We have been learning about the many challenges that face children in early childhood, including but not limited to poverty, war, terrorism, abuse and other forms of trauma. For our assignment this week I chose to explore the regional office website of the Central and Eastern Europe Commonwealth of Independent States section of the UNICEF website. I chose this area of the world due to two main factors: first, because many of the children I work with on a daily basis have ethnic ties to this group of countries, some with relatives still living there; and secondly because of the recent turmoil and unrest facing this area of the world, particularly Ukraine. Children in this region of the world are facing challenges related to poverty, war, and lack of access to education. Many families have parents who are unemployed and must rely on social welfare to help meet their daily needs. This social welfare does not meet many of the family's basic needs, including food, adequate shelter with heat, and adequate winter clothing. Children are living in bomb shelters without access to basic sanitation, heat, and education. Many children can only attend school two days a week at the most, leaving many gaps in their studies and negatively impacting their social, emotional and cognitive development. Children and families are living in constant fear about whether or not they will survive, if they will have enough food, how they will stay warm, and if and when their regular routine regarding school attendance will resume. According to UNICEF, there are nearly 1 million people in Ukraine displaced by the conflict, including more than 130,000 children (www.unicef.org). Children in Serbia are not faring much better, due to the widespread flooding that has displaced many families and children. Children here are living in poverty and their families do not have the resources to provide adequate food, shelter, clothing, winter gear (such as boots) and school materials.
Emotionally, all of these situations seem to be taking a severe emotional toll on children. The constant stress of day to day survival is something many people who have not experienced war and/or poverty have difficulty relating to. Children's studies and future development as productive citizens is at risk due to the uncertainty of the outcome of this conflict and children's inconsistent access to education.
As I think about what I have read about children and families living in this part of the world, I cannot help but be thankful for the fact that I can provide adequate food, shelter, warmth and access to education for my family, and that generally children and families in my area can do the same. We are fortunate to be able to send our children to school on a consistent basis (comparatively, since we have lost several days to snow). We do not have the stress of war in our country. Professionally, as I have read more about the experiences of children and families in this region, I feel I can be more sensitive to their needs and be ready to provide the resources they need to provide for their families if I encounter children and families who have recently arrived to this country from this region. Connecting children and families with other families who speak the same language, can be extremely helpful. Connecting families to community resources who can assist in locating and affording adequate shelter, heating and food while the family members search for work, and navigate which jobs they are qualified for based on their experience and education is also an important facet of helping families transition to life in the United States.
References
(2011). Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/ceecis
ReplyDeleteHi Celeste,
The information you share was sad to hear about. It seems if we are not reading about this type of information within our courses we do not understand the many, many challenges that families, and their children face on a daily basis in other countries. I feel when it is out of sight, it out of mind. Therefore this is why I appreciate the continuing information and reminders we receive through our courses that help us as early childhood professionals understand that not all families, and children entering our programs from other countries have had an easy life. For this reason I feel it is our responsibility to get to know our families through building partnerships that help families feel comfortable in sharing critical information in order for us as their early childhood provider to connect them with the right resources in order for them to adjust to their new surroundings.
We also have to take into consideration that not all families that have been through such trauma as you have shared will feel comfortable leaving their children with us. Likewise we have to understand that the child themselves may feel unsafe even in a classroom with other happy children and a welcoming teacher. And so I feel we have to give children, and their families’ time to adjust socially, and emotionally giving them time to overcome some of their pass experiences. Meanwhile as early childhood professionals helping them understand that we are there to help them adjust, and help with any resources they may need in order to help them adjust to their new community, and the early childhood environment.
What I did like reading was that “Eight educational buildings in the city of Vinnytsya are now equipped with wheelchair ramps. Two schools have modified street-level classrooms and toilet facilities to ensure free and easy access for children with disabilities. Special training sessions have been organized for teachers, parents and students to create a favourable school climate for children with special needs” (www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ukraine_66552.html). So there is some progress in helping children attend school now that are wheelchair bound. In “Vinnytsya, Ukraine, 4 December 2012 - Oleksandra (Sasha) Berehuta, 13, recently went to school for the first time. Sasha had had to study at home. She is wheelchair-bound, and school buildings were not fit for students like Sasha – children with disabilities” (UNICEF UKRAINE, 2012).
Reference
www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ukraine_66552.html).
UNICEF UKRAINE, 2012).