Share Web Resources

The website that I chose was childtrends.org. This site is a useful source of research, data analysis and important information about the childhood field. This site serves as a resource for parents, ECE professionals, economists and policymakers. I navigated through the site and searched through the Our Research section of the website and I reviewed the list of articles under the Early Childhood Development tab. It was a number of articles that I took an interest and one in particular was the article titled, Continuity of Subsidy Participation and Stability of Care in the Child Care Subsidy Program in Maryland. This article discusses the participation of families in child care subsidies and the stability in the care they receive. It discusses how the inconsistencies in subsidies cause children to have unstable child care arrangements which in turn hinder their growth and development.   This article interested me because in my experience with working with families who receive subsidies had quite a few challenges with the Child Care Subsidy program.

In Maryland there is an extensive waitlist for working parents to receive subsidies. “Vouchers” are typically offered to parents that are homeless or in work training programs through the state. It really does not benefit parents who work full time jobs and need assistance with affording child care. Many parents who need it most are the ones who get the run around or get stuck on a waiting list for years. On the other hand, parents who are unemployed, receiving TCA and enrolled in a work program will receive vouchers right way. I do not understand the logic in that at all. The program would be more effective and less inconsistency would occur and stable child care would be maintained if it was given where the need is higher. It seems as if the “working poor” class children still suffers tremendously because they are not  being afforded equal opportunities and access to  affordable quality care.

Also in my experience with subsidies, it was a challenge to receive payment on the Child care providers end. It could take up to 60 days or more to get placed in the system and get the paperwork processed when accepting a new child in your program with vouchers. It is practically like you are working for free until you get paid from the state. When parents loss their vouchers it was even worst. I had a situation where a parent loss their vouchers and I still was waiting to get paid from when the vouchers were valid. It was very frustrating for me and other Childcare providers who had similar experiences. Sometimes as providers we felt like it was a hassle with dealing with families with vouchers and at times we would not want to work with those families. It is unfortunate situation across the board we are denying children of quality care just because we do not want to deal with all the issues and headache it comes with.

Web Resources

          I believe that all children deserve high-quality care and education and it our respponsibilty as parents, caregivers and educators to foster and promote healthy growth and development.  The US Department of Education: Early Childhood and NAECY are great professional resources that focuses on the well being and academic success of children.
http://www2.ed.gov/teachers/how/early/edpicks.jhtml

http://www.naeyc.org/

My Connections to Play

   Quotes about PLAY

        I remember when I was a child, all I did was play! When I would come home from school and after my homework I would play, on the weekends I would play and during school closings/holidays I would play. If the weather was nice I would play outside until it was time for dinner and if I had some extra time after dinner then I would play before bed. Barbie dolls were my favorite toy to play with. I had all things Barbie! I had the Barbie Dream House, Barbie limo, cars & trucks, Barbie clothes and accessories, collectable barbies and a Barbie traveling case to keep my dolls in. Whenever I would play with my barbies, I would make up stories about their lives and I would act out the stories while playing. When my friends would come over, we would share our Barbie collection with one another and collaborate stories to act out. Our imagination would run wild with the stories we would act out. Sometimes we would make up our own stories and other times we would act out scenes from movies or things we seen our parents do. Not only would I act out stories but I would also make clothes for my barbies. My grandmother was a seamstress and I would imitate her by making clothes for my dolls. It is interesting that all of my dress making for my dolls had paid off into a current business I have making evening and wedding gowns for women.

          When I would play outside, I loved playing Hide and Seek and Tag. I always seemed to find the best hiding spots because I would rarely be found. I wasn’t a big fan of riding bikes but I enjoyed skating while holding on to the back of my cousin’s bike. Around my neighborhood I would often go exploring with my friends. We would act as if we were going on an adventure while hiking through the wooded areas. I even remember going through this “Harriet the Spy” phase. Harriet the Spy was a movie about a precocious preteen who would spy on everyone including her friends and neighbors. I would go around spying on everyone in my neighborhood and my friends would spy with me. We would jot down things we saw in mini notebooks and collected things we found. It was so much fun to just explore our environment freely. Our neighborhood was not always the safest but it seemed like the elders in the neighborhood would protect us and everyone stuck together to raise the children in the community.

Since my mom was an Early Childhood Professional, play was encouraged in my household. My mom would often join in with me while I played with my Barbie dolls.  She would follow my lead and act out the stories that I created for the dolls. When I reflect back on that time in my life, I just remember how enthused and engaged my mother was in my play. Our family was big on board and card games. We would often play Monopoly, Clue, Sorry, Uno, Goldfish and Pokeno. Pokeno was our family favorite. We would have a family game night every Friday just about and we would play Pokeno for pennies and sometimes quarters. I would rack up in pennies to put in my piggy bank because I was pretty good at playing the game. Another family favorite was Spades. Spades was typically the adult’s game but my mom taught me how to play so I play it now as an adult.

In today’s society, children live for technology. With ipads, tablets, tvs and video games, children has lost the art of open play. Children are not given the freedom to explore and create the way they did when I was younger. I remember cartoons were a luxury to enjoy on Saturday mornings only or if you had cable with the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon then it was still limited to just the weekends. Some children as young as 9 months are sat in front of the tv and some toddlers can operate an Iphone better than I can. Many children play video games and that is about the most play they actually participate in. Some kids do not go outside like we used to and that is primarily because the neighborhoods are not as safe as they used to be. I feel that play is focused a bit more in the early childhood field but once a child enters grade school, it is not encouraged much. I hope that people see the value in play and encourage it more for the next generation to benefit from.

 

References

Retrieved from: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=play+quotes&FORM=HDRSC2#!?q=play+quotes&view=detailv2&&id=BE3B189E9BEEDAF4F215CA9DA4E7F3E6EF2802C7&selectedIndex=5&ccid=2WtfYZST&simid=608043125244298967&thid=OIP.Md96b5f6194936bc5ae4eb141fa79c272H0&mode=overlay

 

 

 

 

Relationship Reflections

“Healthy relationships are a vital component of health and wellbeing. There is compelling evidence that strong relationships contribute to a long, healthy, and happy life”(Kreitzer 2015).

When I became a mother, my relationship with my child has become the most important relationship in my life. My son is my number one priority and he has changed my life tremendously. The love of a mother to a child is a love like no other. He has taught me the true meaning of love and how to put another human being before myself. I try to set the best example possible since I know that he is looking up to me. I nurture him and reassure him that mommy his here to love, guide and protect him. I am his first teacher and will instill morals and values in him so he can grow into a confident, well-mannered and successful adult.

Although I am a single mother, the relationship and the partnership that I have built with my son’s dad have allowed us to co parent successfully. We work a team to provide our son with optimal love and care. We are no longer together but we understand that our son is the priority and we have to be on the same page when raising him. We create a stable living environment that works for all of us to grow into a stronger family unit. My son is aware that his dad and I are friends and that we love him very much. I am glad that my son’s dad and I have realized that we may not have worked in a romantic relationship but we are better and stronger as friends and co-parents.

My relationship with God has grown deeper and stronger as I grew older. Since I was a child, my family has always instilled in me beliefs about God and that it is a spiritual being greater than us. I understood somewhat as a child, but as I grew older I developed a personal relationship with him. By attending church and reading his teachings in the bible, I have a better understanding of him. My faith has grown deeper and I know that God strengthens me. With his love, grace and mercy, I know that I can do all things.

My family help set the foundation for who I am today. They have equipped me with the right tools to successfully navigate through life’s challenges. My mother has inspired me to be the best I can be and not allow anything to stand in my way. My father has taught me how to love myself and not to allow anyone to validate who I am. My grandmother has provided me with a sense of security that taught me how to trust others. My aunts and uncles have given me life advice that I will always carry with me. My family is the core of my existence and without them I do not know where I would be.

My friends help keep me grounded. The relationships that I have developed over the years have taught me how to be a better me. My friends are loyal and honest and they will always “keep it real” even when I do not want to hear it. They help me improve on my flawed areas and help uplift me in the areas that I am strong in. They are always there when I need them rather it is a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on, I can always rely on my friends. My friends always know how to make me smile even when things are not going so well. They always remind me that “When life throws you lemons, just make some sweet lemonade.” I am truly grateful for those relationships.

The relationships that I have built with my colleagues have helped me grow both professionally and personally. Since I have recently made the transition from retail to early childhood education, working with individuals in the field has helped me learn more about the profession. I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing individuals who have a substantial amount of experiences and knowledge about the early childhood field. I have built strong relationships with my coworkers that allow me to succeed in the work place. We offer support to one another when needed and we work as a team to get things accomplished. Because of our cooperation and collaboration, we are able to maintain a high morale within the workplace. We are able to perform our job duties and carry out our responsibilities successfully. Without the relationships that I have built with my colleagues, it would be challenging to succeed at my job.

Last but not least, the relationship that I have with myself is very important to me. Learning about who I am and how to love myself, I am able to give love and show respect to others. I am able to accept others for who they are and understand their perspectives. I am able to be a loving mother, supportive relative, loyal friend and cooperative coworker. Understanding my abilities and areas of improvement help me develop into the person I am today. I am still a work in progress but with all of the relationships that I have created in my life have elevated me to reach my full potential.

 

References

Kreitzer. M.J. Hathaway. K. 2015. Why are Personal Relationships Important? Retrieved from: http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/relationships/why-personal-relationships-are-important

When I Think of Child Development

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took the time to read my blog and to share valuable information on your personal blog as well. I would like to especially thank Jodi and Latrice for sharing your blogs. Working with you all has been such a great learning experience. It has been a pleasure reading and viewing the blogs you all have posted and I have gained knowledge about other countries that I did not know previously. I have added a few resources about early child care to my collection from what you all have posted on your blogs. I appreciate having the opportunity to connect and network with like-minded individuals who are passionate about the healthy development of children.  I wish you all the best in your future endeavors and I wish you well on your journey to completing your Masters of Early Childhood Studies.

 

 

Testing for Intelligence, pt. 1

I believe that a young child’s learning and development should be assessed. I believe that assessments are necessary to best meet the child’s developmental and educational needs. With the information gathered from an assessment, we as child care professional can provide the children with resources and additional support to aid them in achieving optimal growth. With that information we can help identify any early developmental and learning delays and seek early intervention to help support them. I feel the most appropriate form of assessment should be performance and product based. I feel that teacher observations and work sample portfolios are the best way to assess children. When a child is observed, teachers can document how the child interacts and engages in different activities in their environment. They can identify the child’s development, interests and needs through the observations and take into account all domains which give them an accurate account for the “whole child.” Teachers have to remain unbiased and document factual information in order for an observation to be an accurate assessment tool.  Work sample portfolios are also another way to assess young children. A work sample portfolio is a collection of a child’s work over a period of time that shows evidence of the child’s growth. The concrete evidence from the portfolio can be used to individualize lesson plans and help meets the child’s educational needs. It can also be used for parent conferences and to help set goals for children to achieve. I would not recommend standardized testing for young children because it is not developmentally appropriate nor does it give accurate data on their growth and development. Most importantly it does not evaluate the child holistically.

 

Growing Up with Violence

Growing up as a child in Baltimore City, violence was prevalent in my community. The neighborhood in which I lived was considered highly dangerous mainly because of the gangs that surrounded the area. Gunshots would ring out nightly especially on weekends. The news channels often covered stories of shootings and other violent offenses that happened in my neighborhood on a daily basis. While attending school, my classmates would often discuss the shooting that took place the night before and more often than not it was always someone whom we’ve known. The students would often come up with their own reasoning as to why the shootings occurred and they began to obsess over the idea of gang-related crimes. It would often sadden me that my classmates were more interested in who shot who and their motive behind it than to talk about more exciting things like going skating and to the movies. It was unfortunate how the crimes in my community corrupted the minds of up and coming generation and the negative impact that it had on their way of thinking.

Although violence plague my neighborhood and corrupted the minds of my peers, it had a very different impact on me and my childhood. I was aware of what was happening right outside my door but my family was well connected and well respected in the community that we were not personal affected by it. My grandmother owned a store on the corner of a busy intersection in the city and my house sat on top of it. Many people in the neighborhood would come to the store and talk with my grandmother especially the young people. She would share her wisdom and give them advice, some would follow but many would not. She became the adopted grandmother of the neighborhood which gained her respect amongst everyone even the most violent gang members. Since my grandmother was well respected, it benefitted the family greatly. Our family was protected against the violence and I was able to live a life of security verses fear. My mother also played a vital role in keeping me safe by taking me out of the neighborhood for playdates and other fun things to keep me entertained. She tried her best to shield and protect me from all harm and danger. We were not the wealthiest but my mother made sure she keep me out of harm’s way and allowed me to be a child in a safe environment. With the help and support of my family, I was able to grow up in a less stressful environment than my peers.  

As an adult living in Baltimore City, many things are different than my childhood. I feel more stressed now than I did back then. The violence has increased, people became more aggressive and reckless and they are constant on edge. The unemployment rate has increased and paying jobs have decrease and even the people that you would least expect is turning to violence as a means to an end. It breaks my heart that some of the children that I work with turn every toy they play with into a gun and pretend to shoot at their peers. When they make the sound “bang-bang” and can barely recite their alphabet, I cringe in disappointment. In 2015, after the death of Freddie Gray the city had turned upside down and it was the first time in my life that I experienced a riot. People were breaking in stores, burning things down and protesting erratically. It was a horrible sight. Everything that we took years to build was torn down in minutes. It was a disgrace. Following Gray’s death, the homicides in the city increased rapidly making the final toll 344 in 2015.

Violence has impacted children all around the world in many ways. According to U.S Passports and International Travel, Honduras was named the world’s most dangerous and violent country. U.S. citezens were worn not to travel to this country due to the high crime rates. “Since 2010, Honduras has had one of the highest murder rates in the world, and the U.S. Embassy has recorded 42 murders of U.S. citizens during the same time period, with 10 recorded since January 2014. However, official statistics from the Honduran Observatory on National Violence show Honduras’ homicide rate has decreased to 66 per 100,000 in 2014, down from its peak of 86.5 per 100,000 in 2011, and mid-year estimates in July 2015 predict a lower rate for 2015”( U.S Passports and International Travel 2015).

“As a Honduran, you have nearly a one-in-1,000 chance of being murdered. With a population roughly equal to Virginia's, 36 Hondurans were kidnapped, 7,104 became homicide victims, and 24,808 were robbed in 2011 (most recent data). With only 3,645 assaults for the same period, you're more likely to be killed than hurt”( Loiseau 2014). These statistics are alarming and I can only imagine how it is affecting the children in Honduras.  It is said that the violence stems for the coca plants and drug trafficking in Honduras. “The Latin American country serves as a key staging ground for cocaine shipments to the U.S, and drug gangs will do anything to defend their turf”( Loiseau 2014).  The children in Honduras suffer tremendously and I would like to learn more about how it is affecting their growth and development and in what ways we can break this vicious cycle of violence before they grow into corrupt adults.

References

Loiseau, J. 2014  The World’s 3 Most Dangerous Countries. Retrieved from: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/01/18/the-worlds-3-most-dangerous-countries.aspx

U.S Passports and International Travel. 2015  Honduras Travel Warning. Retrieved from: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/honduras-travel-warning.html