Consequences of Learning about the International Early Childhood Field from a Professional Development Perspective

           Any time you devote time and energy into learning about a topic, there are intended as well as unintended consequences. By focusing on one topic, you learn a great deal about that one topic or area, and depending on how long and how in depth you study it, you may become an expert(an intended consequence). An unintended consequence of learning about one topic is that you exclude other topics that are relevant to the field.

            During my most recent course at Walden University, we have been studying the early childhood field from an international perspective. One intended consequence of this is that we learn more about what other countries do to address early childhood learning needs, how they fund these learning opportunities, and perhaps learn more about how we can advocate to improve early childhood educational programs and funding in the United States to ensure that all children have access to high quality programming. We also learn that there are many nations that are still struggling to offer universal access to a primary education for their citizens, which results in early childhood taking a backseat. To these nations, I offer a piece of advice suggested by UNESCO- make early childhood education part of primary education, and approach businesses to assist in funding when government funding is limited.

            Another consequence of exploring early childhood education from an international perspective is that you learn about some of the more serious issues faced by children worldwide. One issue I learned about was the fight to ensure the rights of orphaned children, especially their right to grow up in a safe, healthy environment that supports their growth and development while fostering  feelings of love and security. The feeling that they are wanted and that they belong is also an important component of this right. It has also led me to want to explore the differences, benefits of, and consequences of institutional care versus foster care for children without parents. This is both a professional as well as a personal curiosity. Another curiosity related to this is the desire to learn more about the process of becoming a foster parent, the resources available to help foster parents foster the children's development, especially in the case of abuse, neglect or parental death. It also leads to questions regarding the practice of frequent home changes and the risk of negative consequences on children's attachments.

Another intended consequence is that you develop the opportunity to cross physical barriers, such as oceans or mountain ranges, to develop professional contacts outside the United States. While I was unable to develop a personal contact outside the U.S., I was able to learn a great deal about the many organizations that contribute to the early childhood field on an international level, and the many ways they advocate for young children worldwide. Read my previous posts to find out more about the individual organizational websites I was able to explore, and feel free to offer comments or contact me to offer additional resources.

Professional Goal

As a result of this course of study, I have developed a professional goal of continuing to remain abreast of international issues and trends in early childhood education on the international level by visiting related websites at least once per week. Additionally, it is my hope to establish contact with an early childhood professional outside of the U.S. to help me learn more about ECE on the international level.

International Early Childhood Education

Learning about international early childhood education practices has been very informative and thought provoking this week. I explored the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization website (www.unesco.org), an organization that advocates for early childhood care and educational programs that attend to health, nutrition, security and learning which provide for children's holistic development. To promote quality early care and education, UNESCO supports a system where professionals receive adequate training and work conditions that integrate the content and practice of early care and education. Furthermore, since no universal criteria for measuring early childhood care and education quality exists, UNESCO  additionally recommends that  programs include developmentally appropriate curricula based on holistic development. Parental education and involvement are also important. The 1990 Jomtien Declaration for Education for All and the 2000 Dakar Framework for Action reaffirm the importance of early care and education, emphasizing that learning begins at birth. Participating countries committed themselves to expanding and improving early care and education especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Worldwide, the greatest difficulties in achieving this are resources, especially in countries that do not yet offer universal primary education. The 1990 Jomtien Declaration for Education for All stated that countries should view early care and education as part of primary education and recommends approaching private businesses (both for profit and nonprofit) for funding when government funds are limited.

My internet exploration also led me to the World Forum Foundation website (www.worldforumfoundation.org), where I explored efforts to improve the lives of children by fighting for children's rights. One group is currently working on the Rights of Children in Children's Homes, working on behalf of children without families. This group fights for orphaned children's right to grow up in a safe, healthy environment that supports their growth and development. They believe that all children deserve to grow up feeling loved and that they belong. This group was instrumental in improving the lives of children in Romanian orphanages, changing practices and procedures that resembled an assembly line. Children in these institutions were left in cribs unattended for hours and were often never held. This dedicated group was instrumental in providing valuable training for caregivers that allowed them to recognize that they could provide the children with individual care without an assembly line feel, while meeting children's needs of feeling loved and cared for.

This internet exploration helped me realize the circumstances some of our world's children live in. I agree with UNESCO's position that it is essential that all early care and education experiences support whole child development, and that children are not pushed into attending formal primary education at a very young age. I found it interesting that UNESCO recommended considering early childhood education as part of primary education. It is my hope that we can move toward this view worldwide. While exploring these websites I also learned about the many advocacy efforts to support children, especially in the area of children's rights. Until reading about the efforts that changed policy and procedures in Romania, I assumed that these changes were initiated from within the country. I realized that sometimes it just takes one person's convictions and hard work to change the lives of children, now and in the future. This connects to my professional goals of increasing my knowledge of children with atypical needs. It also opens up a field of early childhood that I previously was not interested in: advocacy. I am still considering goals related to advocacy for children, and while I will definitely advocate for children in my community, I realize that advocating for children on the international level is a very important position, which I imagine was very rewarding for those who have been involved in efforts that have earned positive results.

Exploring the Zero to Three website

www.zerotothree.org

I chose to explore the Public Policy section of the website. I found that Zero to Three has links regarding individual state's policies on infant and toddler welfare and initiatives. It also outlines information about the Early Learning Challenge Grant that is intended to be used to help states better serve infants and toddlers. Zero to Three also has a link to state by state information about state strategies on improving infant and early childhood mental health. They provide a policy toolkit, aimed at helping parents, child care providers, policymakers and anyone interested in early childhood advocate for quality early childhood programs and outline the benefits of providing children with a strong start.

Zero to Three's e-newsletter, From Baby to Big Kid is geared toward parents of young children and provides information specific to your child's age and development. Unfortunately, every link in the e-newsletter leads to the same developmental chart and how you can support your child's development across all developmental domains.

Zero to three supports raising parent's awareness of quality programs and accessibility to services by supporting the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program and other similar home visiting programs that support families dealing with language barriers, poverty, geographic or social isolation, stress, or other issue that prevents parents from supporting their child's early development. Home visiting programs can tailor services to meet the needs of the individual family in a culturally appropriate and responsive manner. Additionally, they support the development of a comprehensive policy framework designed to promote good health, strong families, and positive learning experiences for children. They promote the development of accessible, high quality, culturally responsive and inclusive services supported by an infrastructure that defines and coordinates leadership, recruits and engages stakeholders, finances strategically, enhances and aligns standards, creates and supports improvement and ensures accountability, therefore creating a comprehensive early childhood system.

Zero to Three promotes parental awareness of excellence in early care and education by providing information about things to look for when visiting potential child care settings for your child. Parents are encouraged to observe the way staff members interact with children in the program, such as how much attention children receive, whether their diaper changes are done silently or are full of conversation, and whether children seem to feel nurtured. Parents are encouraged to ask about staff education regarding child development and early childhood education. Parents are also encouraged to observe for how caregivers handle discipline and ensure that this and other child rearing philosophies match your own. These and other included tips apply to child care centers or family care homes. Zero to three also provides a wealth of information geared toward parents about supporting their child's early development that is tailored to the child's age group.

Birth to Three addresses multiple issues and trends in early childhood, including issues faced by parents and caregivers. This includes early development, mental health, nutrition, play, promoting healthy social-emotional development, brain development, challenging behaviors, the importance of play, issues with sleep, and challenges with temperament and associated behaviors. Resources are included for parents and grandparents as well, in English or Spanish. Resources also address issues such as setting limits, understanding how traumatic experiences affect very young children, helping children through divorce or separation and understanding fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Birth to Three also provides education about child abuse and neglect, and how to prevent child abuse or neglect in very young children because they account for over three fourths of child maltreatment fatalities, and hold the greatest risk for long term damage but the greatest potential for successful intervention. Resources are also available to help court teams raise awareness about the negative impact of abuse and neglect on very young children and how to change systems to improve outcomes for very young children. Resources are provided on how to train professionals, provide resources, and encourage collaboration between existing service providers, creating a comprehensive support system for the child and family.

Getting to Know International Contacts

Unfortunately, I have still been unable to contact any early childhood professionals outside the United States, and therefore have completed our alternative assignment.

            This week, on the World Forum Foundation website (www.worldforumfoundation.org), I viewed the video about what would happen if child care centers suddenly closed. While this video was filmed as a simulation, it brings to light the significant consequences that a sudden decrease in access to quality child care would bring to our children, families, and economy. As parents are forced to scramble for child care, many of them would be faced with the requirement of having to stay home with their children, resulting in inadequate staffing across all industries. The video stresses the needs of the early care and education field- we need quality teachers that earn reasonable wages that compensate for the high demands of this position. Furthermore, it points out the significant brain growth that takes place during the first five years of children's lives, and how early learning experiences shape brain architecture, which in turn has a momentous impact on children's later capacities to learn. James Hildebrandt also points out the economic impact of quality early learning experiences- that children who begin life with high quality experiences require fewer additional resources throughout their school years and into adulthood. There are two quotes from the video that I felt were important to share:

"We would do well to remember that our children should always come first."

 - James Hildebrandt, economist

"Our children are our future...when we do not provide for our children, we do not provide for ourselves. When our children are in danger, we are in danger...our children need us now...if we care for them today, providing the kind of environment and quality experiences we know make a difference, we will be caring for our communities today and tomorrow." 

 -Claire Knox, Professor, Early Child Development Humboldt State University

            Additionally, I viewed information from Harvard University's Global Children's Initiative, and learned about efforts aimed at improving early childhood education around the globe. The Global Children's Initiative was developed in 2006 with the foundational belief that the "vitality and sustainability of any society" (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/) rests on the society's ability to provide high quality opportunities early in life so that all children can achieve their full potential and develop into responsible and productive citizens. I learned that the Global Children's Initiative is helping to sponsor programs in Rwanda, Chile, and Brazil (among others). In Rwanda the goal is to strengthen family communication skills so that relationships can be strengthened, thereby preventing depression in families with at least one parent being HIV positive. The program also aims to reduce children's misconceptions about HIV transmission, such as teaching children that they cannot be infected by the disease simply by hugging their parents or eating from the same dinner pot. This will strengthen parent child bonds and reduce children's fears about their parents and living with HIV. In Chile a program entitled Un Buen Comienzo, a project in Santiago, Chile, is aimed at improving early childhood education through teacher professional development. Teachers are trained in methods to improve the quality of educational experiences for children ages four to six, with a focus in language development. Efforts to intervene in critical health areas, improve school attendance, improve children's social-emotional development, and involve families in their child's education are all part of this initiative. In Brazil the Global Children's Initiative launched Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância, a program that utilizes the science of child development and health to guide the development of stronger policies and larger financial investments to benefit families and young children. This effort aims to foster a society that is more prosperous, sustainable and equitable.

            Finally, I am excited to share a follow up from my last blog post: In the Zero to Three special email, it was reported that Congress has approved a six month extension of the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program! This means that the bill will now go to the president to be signed, providing an extension that maintains current funding levels for the program, ensuring it continues until March 2015, when it will need to be reauthorized.

References

"A Day Without Childcare" (2012). http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/media-and-resources/wofo-tv/

Global Children's Initiative Fact Sheet: Mission and Activities. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/