Getting to Know Your International Contacts

The inequity within the early learning is far vaster worldwide than I once believed. Conversations with Sara and Saya this week has highlighted the similar issues with inequity here in America. Poverty and the access to care is an issue of inequity worldwide.

Sara discussed the issues and excellence they experience in Europe. She discussed the importance of pre-primary school as a path to growth and excellence in academics in the later years. The battle she faces is not to show the importance to the government, but to the families how children benefit from these programs. Low income families commonly allow the mothers to school the children the education stemming from what the know. To fight the issue parents are encouraged to encourage training to the educators to show case the knowledge to the apprehensive families.

Saya pointed out the issue of health concerns in Italy. Southern Italy especially battles the poverty levels far more than northern. Being able to overcome the issues of keeping children healthy through prevention and wellness is a large issue. She identified many do not use the public early learning programs due to the issues with health and wellness. She did mention that the health and schooling are government funded and free to families. Saya is in the private sector her programs are not free nor funded by the Italian government, but by the Department of Defense.

Reflecting on the inequality worldwide I find the largest battle lies in the issue of poverty. Families battling poverty are not using the early learning programs along with families in the middle class that may struggle with the extra burden of child care. Broadening the funding through the government may relieve some cost to the families. Setting standards in programs with the level of required training and education nationwide would allow for all programs to be at the same quality of educator level.

Reference:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/about/eurydice/documents/098EN.pdf

http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020250

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.