Personal Advocacy Reflection

As I reflect on a personal act of advocacy, I think about a member of my church who literally took another church member by the hand and showed her how to become self-sufficient. Tammy is a mother of four children who had her first child at the age of 14.  Helen was a divorced mother of one son. When Tammy became a member of our church, Helen saw how tattered Tammy’s children looked in terms of their dress. Tammy also shared Helen, that she was living in a garage. Helen took Tammy under her wings and began to help her get a grip on life. Instead of giving her money, food, or shelter, she showed her how to manage and use the money that she received as income wisely. She also helped her to enroll in nursing school. It has been 7 years since Tammy entered our church doors, and now Tammy is a certified nurse and her children are excelling academically in school. Helen didn’t just give Tammy a fish, she showed her how to fish. Helen gave Tammy a BIG Helping Hand.......

Advocacy Action...

I am ready to help and be the the change that I want to see!

I am ready for action!

SPEAK OUT FOR CHILDREN 
Come let us gather together.
Come let us speak now as one.
Speak for the rights of the children.
Speak out the needs to be done.

Speak for the hearts that are hungry.
Speak for the hearts that are sad.
Speak for each child a beginning
That futures a heart ever glad.

Speak for a world where the children
Come first in each thought and each plan.
Speak for a world where the children
Have rights – no matter the land.

Come, let us ring out our voices,
Come, stand together and say
Each child has the right to a future!
Each voice can help light the way!
                        Jean Warren  © Warren Publishing House

When I Reflect About My Collegial, Professional Learning Community

Every learning experience is a great experience. This class has afforded me knowledge in regards to:

1.            advocacy

2.            funding

3.            government

4.            politics

5.            public policy

All of my learning has been in an effort to provide high quality services for children and their families during early childhood years.

      Being a part of a professional learning community, has deepened my learning of the content in this course. My fellow classmates have helped me as a learner through the culture of collaboration that was provided. What is so exciting is that our collaboration was focused on being change agents for young people everywhere. I feel more committed to reach goals that I set at the beginning of this course. I am committee to continue to work hard servicing students, families, and the community.

I can truly say that I have learned much about Early Childhood Systems. My goal is to continue to be the best advocate for children by keepng myself in the know of what is going on in our world in regards to early childhood education. 

My Hypothetical Family Situation

I am a single parent of a foster child who has special needs. The foster child that I currently have parental rights over was the second child born to a woman who used illegal drugs. The mother of the child is related to a member of our church and they sought the church’s help to ensure the child was living in a loving home, cared for by loving people.  Currently, the child is seven years old.

The child has an intellectual disability: mental retardation. She has limitations in the following areas: intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviors. The child is below average in intelligence and mental ability and lacks necessary life skills. She learns new skills at a slower rate than other children who are seven years old.

I am currently employed as an early childhood center director. I am also in school to further my education. I currently make ninety thousand dollars annually.  My family and I are very comfortable we are considered upper middle class. Economically, the state and county that I reside in has afforded child care assistance to help me care for the child. English is our first language. 

The Political Will to Improve Early Childhood Systems

The implementation or use of standards are currently used by advocates and organizations to influence the political will toward improving early childhood systems.

The implementation of standards helps to foster the well-being of young children and their families. The standards simply, yet rigorously provides information regarding the expectations of early childhood professionals. Standards appeal to me because it allows the professional and the people they serve (children, families, and the community) to know what the professional expectations are in regards to early childhood education. 

Parent. Family and Community ENGAGEMENT.......

   From the Parent and Family Stories I further understand why involvement opportunities for parents and family members benefit young children, families, and the early childhood field and I resolve to say believe that parent/family involvement is an essential system element for all strands of service in the early childhood field.Involvement opportunities allow families to truly get involved in their child's early childhood program. This helps children to adjust to new environments and impacts their learning in a positive way. Families who take part in their child's education during the early years help children to do better in school from preschool throughout college (according to research). Family involvement should always be encouraged. 

Quality Programs for ALL Children...

When I consider quality programs for all children, I think about having very high-quality standards for early childhood programs. It is important that children have the best educational experiences during the early years. High-quality and developmentally appropriate early childhood programs produce positive effects on the development of a child's cognitive and social development. Over the next five years I hope public opinion will change in that every child and family will receive the highest quality of early childhood education at no cost to the family. This change in public opinion will influence early childhood education sociocultural factors, economic factors, and politics/policy factors. The related implications for young children, families, and the early childhood field would be every child, every day, succeeding.