Sharing Web Resources

The website organization of my choice the Child Care Aware site discussed the topic this week of emergency planning in programs. This covers information of any and all emergencies that could occur during business hours including attacks, fires, and storms. Being in the panhandle near the Gulf of Mexico storms and flooding are a realty constantly. Another issue of being on a Military installation there is the issue of breaches of base gates. Emergency protocol is extremely important for those within the program providers and families alike.

The site included these tables to be able to share the information of the survey done on a group of parents whose children are in a program (Child Care Aware, 2017).

Preliminary Child Care Emergency Preparedness Survey Data, March 2017

Source: Child Care Aware® of America

 

Be proactive. Ask child care providers about their preparedness and response plans for emergencies. Over 45% of parents also reported that the child care emergency plan was not communicated to them.

 

This information is all highly important today for the attacks that happen throughout the nation on public areas. The security and safety of our children in our programs is of the highest importance. Having and sharing the plans that are put into place when disaster strikes is important to ensure the safety of all. This includes the families who are going to want immediate access to their children.

In my program each family is given an emergency packet that outlines address and phone numbers of three locations and people who will be able to be in constant contact should an emergency arise. The parents are individually introduced to the procedures and are asked to retain the signed for packet as well as the information in their phones to be in compliance. The drills are practiced monthly this is both fire and shelter in place. When information is needed to be updated parents are notified in writing within 24 hours to ensure compliance.

The site is very well balanced with the ideas of politicians, neurologist as well as economist agreeing that children are our future and supporting them allows for growth Child Care Aware. (2017). Health and wellness is discussed for not just children in our care, but the providers who are caring for the children. This is a great well rounded site that focuses on overall benefits of early learning.   

Reference:

Child Care Aware. (2017). Parents: Is Your Child Care Program Prepared? Retrieved from http://usa.childcareaware.org/2017/03/parents-child-care-program-prepared/.

Child Care Aware. (2017). Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands. Retrieved from http://childcareaware.org/wash-wash-wash-hands/.

Getting to Know My Contacts

My conversation partners are colleagues of mine in the military community. I have not personally met either yet we have corresponded through training as well as email to uphold our mission at our respected bases we are currently residing at.

Sara, currently residing in England, is a trainer who works in the military child development centers as well as volunteers in the community to learn about the nursery schools in the community. Sara has been involved in Early Childhood Education with the military for the past two years, however has worked in the nursery schools in England for almost ten.

Sayako, currently living in Italy, is a child development director, and has been a part of the early education world for almost twelve years. In her time being an early educator she has worked in Japan and her home South Korea. Sayako enjoys watching children grow and learn through play.

From these professionals thus far I have noticed the major differences have been the financial resources for their schools. Another being the ability to have highly trained staff who are also well educated and compensate for their education. Much of the funding in these other countries come from the government taking the pressure off of the parents to provide finances for care. Sara mentioned in England the nursery age children are given free hours to attend nursery school with a curriculum similar to what is offered in preschool programs in the United States.  

Sayako is funded through the Department of Defense (DOD) she has stated they have ample funding the materials are at times difficult to purchase due to the shipping and handling issues to her area, however when she can buy locally for materials the rate of exchange is pretty good. Within her program her staff is able to receive their CDAs or other early learning certificates through scholarships and funding for them being overseas through the DOD.

Sara is mainly funded through the government in England. She shared that the focus in England is on advancement of early learners to be ready for their primary education. The focus on educators throughout England as well as the government is to ensure all children are in educational nursery schools from the start and build forward to ready them.

Sharing Web Resources

Child Care Aware of America is the site I have chosen. Thursday 16 March 2017 an article was posted on the site about President Trump purposing the elimination of programs that support child care. The bill looks to cut the funding of federal support to 21^st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) (Nichols, 2017).

These programs are ones who directly support children and families who are low-income. The 21^st CCLC supports families with summer learning programs and afterschool care.  The CDBG creates the ability for low-income families to afford gain access to affordable housing, and assists with meal funding programs and community based educational programs (Nichols, 2017).

Programs that in rich our children and the families in the communities are important. Being able to have these funds to keep these programs available to the communities is highly important. While researching within the site I found a study done with the issues many millennials have with being able to afford child care. Should funding be cut federally the possibilities that programs may have to raise fees is there to be able to offset the costs of running a quality program.

Early education is an important part of growth and development for children as well as their families. Ensuring the quality programs are accessible to the communities is something the governments does need to take into consideration.

http://usa.childcareaware.org/2017/03/president-trump-proposes-elimination-of-programs-that-support-child-care/

http://usa.childcareaware.org/millennial-map/