My Hypothetical Family

 

I am a Mother of two, with one on the way.  I am married to my college sweet heart.  He is a teacher, and I  own a boutique in the small town where we live. Our children are two years old and 4 ½.  Both of my children are developing normal for their age.  I went through all of the normal testing that needs to be done when you are pregnant, and my results came back with an increased risk that my child would be born with Down syndrome. These results are not for sure positive and the only way to know more information is by getting an amniocentesis done. This is worrisome to me because it could jeopardize the health of the baby, and could possibly lead to a miscarriage.

 

his is just a little bit of insight into hypothetical family. I am currently doing more research on the topic and hope to add a lot more detail about down syndrome and the testing for it. I chose to do research this topic more because when I was pregnant with my son I chose to not have any testing done at all. I did not want to know if there was something wrong with my baby. I did have ultrasounds and that should normal development, but I would not go any further.  I knew that no matter what I wanted to have him, and I did not want to worry about what could be wrong with him. Luckily he is perfect.

Early Childhood Systems

Over the last five week I have learned a lot of information regarding public policy, and the policies that influence early childhood education.  I feel like it is important to know as much as possible about the policies that are influencing this field, not only throughout the U.S. but also in your own state. In New York, they are currently trying to introduce a new quality rating and improvement system called QualitystarsNY.   QualitystarsNY is a program that NYS daycares are eligible for if they follow their standards, and they will guide programs to achieve these standards.  Each childcare organization that wants to participate in this program will receive a Qualitystar rating. This rating will become a guideline to parents and other early childhood professionals about the quality of the program they are seeking.  The Qualitystar rating that the center receives will become public knowledge making it a great resource for parents searching for the best quality daycare in their area. As of last year they started implementing this program in a number of centers as “tests”.  They are proven to be successful and now early childcare facilities can apply to begin the process of the QualitystarsNY program.

What I like about this program is that it is raising the bar for high quality early childhood education. Making better standards to achieve, and if you achieve these standards your center will benefit.  This is a new program here in NY , and I really hope it takes off and more centers see the benefits in this program and chose to do it. It is similar to accreditation, but from what I researched it is goes above and beyond accreditation, and is actually a better rating system.

Here is the website on the QualitystarsNY program. http://qualitystarsny.org/standards.php

Does anyone know of another programs like this, either in your state or another?

 

Share one or more strategies you have discovered as you worked on the assignments in this course, and particularly this week, that are currently being used by advocates or organizations to influence the political will toward improving early childhood systems in order to foster the well-being of young children and their families.

 One strategy that I learned this week after doing this assignment is how vital research is in this field.  After reading many different articles this week on the effectiveness of play in early childhood education, I realized how important research can be. I am glad to see this because I feel that this is a big step in improving early childhood education.  I think it is best for the child to learn through play and experiences from birth to 5, and beyond.  This research will hopefully effect future decisions in regard to ECE.

In my opinion one of the key components to a child’s success is parent involvement. When parents are active in their child’s education, and collaborate with teachers and administration, they are showing their child that they care. They are then able to learn from teachers and staff about areas of improvements or goals that the teacher may have for the child.  When both parents and teachers are on board the child will see the benefits.

 

Involvement opportunities for parents and family members benefit young children and the early childhood field because everyone is coming together, collaborating for the better.  When everyone works together, and gets involved, they create a community of people who are working towards a common goal. This goal may be increasing funding, or having a center carnival. Whatever it is, the more family involvement the better. Getting involved keeps families and staff bonded, and gives families insight on what is going on in their child’s education.

 

-From your perspective, what is current public opinion in the United States with regard to the value and importance of providing quality services (including early care and education) for young children and families?

I think that there has been a shift in the importance of early childhood education over the years. I think that little attention was given to field in the past and now it is becoming a contender in the education field. We are seeing more attention being focused on this field, and an awareness of the benefits of early childhood education. Although it seems like many people are in favor of the need for early childhood education, it still is a struggle to get the funding that is needed to expand and grow.

I think we need to focus on how to expand early childhood education, but also focus on quality as well. I have been to way too many centers that are hiring workers that are not qualified for this job. And that is where many of the issues in this field arise.  It is going to be a struggle to get qualified workers in this field when the average pay is a little more than minimum wage.

 

-What indicators and other information have influenced and are influencing your thinking?

I have been influenced by visiting other centers. I have seen first hand, the improvements that need to be made in this field. I have also seen way to many news articles on the abuse and neglect of children who are being watched by babysitters, and people who are not qualified to work with children, especially in low income areas. Parents need to work, and it is sad that many of them in low income areas have no other options but to leave their children with people who are not credible. This needs to change, and hopefully sooner than later.

Why I want to advocate.

I have always been out spoken. Even as a child I had a big mouth, and for the most part I used it for good (even if I was a little annoying).  When I was little we used to have dinner every Saturday at my grandparents’ house. This would include my entire family.  Now my mother and father did not smoke, but it seemed like all of my aunts and uncles did.  When I was about 8 or 9, I protested going to my grandparents for Saturday dinner. I told them that I could not breathe with the smoke in the house and that it was hurting my body. I even went as far as to make a sign and hang it on the front door.  It took a while, but I was persistent, and finally one day my grandmother said if you smoke you have to do it outside. This is when I realized how influential a voice could be.

From that point on I always fought for what was right and just, even if it got me in trouble. I did this at school and in the work place, which eventually ended in me quitting a job of 8 years.  This was a sad moment in my life , but I was not going to work for a company who did not respect their employees.

This year was an exciting one for me. I had a baby this year, and he has helped me realize the true meaning of life. With him came a new set of responsibilities and new passions. While I was pregnant with him I participated in our local Advocacy day. Making my rounds to government officials stressing the importance of quality early childhood education.  This was an exciting moment in my life, because I was doing something I had always dreamed of. I was at the state capitol and I was confessing my concerns to the people who have the power to change things.

This field needs a voice, because we are speaking for those who cannot do so themselves. It is important that we get people involved in advocating for early childhood education, so we can better the lives of children who may not have the same advantages as other children. I think that as I gain knowledge in this field I can strengthen my advocacy skills, and become more confident.  I have the passion, and that is important when working in this field. If you are numb to the environment that surrounds you, you will not do anything to change it.  I try to be aware of everything, and I have learned that some people do not like that.  Where I worked before it seemed like everything was great if we just stayed quiet about certain situations. The minute I voiced my opinion, it was like it was too much of a hassle to fix things that were not working, so they just stayed the same.

I am at the point in my life where I do not care if it is too much work, or too hard to do something that is right. I want to do the best I can to enhance the lives of the children I work with, and I will do that as long as I am able to.

 

coming to an end.

First off, it has been great getting to know everyone the last 8 weeks.  Doing these blog assignments allowed us to become a little more laid back and get more personal. It was nice reading about every ones experiences and stories. I wish everyone the best in the rest of their studies, and career. We are here to educated ourselves, so we can educate others, and make a difference. Good luck girls!

Anna

One of my hardest good-bye moments was when I left my job. I had been at my job for 7 years. I started right out of high school and made many friends there. I worked my way up from a floater position, to the program coordinator and head preschool teacher. All of my early childhood education moments happened there, all of my experience was gained from this one place. These people guided me in my career. My boss became a very close friend and mentor. I was surrounded by women who were encouraging and powerful.  As the years passed I became one of them. I was helping the younger staff, teaching them and mentoring them.  Closing this chapter of my life and leaving this group of women was probably one of the hardest times in my life. But with the pain came joy and a new chapter in my life-motherhood. If I did not have my son, I would still be there working, growing and learning. But it was time for me to part ways, and take all my knowledge I gained from there and apply it to my own life.  And use this to further my career in the early childhood field. 

 

When I left the center to go on maternity leave they threw me a baby shower. This was very special to me and everyone involved, because even though it was never said people knew I may not be coming back.  There was a sense of joy and also sadness from my coworkers.

 

It is hard for me to say I will feel a sense of sadness when finishing up my Masters. I never really got a chance to connect with anyone in this program. Maybe I did not put myself out there enough. Or maybe it was because I stopped going to school when I was pregnant, so I lost contact with some of the girls I started the program with. Needless to say it will be hard to end this chapter in my life, because it has been a long time coming and I am ready to start a career.

 

I think that adjourning is essential in teamwork because it provides an opportunity for closure. If you leave something without ending it, you feel a sense of emptiness.