Advocacy Action Overview

In the “Advocacy Training Guide” in Module 1: What is Advocacy? Sharma(n.d.) explained what it takes to be an advocate, and having people who support your cause, and “making persuasive presentations” are essential. I am an advocate for free early childhood care for America, just as we have public schools for Americans.

I have done some research about universal early childhood care and there are countries who agree, and their results from this service have advanced their countries to believe that all children deserve a head start. According to Mongeau (2010-2018), it is time to rethink how we look at early childhood education. In the article “Time to change how we think about early education, international study finds”, Mongeau (2010-2018) that there are several countries who have changed how they look at universal care; Australia, England, Finland, Hong Kong, Korea, and Singapore. I am sure you have heard about Finland from me in previous blogs and discussions on how Finland’s educational system puts America to shame. These countries are taking the responsibility of educating their young children, some start at three, and others from infancy (Mongeau, 2010-2018).

I believe that once we have early childhood education available for all children, we can focus more on our profession. Today every child I turn away from our center who cannot afford the tuition is a thorn in my heart.  Because a parent wanted to give their child a head start in a high-quality facility and they were denied, I always wonder what will happen to that family. I know that universal early childhood care will not be problem free, because our public schools are not, nevertheless it will be better than nothing. It will give our children an equal opportunity to have universal free early childhood education. Perhaps, it will also help early childhood educators with fair compensation, because if we value our children ‘s education it is possible to value their teachers.

Please investigate Finland’s educational system, and if you have time to read the article “Time to change how we think about early education”. The more we talk about universal care for early childhood, the more people will be informed and hopefully care.

References

Mongeau, L. (2010-2018). Time to change how we think about early education,   

    international study finds. The Hechinger Report. Retrieved from     https://hechingerreport.org/time-to-change-how-we-think-about-early-education- international-study-finds/

Sharma, R.R. (n.d.). An introduction to advocacy: Training guide.

      Washington, DC: The Academy for Educational Development, SARA Project

       Module 1, “What is Advocacy?”

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

Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

The satisfaction I derived from families and their children benefitting in major or minor ways from Head Start is inspirational. It gives me joy to know that some children and their families were helped because of the care invested by the Head Start staff. The desire of professionals to help is altruistic, and the testimonies that we do makes all the hard days bearable.

When the policy makers and government officials realize that the families appreciated the opportunities to be involved, and the successful impact it has had on their children throughout their lives; it will solidify the reasons Head Start must continue to exist.  If families and former student attribute their progress in life to Head Start, then this is proof that it can and has had a positive impact from childhood to adulthood.

One parent is thankful for the nutritional guidelines, the nutritional meals, and the wellness checks that proved her child was healthy. That her child’s obesity was not due to some disease, but her diet and exercise needed more information which Head Start shared.

Would these children be successful without the influence of Head Start, it is possible, but why should that chance be taken? Because Head Start motivates families to work together with their teachers to ensure that their children are progressing forward. Families are the other half of the teachers and the children, it takes all of us working towards the goal, it is a joint effort that would fail if one party was missing.

Quality Programs for All Children

Public opinion about childcare is very important because their opinions are transformed at the voting poll, and through their representatives. Getting the public behind an idea is paramount to changing the world.

There are numerous trends affecting early childhood, today scientists, politicians, and economists are supporting the value of early childhood education. Although, we have some who do not use or care about early childhood education. These parents have their own system of educating their children. The homeschoolers are more than I previously thought. According to Autumn Burke (2018):” In 2007 the U.S. Department of Education reported that the number of homeschooling students had climbed from 850,000 in 1999 to 1.1 million in 2003” (Fagan,2007). If this trend continues to grow, we will have fewer children using early childhood care, in five years it could change if we offered quality child care.

One public perception about men being early childcare professionals is that they are not to be trusted. I personally disagree with that beliefs and would advocate that change of perception. As Tim Cooke (2018) in “The Guardian” expressed: “We need to strive for a much better gender balance among early years teachers”. At my center, we had two male teachers and they were very good teachers, the children loved and respected them. Nevertheless, they both had to leave because of the very low pay. I would advocate for more male teachers, and hopefully, in five years public opinion will change.

Speaking of low pay, this is something that affects all teachers as they try to care for their families.  I hope to change that fact by advocating the worth of early childhood professionals. The movement is rapidly growing that early childhood education should be accessible for all children. According to “First Five Years Fund”:” …89% of Trump voters and 79% of Clinton voters want Congress and the administration to work together to improve the quality of child care and preschool and make it more affordable for parents”. This is encouraging, and I advocate free early childcare for all children. I hope that in the next five years it is a national mandate that all early childhood children are granted quality care. However, advocating for quality salaries for the teachers is a goal I plan to pursue. Quality care for children and quality salaries for early childhood professionals.

I imagine that the children, families, and communities will finally get the total benefits of early childhood care. The male teachers will have a positive effect on male and female children. The public will not arbitrarily dismiss the influence of male role models in early childhood. And finally, professional teachers will be appreciated, and the teachers will thrive enough that teachers will not have to work part-time jobs. And male and female teachers can take care of their families without leaving the field of early childhood. Peace of mind will influence all parties to be and do better, parents will have their quality care, children will receive the best from their well-paid teachers, and then and only then will the children’s future benefit from early childhood education.

References

Burke, A. (6 April 2018). Why homeschooling is on the rise. ThoughtCo. Retrieved

    from  https://www.thoughtco.com/why-homeschooling-is-on-the-rise-1832549

Cooke, T. (19 July 2018). I’m one of the few male nursery teachers. There should be

    more of us. The Guardian.  Retrieved from

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/19/under-fives-male-teachers-men-early-years

First Five Years Fund (20 June 2017). 2017 National poll: Research summary. 

    Retrieved from  https://www.ffyf.org/2017-national-poll-research-summary/

An Early Childhood Advocate

           I am interested in advocating for reform in the existing state systems. We have the fortune to have three grant-based programs in our center, Georgia Pre-K Lottery, Early Head Start, and Quality Rated Subsidy Grant, along with a subsidy Children and Parents Subsidy (CAPS). However, I have witness abuse of these programs in preparing the children and their families for lifelong progress. Some loopholes allow children to attend ten days out of a month and still be in good standing, and to come to school after instructional time has begun, and breakfast is over. We must feed these children because they are usually hungry for their first meal, and the children have no control over their tardiness. One parent kept his son out of school because he had a hair appointment, another one overslept because she was up late along with her child. These programs are designed to provide a service for families who cannot afford childcare, a way to give their children a head start in early learning. I must help parents to practice methods of success, attendance and being on time is required on jobs, and in public schools. The earlier these families adopt these methods, the easier the transition from early childcare to public school will be.

       Lack of attendance and tardiness is very discouraging, and I want to help now before those habits ruin their children’s beliefs. According to Kieff (2009), one part of being an advocate is the:’ …proactive stance taken by individuals in response to particular issues that concern them” (p.7).   The early childhood professional sees what is happening and sometimes what is needed to improve an issue.

       I want to learn how to approach an established state system with my concerns in a way that induces change. I want to find an alternative method to encourage parents who participate in free programs of the need to attend each day and to be on time. I want to help families, and state systems see the parallel of what a child sees are predicated to what he does. How can I help a family place more value on school than going to a barber, and that it is never to early or young to value school?

                                             

                                                Reference

Kieff, J.(2009). Informed advocacy in early childhood care and education: Making a

   difference for young children and families. Upper Saddle, NJ : Pearson Education, Inc.