What I have Leaned

HI Guys, sorry for being late with my blog, but I was on the road all day Friday and did not realise it was due until I checked this Saturday. The experiences I have had for the past eight weeks with my colleagues have really been tremendous. Sharing our experiences with each other in the field of early childhood and more so our experiences-learning about public policy and advocacy will go a far way into the future. The consequences of me taking part in this class has caused me to be more sensitive to the needs of children and families in the early childhood realm, to be more knowledge seeking and proactive. From the size of our class (four students) I have realized that advocacy is not a popular field although all early childhood professionals are really advocates in their own way. Well I can tell you this my colleagues when Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Marcus Garvey stood up for human rights they were not so popular and were often ostracized for what they were doing and the changes that they achieved through belief, sacrifice and persistence cannot be measured. My main goal is really to highlight the need for children to gain access to an early childhood system that provides for the basic needs of children. Health, nutrition, family and emotional health are a big part of my campaign. I also want to thank my colleagues that contributed to my professional development for the past eight weeks. We were small in numbers but I believed we have achieved great things. Judy

My Hypothetical Family Situation

The hypothetical situation I have created is one where I have a five year old daughter who is paraplegic. Unfortunately my daughter was able to walk until she received a spinal cord injury in a motor vehicle accident. Although she did not lose her legs she is not able to move around as before and is now confined to a wheel chair. The school allows access to children in wheel chairs, but she is now left out of most physical activities such as not being able to play soft ball and other outdoor activities. As a single mother I have two jobs. I therefore, do not get to spend as much quality time with her. I depend on the bus to take her to and from school every day. I also depend on my next door neighbor (who is retired) to keep her after school. Although my situation is realistic, the hypothetical questions do not take into consideration the emotional aspect of the situation and access to information on children who are paraplegic. The situation is has been a traumatic experience for both mother and daughter. The mother will also have to consider moving her child to an institution that accommodates children who are not able bodied so that the child can be expose to a curriculum that caters to her every need. The early childhood system I am trying to create should cater to complete inclusion, that is, children who are paraplegic should receive the opportunity to participate in physical outdoor activities and the school should also provide resources for parents to explore with children who are not physically abled. Websites that you can information on children have suffered from spinal cord injuries are (1) Pediatric (Children) Spinal Cord Injury - Quadriplegic and ... www.apparelyzed.com/.../54-pediatric-children-spinal-cord-injury/ (2) How do I help my newly paraplegic daughter come to acceptance ... https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid... (3) Disabled Village Children - CHAPTER 23 (SPINAL CORD INJURY) www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/global/david/dwe002/dwe00225.html

The Political Will To Improve Early Childhood Systems

One of the strategies that I have learned from advocates for early childhood that will influence the political will is reflected on the website 'Alliance for Early Success'. 'The Alliance for Early Success' is a catalyst for bringing state, national, and funding partners together to improve state policies for children, starting at birth and continuing through age eight. The Alliance for Early Success operates on (1) A Policy Framework; (2) Partnerships; (3) Resources; (4) and Grants. This advocacy program covers a wide variety of issues that affect quality early childhood programs. This organization reflects a high level of collaboration and networking among various stakeholders. Collaboration among stakeholders is very important. This will ensure that all involved are on the same page and eliminate wastage in areas of time, expertise and resources. All persons involved will also receive a true picture of how complex early their families. This organization is very good at providing feedback on how each sector is working and influencing the quality of the early childhood programs. The section of the work that appeals to me the most is the section that relates to resources. Resources often encompass research that leads to developing a framework that influences the policies that often reflect our early childhood system. Without proper information we cannot develop effective policies that will enhance the early childhood sector. Because early childhood is a very dynamic and complex field much attention should be paid to this section. Reference Birth to Five Policy Alliance. (2011). Retrieved from http://earlysuccess.org/