Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

I had the opportunity this week to watch some parent stories in relation to Head Start programs and what they did for their families.  The first video I viewed was an interview with father Zachary James, he had eight children go through the Head Start program.  Not only was the program beneficial for his children but it also inspired Zachary to go back to school to get his GED.  Before he had gotten his diploma, he was unable to read a children's book to his own kids.  Mr. James' story was definitely inspirational for me to work harder to improve the family engagement at my center.  Professionals in the field often only focus on the benefits family engagement has on the kids, but we do not realize how wonderful it is for the parents and families also.  This father went on to finish the education he stopped and now as he said, has higher expectations and standards for his own children and values the importance of swallowing one's pride and ask for help if needed. 

Another mom, Eva, expressed how Head Start taught her to make every moment a teachable moment when she is with her son.  They play games like peek-a-boo, but use letters to fuel the game.  Like Mr. James, Head Start helped Eva prepare for her GED and now she is getting ready to start her CDA so she is better prepared to be a "teacher" for her children. 

Involvement opportunities also give parents the chance to see what your program is all about.  Parents can see it is more than just child care, their children are growing, learning, and developing into productive members of society.  Parents may also become motivated to continue their education so that they can be better parents and role models for their children. 

Resource
Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (2010).  National Head Start Association 37th Annual Parent Conference.  Retrieved from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/about/stories/pfs.

Quality Programs for All Children

From my perspective, the current public opinion in the United States with regard to the value and importance of early care and education for young children and families is divided.  Within my own center families either recognize the importance of socialization, learning and curriculum, and structure for young children, but on the other hand families think of early care as a glorified babysitting service for working parents.  In talking with others about early care and education, the public still do not know the difference between a daycare and an early learning center.  Even some educators that have their children in care do not look at the teachers as educated professionals and more often than not parents are surprised to know that the teachers actually have degrees in education and are state certified.  The seemingly sudden push in political platforms and in state and federal budget reforms to increase funding for early education programs shows the importance of investing in our youngest citizens.

I hope in the next five years that the public will as a whole realize just how essential and critical early education and care is for children.  I hope the idea of daycare is reformed.  Once everyone, most importantly parents, realize that early childhood education is beneficial for their children, we will see a change in ECE strands of service, systems, policies, and advocacy.  We are already seeing the influence in policies and advocacy, but there's a lot more work to be done.  I hope that with this increase of knowledge more children and families will have access to affordable child care, resources, and less children will be able to slip through the cracks, so to speak.

What Resonates With You About Early Childhood Public Policy and Advocacy?

I chose to major in Public Policy and Advocacy because families and children are not aware of all of the resources available to them.  There are a lot of flaws in the educational and justice systems that are put into place to help families and their children, but more often than not those systems fail.  I want to be apart of the movement to improve these systems and be a voice for those that need the most help.  Becoming an advocate is essential in the early childhood field because our youngest citizens need the most help.  They will go up to either be productive members of society or they will end up deteriorating the fabric of our countries unless they are put on the right path.  I started out advocating and working towards this major many years ago as a volunteer for the Special Olympics and now as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
I hope to learn the following about public policy and advocacy:
1.  How to become more involved in the political bodies in the community and the steps needed to start making a change. 
2.  Systems or strategies to improve the livelihood and quality of education and care for children and their families
3.  How to start campaigns to make changes to laws and policies at the local, state, and federal levels