Final Blog Post

I first want to say thank you to my colleagues for their insight and sharing of their international contacts and podcast research. Although I never connected with an international contact  I enjoyed reading the internationals   contacts each of you shared. By reading your post and insights I feel that I am better prepared with awareness of international issues that will allow me to have a better understanding of global childhood challenges.

During the course I’ve learned that countries all over the world have related issues and concerns about quality and accessibility of early childcare and educational programs. High quality childcare, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, promotes motivation, confidence, good cognitive and linguistic development and school readiness. Globally high quality childcare is getting much attention; due to the fact that early childhood experts and professionals maintain that quality is critical when it comes to early childhood education and care. Investing in the health, education, development and care of our children benefits children and their families, our communities and the economy, and is critical to lifting workforce participation. This issue seems to be one that stretches across the world in reference to early childhood education and high quality.

Funding of early childhood is another issue that is globally. When funds are steady being cut then quality of services goes lacking.  Quality, accessibility and investment are a universal concern.Lack of funding is a global issue to supporting early childhood programs that impacts the quality of all programs. These trends and issues seem to continue all over the world.

One insight that I will take from this course is the impact that poverty has on children and their families. How poverty is steady rising from day to day and children are more and more becoming homeless. I will use websites like NCCP (national center for children in poverty) to stay current and updated on all the research findings, and all the projects implemented to reduce the implications of poverty on children and their families.

I will be more aware of is the various web sites that I was introduced though out the course from classmates’ blogs and course assignments. The information shared will be used to seek out resources and guidance that will support my families and continue to build my knowlegde. I will actively be more involved in the community  in which I work.

http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2009_04_07_RB_ChildreninPoverty.pdf

 http://www.nccp.org/pages/pdf/page_131.pd

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

Early childhood care and education programmers should emphasize the child’s holistic development and extend beyond assisting the child’s transition to formal schooling. High quality childcare, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, promotes motivation, confidence, good cognitive and linguistic development and school readiness.

One of the greatest difficulties faced by countries in their efforts to expand and improve the quality of early childhood care and education is the mobilization of resources. This is particularly daunting in developing countries, where early childhood may be overshadowed by other pressing priorities, such as universal primary education.

The 1990 Jomtien Declaration on Education for All (EFA), stated that countries should view early childhood as part of basic education. Once countries recognize the positive value of state investment in this area, the next challenge is to mobilize funds. In general, government funding for early childhood is extremely small. For this reason approaching the private sector (non-profit and for-profit) can be an effective strategy. This issue seems to be one that stretches across the world in reference to early childhood education and high quality. Funding of early childhood is challenging when funds are steady being cut. Quality, accessibility and investment are a universal concern.

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/),

Sharing Resources

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When exploring the NHSA web site I found information concerning various related topics from news updates to new job posting. One particular site talked about policies updates and funding that affects the head start program. The NHSA has news about how you can speak out about policies. National Head Start Association's advocacy work on behalf on nearly 1 million Head Start children and their families is funded entirely by donations from concerned individuals. The membership links provides a way for every individual to participate in shaping Head Start's future.  Individual categories include friend of Head Start, Student, Alumnus, and Academic members. NHSA offers scholarships to various positions from administrative positions to parents to encourage future educational goals. NHSA also provides news about centers that are performing in excellence this year along there were 10 centers they recognized at their last conference. These centers had provided a high quality service to their clients by meeting high standards.

When exploring the NHSA web site I found information concerning various related topics from news updates to new job posting. One particular site talked about policies updates and funding that affects the head start program. The NHSA has news about how you can speak out about policies. National Head Start Association's advocacy work on behalf on nearly 1 million Head Start children and their families is funded entirely by donations from concerned individuals. The membership links provides a way for every individual to participate in shaping Head Start's future.  Individual categories include friend of Head Start, Student, Alumnus, and Academic members. NHSA offers scholarships to various positions from administrative positions to parents to encourage future educational goals. NHSA also provides news about centers that are performing in excellence this year along there were 10 centers they recognized at their last conference. These centers had provided a high quality service to their clients by meeting high standards.

Another link talked about more than five and a half million of the 15.7 million immigrant children in the United States are five or younger.  Although 94 percent of these children have been born on American soil, the circumstances for many—linguistic isolation, low levels of parental education, and high rates of poverty—place them at greater risk for developmental delays and poor academic performance than their native-born peers with native-born parents.

  Still, it bears repeating that children from less advantaged groups—including immigrant families living in poverty and with high levels of  stress stand to gain greatly from comprehensive, holistic approaches that support their health as well as their social, emotional, and cognitive development.  

  Although they emphasize that the greater benefits are associated with smaller programs—outcomes that may be elusive in the process of scaling up.  An evaluation of Oklahoma’s preschool program, which is universal, however, found that gains for Latino children in school readiness, in particular, pre- literacy and pre-math skills, were on par with those of white and African-American children.  And parents benefit, too.  They get to take advantage of special services, such as English-language classes and job counseling.  They also have access to a larger circle of acquaintances and relationships and community resources—social capital that has the potential to bring families on the margins into the mainstream.

Unfortunately, immigrant families face a number of serious obstacles in the quest for high-quality early learning experiences.  Not only are they stymied by language barriers and gaps in their knowledge of the dominant culture; immigrant parents just can’t afford the stratospheric fees of early learning programs, especially those for infants.  And while immigrant children in poverty may be eligible for subsidized care, slots in their communities are at a premium, and often of low quality.  Navigating the maze of subsidized options, and the child-care market more generally, is challenging for even the savviest parent. Then there’s enrollment, a process with endless paperwork, and interminable waiting lists. For unauthorized immigrants, just looking for an early childhood program can be threatening. 

Another link gives readers awareness of conferences throughout the United States that supports teachers, administrative staff, parents and other staff that work for Head Start.

http://www.nhsa.org/news_and_advocacy 

Sharing Resources # 2

One of the new insights I learned from the Center of the Developing Child at Harvard University is that neuroscience is playing a major role in research that support brain architecture in regards to polices and decision makers. Scientist has shown a margin of evidence that impact early influences whether positive or negative either are critical to the development of children brains and their lifelong health. Secondly, the architecture of the developing brain is serve and return interaction between children and significant adults (teachers, parents) in their lives. Which means that adult’s responsiveness to a child especially in their early years is essential for a healthy, emotional outcome. It is known that the first five years of a child’s life shapes their future – their health, learning and social development – and if we act in their early years then their future can be bright. Third-Early childhood experts and professionals maintain that quality is critical when it comes to early childhood education and care. Investing in the health, education, development and care of our children benefits children and their families, our communities and the economy, and is critical to lifting workforce participation. The main focus of studies at Harvard is to improve life outcome for children in the United States and throughout the world.

The Global Children’s Initiative,

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/

Sharing Web Resources

As I browse the web page of National Head Start Association the section that is specific and relevant to my current professional development is the benefit of Head Start. In this section it explains the research and evaluation outcomes. It goes on to talk about the educational benefits of children that participated in the Head Start and Early Head Start program. Studies show that children that participated in Head Start programs score higher on test also shows that their reading, math and writing skills were above the norm. Their parent were more involved in their child’s education and read more to their child .Children that participated in Early Head Start  have a higher cognitive development score when compared to other children that did not participated .This section also talks about how children health is better and how the rate of crime for these children are less.

One of the things that made me think about head start in a new way is the race to the top competition. How programs will need to meet certain standards to keep grant money. What will happen to families if grant funds be taking away? These types of articles are important and enlighten for caregivers who are associated with Head Start. Another interesting part of this particular site is that it gives you updates on ways to voice your opinion and new legislative E-updates.

http://www.nhsa.org

India

Over 260.2 million people were living in poverty as of 1999-2000 in India. India is the home to the majority of poor people in South Asia, mostly in rural areas. Rural poverty is strongly associated with the lack of having skills, health and education which limit people’s possibilities of overcoming poverty. There is a rapid increase in new health problems, such as HIV/AIDS which can be a great strain on society and the health of the poor. One thing that I learned from read about poverty in India was that it counts for 20% of the worlds out of school children. This is mostly due by the need to work to help support their family or health relate illness  in which they suffer due to lack of financial  means and education. The second thing is that India has the largest number of working children in the world with nearly a third of children below 16 years working. The third thing I learned about India is that they are gender biases. The reasons for gender discrimination are well-known and are related to a perception that boys are permanent members of a family while girls are only temporary members. The girl child is often neglected; often girls have a lower rate of school enrollment and a higher participation in child labor force. According to a recent census bureau there are over 44 child laborers in India. Children from poor rural communities lack access to an education that provides a good quality of teaching. They must endure poor quality teaching and facilities that are no inclusive to all.

Some of India’s anti poverty programs are rural employment creation, self employment and food subsidy program.  These programs are to improve the quality of life and to cater to the special needs of vulnerable children and their communities. Poverty in India has many factors that keep the cycle going from religion values, health and a lack of education for all.

http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

Sharing Wed Resources

 http://www.nhsa.org/news_and_advocacy/advocacy/legislative_eupdate
 As I stated last week my organization is The National Head Start Association.
 Head Start is the nation’s leading investment in early childhood care and education. Head Start provides a wide array of comprehensive education, health, nutrition, parent involvement, and family support services. Head Start has two types of programs (HS) Head Start which serves preschool children and their families and (EHS) Early Head Start that serves primarily at- risk prenatal to age three pregnant women and their families. This program has serves at risk children and their families since 1965. One of the issues facing Head Start is The Race to the top competition which is about raising the standards of low performing programs. Head Start funds would not be giving to programs that are not performing to meet high quality standards.The Obama’s administration will not funnel money back into low performing head start programs. This means that programs that are performing with little or no effectiveness will need to complete for funding against those that can offer better outcomes. Tough benchmarks on management, health, and safety financial accountability, will be imposed. Another standard that will need to rise to the top will be interaction of teachers in the classrooms.  Teachers will be assessed on a new research base assessment tools that will be monitor when a review takes place. All of these changes are base from the 2005 Government accountability office documented how poorly performing grantees continued to receive federal funding even after the fail to improve. The objective of this is that with these new rules that children from poor background will have a better chance to succeed. NHSA Government Affairs updates which is a bi -weekly electronic publication providing comprehensive, timely and insightful information on legislative issues facing Head Start. The lastest news talks about  raising the federal debt ceiling and how Head Start is vulnerble and that we will be facing a significant uphill battle to avoid cuts. http://www.nhsa.org/

Resources

The First Five Years Fund's Backgrounder for NHSA includes the First Five Years Fund core principles and recommendations regarding the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Fund Competition