Poverty

My best friend growing up suffered from poverty. Her mom had Multiple Sclerosis and was unable to work. Since her father was not in her life and they did not had any close family, they survived on assistance programs. I know they were eligible for WIC benefits and then later were on disability income. They also used local resources like food pantries and thrift programs (which provided other services like Christmas gifts and reimbursement for summer camps). Even still, they had little food, were always extremely tight on money, and made every effort to get by. They did things like cut laundry sheets in half, planted a huge garden every year, and picked up cans from the side of the road to sell. My friend would mow people's lawns all summer and babysit any time she was available. This economic hardship had a lot of impact on her and her family, which included affects to each domain. There are obvious biosocial effects, including malnutrition, but also, for this family in particular, a tighter maternal bond. They relied on one another more than any materialistic endeavor. Cognitively, my friend learned to cope with 'less' than others. She developed skill-sets and dispositions that I do not have that relate to her growing up in a family that often had inadequate shelter and food, moved houses quite often, and sometimes lived out of their car for short periods of time. Psychosocially, she coped with the influence of stress and a sense of what she describes as "never feeling grounded" which relates to having to move so often because they were short on rent. Poverty has staggering effects on children in my community and others.

In South Africa the effects of poverty seem tragic and surreal. As much as half of the country's population suffers from poverty, and even despite the fact that they have sufficient food resources, many of those in poverty also suffer from food insecurity (Machethe, 2004). Machethe (2004) points to skewed distribution of income while Aliber (2003) implicates the detrimental effects of HIV, AIDS, and other diseases and viruses as main contributors to these statistics. South African News (2006) illustrates the life Khanyi Dlomo, whose family cannot afford for her to attend school, and despite laws against it, has been turned away by schools. South African News describes the slums in Khanyi's hometown as being lined with the mansions of the rich and of another location, Khayelitsha, where nearly everyone lives below the poverty line in shacks or brick structures that do not have running water and has become the epicenter of crime in the area. In this town, the effects of poverty include disease, food insecurity, inadequate safety, and pollution, among others. Though the effects of poverty are prominent and harmful, there exists differences in experiences cross-culturally; the experience of my childhood friend differs greatly from the experience of Khanyi in South Africa.  

Aliber, M. (2003). Chronic poverty in South Africa: Incidence, causes and policies. World Development, 31(3), 473-490. Retrieved from http://www.researchgate.net

Machethe, C. L. (2004, October). Agriculture and poverty in South Africa: Can agriculture reduce poverty. In Paper presented at the Overcoming Underdevelopment Conference held in Pretoria (Vol. 28, p. 29). Retrieved from http://www.psu.edu

South African News (2006, July 2). Poverty in the land of affluence. The Southern Times. Retrieved from http://southernafrican.news/2006/07/02/poverty-in-the-land-of-affluence/

SIDS

I chose to explore the topic Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). This topic is meaningful to me because when I was working at an Early Head Start Program, I had to advocate for safe sleep practices because the teachers in the infant room were placing very young children on their bellies to sleep before they were able to roll over. The recommendations for safe sleep are still reaching caregivers and parents- we need to advocate for education on this topic. I know a mother who lost her son 20 years ago to SIDS and it’s obvious the level of devastation this can bring to a family- Fraser, Sidebotham, Frederick, Covington, and Mitchell (2014) suggest that each and every SIDS death is a tragedy for the family, the professionals caring for the child, and for the community as a whole. I think there can be more public health policies that will continue to lessen the impact of SIDS on our society. I explore the phenomenon of SIDS in New Zealand, which has been reduced by a variety of preventative strategies.

According to Moon, Horne, & Hauck (YEAR), SIDS is the leading cause of death of infants (1 month to 1 year) in developed countries. The cause of SIDS is unknown, but is thought to be a combination of risk factors rather than one single cause. Moon, Horne, & Hauck (2007) point to recent studies that suggest babies are at risk for SIDS if they sleep on their bellies or on their sides, are exposed to smoke, and sleep with soft bedding or on soft surfaces. This research has led pediatricians to recommend safe sleep practices, like placing babies on their backs to sleep and removing soft materials, which have reduced SIDS deaths by 50-90% (Moon, Horne, & Hauck, 2007).

In 1991, a national cot death prevention program was established in New Zealand that put forth recommendations that infants should sleep on their side or their back, that women should breastfeed if possible, and that babies (prenatally and within the first year of life) should not be exposed to cigarette smoke (Mitchell, Brunt, & Everard, 1994). It also suggested that sleeping in the same bed as parents may, too, be harmful. According to Mitchell, et. al (1997), the program quickly found success- the number of infants sleeping on their bellies was reduced from 43% to less than 5%. This decrease is linked with a decrease in the number of SIDS deaths in New Zealand after the inception of the prevention program (Mitchell, et. al, 1997).

Fraser, Sidebotham, Frederick, Covington, and Mitchell (2014) identify mandatory child death review as a means for significantly reducing SIDS. By investigating every infant death, more data is collected to influence research for SIDS prevention. In New Zealand, child death reviews are mandatory and receive funding from the government- specific agencies handle the investigations, which are thorough (Fraser, Sidebotham, Frederick, Covington, & Mitchell, 2014). In contrast, the United States investigates only some child deaths because the Federal Law only encourages investigations where child abuse is suspected; though some US states have laws and funding that support child death review, it is not a requirement (Fraser, Sidebotham, Frederick, Covington, & Mitchell, 2014).

This information will impact my future practice because I appreciate the need for advocacy on this topic. If the US adopted federal regulations that mandate and fund child death investigations, or if we had better programs to educate parents and caregivers about SIDS and safe sleep, we might reduce infant deaths even more. I notice posters and brochures at various health organizations around my community and I think my community could benefit from having more of these in a variety of locations. I will also make sure to help parents understand safe sleep practices if it ever comes up in my work.

References

Fraser, J., Sidebotham, P., Frederick, J., Covington, T., & Mitchell, E. A. (2014). Learning from child death review in the USA, England, Australia, and New Zealand. The Lancet, 384(9946), 894-903.

Mitchell, E. A., Brunt, J. M., & Everard, C. (1994). Reduction in mortality from sudden infant death syndrome in New Zealand: 1986-92. Archives of disease in childhood, 70(4), 291-294.

Mitchell, E. A., Tuohy, P. G., Brunt, J. M., Thompson, J. M., Clements, M. S., Stewart, A. W., ... & Taylor, B. J. (1997). Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome following the prevention campaign in New Zealand: a prospective study. Pediatrics, 100(5), 835-840.

Moon, R. Y., Horne, R. S., & Hauck, F. R. (2007). Sudden infant death syndrome. The Lancet, 370(9598), 1578-1587.

Birth

I don't have any firsthand experience with birth, and I can't ask anyone about my own birth. I chose to discuss a birth story that has been told to me many times. My coworker tried for a long time to have a baby with no success, and at age 39 she decided it was time to try in vitro fertilization. It worked, and her baby was born on Christmas Eve, but with many complications. She was first placed on bedrest three weeks before her daughter's birthday and then had to have a C-Section because her daughter was breech. Going through the struggle of trying to have a child and not being able to was difficult for her. This definitely has affected her daughter's development and their relationship. They have a very close bond and her mother is very protective of her. All the same she is a very loving, affectionate, and nurturing mother. The time, effort (and unfortunately, money) it took to have her daughter has made her more appreciative of her life- she views her daughter as a gift. Her daughter will develop with a strong maternal relationship and a family very attentive to her wellbeing. There was also a strong parent-infant bond when the child was born because it had been such a long time waiting for a child, and so to first hold her baby was a long-anticipated moment.

I was interested to learn more about the birthing practices of Finland because I have heard that they have very low infant-mortality rates and higher satisfaction among parents and families of newborns. Indeed, Callister, Lauri, and Vehvilainen-Julkunen (2000) suggest Finland's success at birthing, evidenced by parent satisfaction and a low infant-mortality rate, is due to the lack of distinction in social class (a uniform birthing procedure), advanced nurses capable of performing births, excellent (and free) prenatal care, and because technology is only used during birth when indicated by evidence and research. During childbirth in Finland, a team of nurse midwifes attends to the process with a physician's consult only when complications arise (Callister, Lauri, & Vehvilainen-Julkunen, 2000).  The woman's autonomy is respected in Finland and her freedom of choice is encouraged (Callister, Lauri, & Vehvilainen-Julkunen, 2000). Hastie (2010) notes that the aesthetic hospital environment in Finland is a great contributor to the Finnish success of childbirth.

I think the birthing process would have looked different for my coworker if she was in Finland. Her daughter's birth involved a lot of technology to monitor the baby because it was such a high risk birth. Perhaps in Finland the circumstances of this birth would have merited the use of these technologies, but even so I don't think it would have been as panicked. Though my coworker is grateful for her experience at the hospital, she describes the experience as chaotic and very stressful. I think in Finland, she would have been encouraged to be more comfortable. I also speculate that there's a greater rate of continuity of care in Finland- such that you know who you expect to deliver your baby well in advance, and you have worked with this nurse or doctor for a period of time. This can help lessen stress, in my opinion, because you have developed trust and rapport with the birthing expert. I think the birth of my coworker's daughter was highly memorable for this new mother, but I think that Finland overall has a more relaxed and effective method for delivering children.

References

Callister, Lauri, & Vehvilainen-Julkunen (2000). A description of birth in Finland. The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 25. Retrieved from Walden Library Databases.

Hastie, C. (2010). The birthing environment. Sustainability, Midwifery and Birth. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/download/37204809/Sustainability_Midwifery_and_Birth_Hastie_The_Birthing_Environment.pdF

Foundations of Early Childhood Overview

Week 1
I am connected to Walden University as my professional home. I hope to make connections to others as I did in my undergraduate program. Networking in an online setting is possible. Came into teaching by accident and have found my passion.





Week 2
A.  My three professional goals. (Hagel- passion is interactive, explorative, unpredictable, a journey)
     1. Teach college courses (make a difference in the lives and careers of young educators)
     2. Write and collaborate on early childhood literature (develop writing skills and increase my knowledge from colleagues)
     3. Work toward a doctoral degree (continue learning and pursuing my passion)
All align with goals of Walden and Richard W. Riley College of Education.

B.  My goals are connected with my vision and my prior experiences- my professional goals reflect my passion. What drives my passion? The nature of the work, dedication to the children and families. Small successes. Want to support children having harmful early experiences (neglect and abuse). Create safer, more just world for children and families. My passion is similar to leaders' in the field (Renatta Cooper and Louise Derman-Sparks).

References

Hagel, J. (2009, November). Pursuing passion. Message posted to http://edgeperspectives.typepad.com/edge_perspectives/2009/11/pursuing-passion.html 

• Passion is fluid, dynamic, always changing. Passion is becoming important for our personal success. Stress can be turned into stimulus.

Rosengren, C. (2010, February 4). Does having passion for your work even matter? U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved May 27, 2010, from http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/02/04/does-passion-for-work-even-matter 

• Commentary on the benefits of having passion, including having more energy, feeling more confidence, feeding your persistence

Walden University. (2016). About. Retrieved from https://www.waldenu.edu/about
 
Walden University. (2016). The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership. Retrieved from https://www.waldenu.edu/colleges-schools/riley-college-of-education

Codes of Ethics from NAEYC and DEC

"We shall demonstrate in our behavior and language respect and appreciation for the unique value

and human potential of each child"

(DEC, 2009, p. 1).
This ideal is relevant to my work because it is one of the reasons I have a strong passion for early childhood. The NAEYC Code of Ethics also mentions valuing early childhood as a unique part of the lifespan (2005). This is important to me because some days I find myself losing a little patience with the children- then I remember the reality of young children's experiences. What we don't teach children, they don't know. We must actively teach children what behavior is appropriate and inappropriate. Impatience or inflated expectations of children are not helpful to young children's learning and development. I agree that each child has incredible potential- I would take this further and say that each child has an incredible gift to offer. Even the children with the most challenging of behaviors find ways to make us smile, make us feel fulfilled in our work, and change our perspective on humanity. Young children are truly amazing.

"To base program practices upon current knowledge and research in the field of early childhood education, child development, and related disciplines, as well as on particular knowledge of each child" (NAEYC, 2005, p. 2).
This quote summarizes my vision for my career. What I want is to promote the practices that I know to be evidence-based and best for young children. This requires following the knowledge-base and staying informed. The quote also touches upon emergent curriculum with young children, which stems from the notion that each child is unique and individual. This also relates to my goal of teaching adults in the early childhood field- I can help other young or new professionals value the knowledge-base and understand its applications to everyday practice.

"To support coworkers in meeting their professional needs and in their professional development" (NAEYC, 2005, p. 5). 
I chose this section of the code in particular because I like that NAEYC makes no implications about what the professional needs of colleagues may be. I had a conversation just yesterday with my supervisor (the assistant director of my center) where I brought her concerns about my classroom and she responded with respect, professionalism, and a strong sense of leadership. This is the kind of support I want to offer those I mentor- if I've learned anything in my journey to become an early childhood educator, it is that a good mentor or supervisor can make all the difference in an early childhood program. I would have never considered the amount of ethical and otherwise challenging situations may arise when working with young children and families. The support from administrative staff can make a huge difference for a childcare program. This is my goal, and why I am pursuing a master's degree- I want to become a mentor that knows how to support my colleagues in meeting their professional needs, whatever those may be.

References

The Division for Early Childhood. (2009). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.dec-sped.org/

NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved from
http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Resource Collection

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
  
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
  
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/imce/documents/FPG_Snapshot_N33_EvidenceBasedPractice_09-2006.pdf
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Part 2: Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
  
• Websites:
  
• • World Forum Foundation
    http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
    This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
    
  • World Organization for Early Childhood Education
    http://www.omep-usnc.org/
    Read about OMEP's mission.
    
  • Association for Childhood Education International
    http://acei.org/
    Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

Note: Explore the resources in Parts 3 and 4 in preparation for this week's Application assignment.

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
  
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
  
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
  
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
  
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
  
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/
  
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
  
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
  
• Children's Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
  
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
  
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org/
  
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
  
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
  
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
  
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
  
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
  
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
  
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/
  

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library
Tip: Use the Journal option under Search & Find on the library website to find journals by title.

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education
  Additional Resources
• Fields, M. V., Meritt, P. A., & Fields, D. (2014). Constructive guidance and discipline: Birth to age eight. Boston: Pearson.  One of my favorite resources from my undergraduate program- describes ways to manage challenging behavior in high-quality settings with respect and encouragement. 
• B.S. Fennimore. (2014). Standing up for something every day: Ethics and justice in early childhood classrooms. NewYork: Teachers College. A great resource fo speaking to children and families about sensitive issues and for tackling complex ethical problems in an early childhood program. 
• Works by Frances M. Calrson. She writes a lot about the complexities of play and how play is becoming more and more regulated. She is the author of some of my favorite books on play, Big Body Play and The Power of Touch, among others.
• The magazine Teaching Young Children. In my classroom I inhereted a bunch of old editions of Teaching Young Children and although the articles are out of date, I enjoy reading through them because they offer a lot of insight about curriculum, planning, guidance, and other topics. 
• Education Week. A news organization dedicated to education topics.

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

"The moment I decided to follow instead of lead, I discovered the joys of becoming part of a small child's world." -Janet Gonzalez-Mena






"Empathy comes from being empathized with." -Stanley Greenspan

"Good discipline is more than just punishing or laying down the law. It is liking children and letting them see that they are liked. It is caring enough about them to provide good, clear rules for their protection". -Stanley Greenspan




"I had just a built-in passion that it was important to make a real contribution in the world, to fix all the injustices that exsisted in the world, and I wanted to do that through teaching." - Louise Derman-Sparks










“I learned that it is not all about you, you have to take your ego out of it and think about what is best for the child.” -Renatta Cooper