Roles and Jobs in the Early Childhood Community: Federal and National Level

The first federal organization that interests me is the US Department of Health and Human Services. The organization has a position open for a Supervisory Children and Families Program Specialist which entails leading and guiding programs such as Child Welfare, Foster Care and Adoption Assistance, and Child Abuse and Neglect as well as developing strategies and plans for units to carry out legislative goals for improved effectiveness of programs. The position requires only a Bachelor’s degree and additional experience in the human services field. I am interested in the position because it is an opportunity to bring voice for children and families at the federal level and to bring my knowledge and experience to other professionals that impact many federal policies.

Zero to Three (n.d.) offers great knowledge and research regarding child development from birth to three years. I have found this organization to be incredibly helpful in the information shared through the journals and newsletters as well as the online links to child development and maltreatment information. To work for this organization would be a wonderful opportunity in any capacity. Currently there is a position open for a Senior Writer/Training Specialist. One of the requirements for the position is to have a strong knowledge of Early Head Start programs and experience in training a variety of audiences. These skills are ones that I would need to improve further before applying for the position.

The final organization that I would like to discuss is Healthy Families of America. This organization is a national group which supports state home visiting programs to offer child development and parent education to families beginning prenatally through five years. Because I currently work for the Healthy Families New York program I have a strong passion for what this organization represents. While I work in a successful county-run program, I have thought about what opportunities I may be able to open up in other counties or states through the national guidance and leadership. One of my dreams has been to start a new program in a county of need where I may become the program manager where I can lead and guide the direction of the home visiting program. I have family in an area of Pennsylvania which currently does not have a Healthy Families program. I can’t help but wonder if I moved there what opportunities would I be able to open up for families and children?

References

Healthy Families America. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.healthyfamiliesamerica.org/about_us/index.shtml

USA Jobs. (n.d.). US Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/351906400

Zero to Three. (n.d.). Job Posting. Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/careers/jobs/senior-writer-training-specialist_ehs-nrc_8-13.pdf

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

One community of practice that I find interesting is the Prevent Child Abuse New York organization. This organization works to promote parent education and increase funding and public awareness of parenting education programs. I chose this community of practice because I believe the opportunities that can be created through parent education programs is tremendously powerful in preventing child abuse and increasing child health and development. As a current parent educator my current hopes for my career is to maintain and continue to improve my skills as a parent educator with the home visiting program I work for. To competently fulfill this role I need to continue to improve my communication skills and knowledge of parenting practices and child development.

Another community of practice that is appealing is the Family Enrichment Network (FEN). This group creates a partnership with parents and family members to achieve optimal child development and learning potentials. FEN coordinates children and family services using a comprehensive and collaborative approach to improve their quality of life.” I am interested in this group because of the devotion I have witnessed from the group within my community. The services offered extend beyond just working to build on children’s development and learning to the families and community connections that serve to advocate for empowering the family and child. I would be interested in working for this organization in the role of a Family Support Services Director or a coordinator in other areas as well. For this role I would need to improve on leadership skills.

              A third community of practice that I am interested in is the Let’s Read program through the United Way of Broome County. This group works to improve reading skills of children by encouraging parent and family involvement and creating lending libraries for children throughout the community. I like that the group has utilized many areas where children and families commonly go within the community in order to promote reading.

 References

Family Enrichment Network.  http://www.familyenrichment.cc/

Prevent Child Abuse New York. http://www.preventchildabuseny.org/

Let’s Read: United Way of Broome County. http://www.uwbroome.org/lets-read

My Collegial, Professional Learning Community

Being among other professionals in this learning community has made me much more aware of the wealth of knowledge we can gain from each other as we share our knowledge and experiences with one another. I have gained new perspective from my colleagues in the community about various systems and services that are offered in other states. This community has given me a great opportunity to learn from fellow early childhood professionals and fueled my passion to continue my own work knowing that there are others striving for the same overall goal.

I also feel that my professional development has been impacted by gaining an overall understanding of how early childhood systems are created and supported yet still require the passion and motivation to make continuous improvements from all professionals like us. As colleagues in the field, we all can provide the necessary motivation for each other to make a positive impact on policies and advocate for change. I feel that this community has awarded me the chance to learn about the field with the confidence that I can communicate with others to ask questions or gain advice on various topics and ideas.

The ability to collaborate among other colleagues in this learning community shows the benefit to collaborating among colleagues within any community. I feel that I have an understanding of how each community can benefit to use collaboration techniques in their efforts toward advocacy and policy issues or simply to support each other within the field.

My goal from this point is to always maintain my passion for the early childhood field. When I am able to maintain my passion, I am able to work at my strongest level and to advocate for young children and their families. If I let my passion filter out, then I risk losing my interest in the field and my ability to make a difference in the lives of young children. My passion for the early childhood field is what enables me to educate others on the importance of educating and caring for young children and advocating for their needs. My passion is what gives me the ability to fuel the passion of others and inspire them to improve their work within this field.

Hypothetical Family Situation

I am a 31 year-old woman expecting a baby boy in early October. I live with my boyfriend and we have been ecstatic to be having our first child even though we had planned to wait until after we get married. I work for the local hospital making about $30,000 per year as a family support worker. My boyfriend, Chris, is an accountant and makes a bit more than me at about $45,000 per year. We both love our jobs but we are a little tight on finances due to our student loans. I am also finishing up my Master’s degree and will soon be having those loans to add to the pile. We live close to both of our families and are hoping to get a lot of help and guidance from them as we raise our son, Jack.

After having a non-stress test and subsequent following tests, we found out that our baby boy has a malformation in his lung, called congenital lung malformation. Because of my own childhood history of severe asthma I am blaming myself for this condition occurring in Jack. I am completely beside myself because I know that we will likely have to have surgery to correct the malformation. The doctors have explained that doing surgery once he is born may help before it takes over his chest causing problems with oxygen levels and issues with blood flow to other organs. Even though our family speaks English, this all seems like a foreign language of medical terms to me. It feels like I need a translator to explain what I need to do to help my son live a healthy life. I am also scared that other conditions/issues may have erupted due to any lack of oxygen to his body. I have taken such good care of my body during this pregnancy. How could this be happening to our baby boy?

Chris and I were planning to take Jack to the child care center where my sister works once he is old enough to attend. However, given his lung condition, we will have to wait to determine if it will be safe and appropriate care for him. Given the amount of illnesses that can run through a child care center I am scared Jack will be more susceptible to getting an infection which may lead to pneumonia much more easily. What if his lung causes severe asthma where an attack can cause difficulty breathing at a moment’s notice? Will the staff be able to handle something like this?

Now that we are aware of this condition, Chris and I must take a look at how we will prepare for Jack’s arrival in just over a month. First we must look at who will be caring for Jack’s health. We need to work closely with his pediatrician and discuss steps in setting up care with a pediatric pulmonologist. I also think we will need to make sure that we have someone who will help us understand the medical terms and steps that we will be taking in the near future. After I am released from maternity leave, how will we ensure that Jack is properly cared for? If I quit my job to stay home with him we will lose the good medical coverage with the hospital. Maybe I can have our parents care for him during the day while we work (although they also work full-time jobs). Is there a day care service for children with special needs in this area? Or can I somehow ensure that his teachers are properly trained with his medical needs? Someone please help me find our way through what is about to come!

Questions/Concerns

                I believe this hypothetical family situation is very realistic. I have based it mainly on my current family situation because it is what truly may happen. While I have considered the future of a family with my boyfriend, I have not thought about some of our own health conditions that may affect our own child, which is how I came across the condition of congenital lung malformation. Given the details of my hypothetical family situation please provide any insight you have. I appreciate the advice and suggestions J

Have I given a complete picture of my family, or are there details missing that I should include in order to complete the assignment successfully? If so, what are your suggestions?

Are there any specific websites I should be reviewing with regard to learning about quality services and programs for my child and family in this hypothetical family situation?

Does anyone have any thoughts, based on my specific family situation, that will affect the early childhood system I am creating?

References

Seattle Children’s Hospital, Research, and Foundation. (n.d.) Congenital lung malformations. Retrieved from http://www.seattlechildrens.org/medical-conditions/airway/congenital-lung-malformations/

The Political Will to Improve Early Childhood Systems

Throughout my courses, I have noticed that many of the early childhood professionals seeking to bring awareness or change to policies use educational strategies. Educational strategies seek to inform and target a specific audience while maintaining high credibility. Based on a policy’s particular needs or actions, an educational strategy can be used through providing fact sheets, reports, position papers, websites, letters or opinion pages, and multimedia presentations.

The reason this strategy works so well is because it is used in a manner which provides researched details of importance while also persuading the audience to understand particular factors involved in policies. Educational strategies use intentional methods in a strategic way to advocate an issue. This strategy appeals to me in my work so that I may better advocate for families based on the information they present to me and that I may take further to speak or inform others on their behalf. I also enjoy that this work allows me the opportunity to take part in making positive changes that effect children and families in the current day and age. As an advocate I am looking at how policies effect a family today, where I can use the information from fifty years ago to better influence the decision-makers for today’s policies and issues.

Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

Hearing the stories from the families involved with the Head Start programs is of great significance to me because of my role in working directly with parents and families of young children. I am fortunate to see the successes of the families that I work with; however, it is somehow different when I get to hear the impact of having a relationship with an early childhood professional through their own words. Granted the families in the media segment are not the same that I work with but they are somewhat the same stories. The stories give me added confidence that my efforts make a difference in the lives of others in positive ways.

Parent and family involvement greatly benefits young children, families, and the early childhood field through the opportunities presented to help the programs grow by helping to make decisions and building partnerships with the programs. Family involvement can especially help to enrich the learning of the child through assisting in consistently reinforcing what is being taught within the classrooms. Furthermore, by keeping families involved in their child's education, we are instilling a sense of confidence and strength in a family's parenting abilities.

The value of hearing these family stories has on all involved in early childhood is the strength that it can give those who make decisions impacting these families. The families that are involved in their programs are essentially their own advocates as well as advocates for other children and families. All early childhood professionals, policymakers, and government officials greatly benefit from listening to the stories of these families because they are firsthand accounts of the impact Head Start can have. The stories are a way to communicate what is possible and what is needed.

I firmly believe family involvement is a crucial piece for all strands of service in the early childhood field because the families are the ones that hold the cards for the future of all children. As we discovered last week, the history of the early childhood field strands have changed based on public opinion and early childhood advocates. The families are the ones who can determine what types of service they feel is best for their child by influencing the public opinion and voting for particular officials that can make the decisions of change within the field. Families also are crucial in every strand because it begins the foundation for family relationships with the education systems throughout a child’s life.  

Quality Services and Public Opinion

I think there is a progressive shift by the United States public in the understanding that the early years of a child’s life are the most influential in regards to health and development along with beginning a foundation for education. Perhaps it is because of my newer role in the early childhood field as a parent educator, but I am noticing more advocates for beginning education programs and strengthening health and development for infants and toddlers as early as possible. While many mothers have stayed home with their children for many years in the birth-five age range, I have begun to notice that many parents are taking advantage of the help from early childhood professionals as well as public health initiatives even if they are a stay at home parent or a working parent. As we are discussing every day, the public is gaining the understanding of the importance of the early years. Even President Obama has stated in his State of the Union addresses that there is a need to strengthen the services for children and families during the early years, showing the understanding of crucial development factors from birth.

I hope over the next five years this public opinion continues to grow to support the early childhood field and the importance of a child’s health and development within the critical first 3 years. I hope policies will continue to improve the early childhood services offered and that the economic factors will shift toward increasing funding for early childhood services. I believe that the early childhood field is gaining support from the public and elected officials and will continue to grow in a positive way.  I also believe whole-heartedly that if the support from all strands of the early childhood field work together and recognize the power that exists among this field, the future for all factors will show a positive shift toward healthier children with a strong family foundation as well as sufficient funding for necessary education systems.