Other Information I learned from the resources...

Child Abuse and Neglect: Impact on a Child

Early experiences powerfully shape the developing brain and can both immediate and lifelong impact on health and well-being. All areas of development are closely intertwined in the early years, so physical harm can damage emotional, social, coginitive, and language development. Younger children make up a larger proportion of abuse and neglect victims than do older children, and most likely to experience serious harm and longer foster care placement. Young children can recovery from early maltreatment due to rapidity of early development and the capacity of the growing brain to respond to new experiences. With early support and intervention maltreated infants and toddlers healthy development can be restored (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network).

http://www.nctsnet.org/ 

Issue/Trend that caught my attention...

The reason I wanted to share with everyone the importance of preventing child abuse and neglect is because, these issue has become more predominate in todays society. Child abuse and neglect has affected over 10 million children in the U.S in the last five years. Since being an early childhood teacher, I have become very close and protective of the children I come in contact with. My soul purpose of developing relationships with families is to not just be their child's teacher but to become a net work/resource for the parent as well. We never know what a parent maybe going through mentally, phsically, or even financially. I truly believe that gaining relationships/partnerships with parents would help encourage them to be more open and honest with you.


U.S. Department of Health and Human Services States:
 

·         Although we like to think of the early years as filled with joy, excitement, learning and growth. For most babies, this is the case. It is also true that rates of child maltreatment are highest for the youngest children, with children most at risk in the earliest weeks and months of life.

·         Along with their older family members, very young children can be subject to trauma. Trauma can be defined as experiencing or witnessing an event that causes or threatens injury or death. Child maltreatment and other interpersonal violence ² can be a source of trauma, as the sudden or violent loss of a loved one, and natural and human-caused disasters.

·         This section includes resources on responding to the needs of the youngest children and their families when they have been impacted by maltreatment, violence, loss, or disaster.

Resources: Zero To Three: Highlights From the 25th National Training Institute

The National Training Institute conference focus this year will be addressing Issues and Trends on Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect.


Description of the Organizations focus: The PCAN training and curriculum gives trainers resources with, which to prepare child care professionals to play a role in the primary and prevention of child maltreatment. The full purpose of the training is to help child care providers to purposefully use their every day relationships with parents to build "protective factors" into their programs.

 Research shows that protective factors, such as providing a welcoming atmosphere for parents or offering resources on early childhood development, can help to lower the risk of child abuse and neglect (www.ZeroToThree).

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Professionals will be trained in the areas:


*Preventing abuse and neglect of infants and toddlers

*Working effectively with infants, toddlers and their families

*Recognize the role of culture in working with very young children and their families

*Supporting directions in helping staff create partnerships with parents


Who Should Attend:

Experienced trainers with expertise in early care and education and or child abuse and neglect

Part 2, Expanding Resources

 I'm still awaiting to hear from my contacts.

Would like to share some resources that I thought would be an intrest to you.

Resources:

Under Global Alliance, there is an application form that you can fill out to recieve information on up coming conferences thats affiliated with NAECY: Promoting excellence in early childhood education.

Electronically submitte to Matt Seiler Seiler@naeyc.org

or mail to Attention Matt Seiler Coordination Affiliate Relations
                                       1313 L. Street NW suite 500
                                        Washington, DC 20005
                                         United States of America


 
Subscribed to www.Naccrra.org

I signed up for the newsletter: Little Kids, Big Questions: http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/  

Looking forward to learning new information and reading your blogs. Wishing each and every one of my colleagues nothing but the best in your Educational Journey in Child Development @Walden.

Part 1; Establishing Professional Contacts

Hello fellow colleagues as of today I have yet recieved an email from any of the five professionals in which I contacted early part of the week. Being that these contacts are outside of the country; we all are on a different time frame; therefore, I must take their time and schedule into consideration, and hope that I will recieve feed back some time next week.

I'm very interested in learning and gaining information pretaining to all countries on child development procedures, policies and practices, but Africa has always been a country of intrest to me. And learning about Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood area in their country would be phenomenal. In the mean time, I would like to share what I did read about Issues and Trends in Early Childhood education in Africa.

Information obtained: www.worldforumfoundation.org

Topic: Critical Issues in Early Childhood in Africa, By; Barnabas Otaala, Ed.D

People all over the country is struggling with most of the same issues, particular in developing countries such as Africa; endures hunger, rapid population growth, unemployment, poor health, and preventable death of millions of children, wide-spread environmental degradation, and education system thats inadequate for countries needs and people aspirations.

"But the world is at a threshold of a new century, with all its promises and possibilities, with the cumalative experience of reform and innovation. In the case of children, a number of international events in favour of children have marked the last few years"(Olasumbo S. Apanpa, Ph.D (Nigeria).

To name several:

1.The Alma International WHO conference which took place in 1978.

2. The Child-to-Child movement  was started in 1979 shortly after the Alma Ata conference which launched the world-wide commitement to spreading the concept of Primary Health Care (PHC), in preparation for the International year of the (IYC) in 1979.

3. The ratification by the United Nations of the Convention of the Rights of the Child in 1989.

4. The passage by the Organization of Africa Unity of Africa Charter on the Rights and Welfare of  the child.

I'm looking forward to communicating through email with professionals in other parts of the country to learn about all aspects when it comes to Early Childhood development.



   

"Challenges"

Work Challenges:

As a child Care provider; I've had to deal with challenge pertaining to parents. Some parents seem to not value child care providers as professional teachers. Why? I really do not know. I do know that I value my job and what I do daily to make a difference in the lives of children. And not having that support from staff, parents can make my job stressful. I make it my business to meet/greet parents and children in the morning and evening; even when certain parent do not speak. I just find it to be very disturbing for parent's to not acknowledge their child's teacher. To me it saying to the child, "I have little or any respect for this teacher; so therefore you don't have to respect them as well." There are days I love my job and what I do as an early child care teacher. And than there are days when I feel I can't do this anymore. But than, I may call Alvin and he would say, " Just hang in there, don't give up." Some parents need to understand how important child care teachers need their support. Our jobs are already stressful enough; why add on unnecessary stress by not being kind, helpful and supportive.

I may not get the moral support I need at work, but I definitely receive it from home. Some days I come home and just be an emotinal wreck and my family is there to give me the emotional boost that I need. Without my family and fiance, I couldn't amagine functioning normally.

It does not matter what our career path are, we all need a support system to help us maintain daily. Imagine life without people who care or reliable sources, now that is something to really think about.

"My Support"

The definition of support to me is someone who holds your best interest to heart;  people or things we can rely and depend on.

I would have to say my main support system is"Christ" I lean and depend on Christ through the good times and bads times.

 Outside of my relationship with Christ, than I would have to say my "Family"

My Family; Mother, siblings, children, and my fiance have all been my foundation.

My Fiance, Alvin is my motivator. He encourges me to never give up on my dream.

My mother is my jewel, she is a very strong woman and she raised her children to be the same way. I can call my mother anytime of the day and she is there for me.

My siblings; my oldest sister lives in Minnesota, she's not only my oldest sister, but she's my best friend as well. We can talk about anything and I don't have to worry about being judged. I know that she's going to tell me what is right and I love her for that.


My daily calender and note book:

My daily calender and notebook is my keepsake/bestfriend that I could not survive without. My schedule from day to day is so extremely busy that sometimes I don't know if I'm going or coming. I need my daily calender to help me stay focus and organized. I also document up coming events, assignments, and appointments. My notebook is my second brain, I take notes on everything, from school work to what I experineces in a day. It's like a journal for me.

I benefit something from each person/thing that I named in my support system;

"Christ"-my bible is my foundation

"Family"-is my rock/support system

"Children"-are my encouragement, they play a big part of the reason I'm motivated

"Alvin is a wonderful man/person that Christ Blessed us to reconnect after twenty-five years. He has really been supportive of me working towards my Master's and I love him for that.

"Calender/notebook- helps me to stay oragnized and focused on my every day duties, assignments and future events.


The difficulties without my support system



If I did not have these people or things to help me stay focus and sane in maintaining my daily duties, task, adversities, and obsticles, I don't know what I would do. Life will bring us all types of debacles, and having that support system in our lives will make things a little more easier to deal with. One person can't manage life adversities and obsticles without having someone to vent/talk to. I know that I can't. I'm very greatful for the people and things that I rely on and need to help make my life a bit more easier. 

I could not amagine my life without anyone in my support system; for they all bring value and support in my life. As I stated before; my relationship with Christ has grounded and rooted me to the person I'm today. My mother is my rock she has impacted my life in so many different ways. Growing up she raised us to treat people the way in which we wanted to be treated. I have tried to live by this saying all my life. I instilled the same values in my children as they were growing up. She would always say, "It is nice to be nice." My children are grown now, but they have always been my reason for wanting to do better in life. I wanted to be an example for them; therefore they would hopefully walk in my footsteps. Education is something I value and I encourge my children to get a college education for one day it will pay off and be well needed.