Saturday, April 12, 2014

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.

2 comments:

  1. Wow! What great information! It's awesome they include state by state information and their parental awareness! It sounds like a great resources for many different topics. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. It's interesting to know that the Zero to Three has a link hat include state by state on improving infant and early childhood mental health. Thanks for sharing the information this is a must site to real on.

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