my first blog ever

Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field 1. Poverty affects children and families globally as well as children and families living in the United States.  Poverty has lifelong affects including health and developmental issues. In Paraguay, there is a program, Pastoral del Nino which began in 1995, available to help and support families and children. This program places importance on respecting and valuing children as well as believing that parents are their children's first and most important teachers. 2. Another insight is how difficult it is for immigrants to have a sense of belonging when they come to the United States because of language barriers and cultural differences. They also face differences within their own family such as finding a balance in their daily routine and ways to preserve their culture. 3.Lastly, the availability and accessibility of early education programs are limited for immigrant families because they may be una

I have worked as an early childhood professional for quite some time now and there has always been discussions about what qualifies a teacher or professional as high-quality. Is it the education he/she receives? Does it depend on how many years experience she/he has? Does he/she work well with others including children, families and colleagues? Is he/she willing to learn new things and open to new ideas?  I feel it is not just one aspect that makes a high-quality teacher/professional, but a balance between a few different aspects. Of course, an education is needed. I feel that is a necessity.  It gives teachers the knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices for children. In addition, teachers learn various strategies to best support children and their families, how to observe and assess children's development and skills, and how to create a safe and inviting environment to enhance learning. Commitment and passion for early childhood is also a necessit

After exploring Children's Defense Fund website and their topic of early childhood, it lead me to the National Women's Law Center which primarily deals with inequalities for children, families, women and LBGTQ communities, among other issues of equity.  Delving deeper into the heading of Child Care and Early Learning, the site breaks down the topic into five subtopics: CCBDG Implementation, Child Care, Head Start, Parents, Children & Low-Wage Jobs, and Prekindergarten.  Throughout each of these subtopics, there was much information pertaining to equity and excellence in early childhood education and suggestion of what needs to occur to breakdown the barriers of awareness, accessibility, and responsiveness.  The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), reauthorized by a law in November of 2014,  provides an opportunity for states to better meet the needs of parents in low-wage jobs with nonstandard or irregular work schedules (National Women's Law Cent