You Are My Motivation and Inspiration!

When I think about our time together it was fast moving, informative, and a little hectic with the holidays in our mist. But the sharing and encouraging more than made up for any rushed feelings. As a lifelong continuous educational committed teacher, I can say that I have learned a lot from this course and from each of you. We have shared our perspectives on advocacy, governance, early learning programs, and our experiences. Which had led me to more understanding of the entire system of early childhood learning. And I must admit it is a whole lot more complicated then what I understood from the years I have spent in this field.

I know that being an advocate for anything meaningful takes dedication, knowledge, and perseverance. And knowing who could provoke change is also important because I have learned public policy holds this power. Decades of early childhood care and education has existed and some of these same concerns have been around just as long quality affordable care, and comprehensive programs.

I plan to use my education of these facts to advocate for quality care for all children. To use my voice and those of the many of like mind to carry this concern to every avenue available to support this change. We have lived for years under the governance of the federal and state acting in their best interest for early childhood, now is the time for all educators, economists, communities, and the public policy to enforce early childhood education for all young children. Our nation, our way of life is at stake, if we do not provide for our children today, there will be no one to provide for them tomorrow. Every time I turn on the news I am disheartened to hear and see the young lives lost to murder, stealing, and disrespect. We are obligated to give our children an education, along with a foundation of what it means to be a contributing caring citizen. This knowledge starts in the home and schools of the very young. Some will say it is not that bad, but I say when we lose one child to ignorance, poverty, and despair we have lost the world.

We all live in different parts of the United States of America, and we should all affect each part with the importance of providing our children with guidance, care, and education. I pray for all of you to reach your goals, for success, and joy in this lifelong pursuit of helping young children. I have enjoyed sharing this time with you and appreciate each one who has shared their mind and heart with me. This time with you has been an inspiration, and each interaction a motivation to keep going toward my goals.

The Political Will to Improve Early Childhood Systems!

My family is a single mother who is attending school in pursuit of a medical assistant degree, this will be her first child and she is 39 years of age. She filled out the potential parent application for EHS and is now on the waiting list. She is in her last trimester hoping to have her baby and enroll her child when the new fiscal year starts.

She has had several complications with a rise in her blood pressure. And because of her age, she had a screening and diagnostic testing. She was counseled that there is a chance her child will have Down Syndrome.

My task is to help her and her child from the womb until 8 years of age. She is already receiving prenatal care so I will focus on helping her and her child beginning at three months of age.

I want to be a part of the first three months, but I am not sure how or what I could do. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated. Also, I have ideas on what a comprehensive early childhood program would entail but little experience working with a child who has Down Syndrome. From what I gathered all children benefit from early childhood learning and their family support. I would need specialists and educators prepared to help give her child all the help possible to ensure progress. Any ideas will be helpful, and I thank you in advance of them.

The Political Will to Improve Early Childhood Systems

I found two people who were motivated to advocating for young children by being parents of young children and seeing the pervasive needs of early childhood education, how it:” …benefits children for a lifetime and strengthens the community today and tomorrow (Sherer & Norton, 2006).

According to Sherer & Norton (2006) interview with Brian Spicker and Robin Roberts:” …public policy decisions made at the community and state levels affects infants, toddlers, and their families as much, or sometimes more so than those at the federal level”. Which means people who are advocate leaders have a great impact on the future of young children education.

Brian Spicker is not an educator, he has a bachelor’s in business, and Robin Roberts use to be a Parent as Teacher (PAT) educator, now both are advocates one a state level, and the other community level (Sherer& Norton,2006). Being an advocate for early childhood is a calling, no matter the profession, something that makes a person care enough to fight for children.

Both people worked and volunteered in different capacities as they fought, lead, and advocated for early childhood (Sherer & Norton,2006). Some ingredients they both shared were “passion”, “commitment”, “relationships” and the determination to stand up (Sherer & Norton,2006).

Spicker strategies to increase early childhood was by:” …mobilizing the caring power of the community (Sherer & Norton,2006). And Roberts worked herself into a position on the state advisory board where she can:” …secure and maintain funding for state-level advocacy work” (Sherer & Norton,2006). Robert’s other strategy was distributing information, she used workshops to help parent educators understand advocacy, how it works, and the public policy mechanism (Sherer& Norton,2006).  Roberts’s challenge is to get others with no experience to be advocates, and Spicker challenge is getting people to recognize the importance of early childhood (Sherer & Norton,20016).

The part that appeals to me is the challenge of the community leader; sharing information that opens minds in the community how essential is early childhood. Spicker’s advice is to:’…take on a leadership role….be an inclusive convener and facilitator” (Sherer & Norton, 2006).  Because I think the more people know the more, they will care about early childhood education, and it will become a concern for us all, and all will fight for the rights of the young children.

Reference

Sherer, A. & Norton, Y. (21 August 2006). Advocacy strategies to improve outcomes for

    very young children: Interviews with leaders at the state and community level.

     Zero to Three Early Connections Lasts a Lifetime, Advocacy Strategies to Improve

     Outcomes for Young Children. Retrieved from

      https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1120-advocacy-strategoes-to-improve-

      outcomes-for-young-children