for his daughter and I know this has created positive results for both him and his daughter. As an early childhood professional I would definitely want to emulate this system in my home country. As an early childhood professional I have also garnered how much all strands in early childhood are interrelated and depend on each other.HEAD START is not just about recognizing problems with the parents and the children but they also spend time in devising strategies to deal with the issues such creating parenting workshops to deal with the everyday issues. Reference Jorge Avendano, Father of the Year at Davis/Morgan/Summit Head Start-Early Head Start, Kaysville, UT

Quality Programs For All Children

The general public in America seems to have varied opinions about quality early childhood education. In Jamaica there has been a lot of talk about quality early childhood education. Sorry to say that’s the most it really gets, that is, talk. Politicians especially use early childhood as a political platform, hoping to win votes from parents and other stakeholders for their next election. Because of the lack of knowledge early childhood is really treated unfairly. It is the first sector to receive a budget cut and many ignorant persons just believe that early childhood is not so important at all. Large sums of money is being spent on remedial programs and although the government has quality early childhood programs in their pipeline at the pace at which things are going I really don’t how much of a public opinion will change in the next five years. For the next five years I am really hoping that the country will get its act together with regards to quality early childhood programs. The government along with other stakeholders not only needs to understand the importance of investing in early childhood. By investing I mean paying early childhood practitioners, providing professional training and investing heavily in research that supports quality early childhood practices. If we don’t get our act together very soon we are going to continue going down the rough and winding road. We will continue to see significant increase in crime, increase in social issues and poor economic gains. We will continue to feed people and not teach them how to feed themselves. My dream for the next five years is to see resources being pumped into the early childhood programs so that every citizen will be afforded the opportunity to fend for themselves and realize that poverty is only a state of mind.

EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEMS: 6765

What Resonates With You About Early Childhood Public Policy and Advocacy? Early Childhood Systems. For most of my years in the career field I always find myself advocating for something. My love for early childhood began when I started having children but my passion intensified when I landed a job with the Early Childhood Commission as an early childhood inspector. My eyes were opened to a myriad of things within the early childhood. There are so many issues and challenges. I believe advocacy is the way to go to help with dealing with these issues and challenges. My first career love was law but unfortunately I was not afforded the opportunity to explore this field. I believe early childhood advocacy is the closest to thing to law. I don’t think we have enough persons in Jamaica who are advocating for changes in the early childhood field. Advocacy for the demands passion but you must also be knowledgeable. Advocates are so crucial in the field of early childhood. To become a skilled advocate you must be properly informed. Like any other career or profession we need to be armed with the knowledge to help to create positive changes. Early childhood is foundation to almost everything that we do. Can you imagine if we had an untrained dentist in our mouths are a surgeon who has absolutely no idea about surgery. Well early childhood is just as important as any other profession. I hope to learn how to become a skillful advocate. Anything that has to do with change is not easily accomplished, especially when culture forms the framework upon which persons live their lives. Three goals I hope to accomplish at the end of the course is 1) How to initiate changes that will impact the early childhood field. 2) To become a skillful advocate. 3) To promote awareness for early childhood and educate various stakeholders on the importance of having the right start at the early childhood level.