Parent, Family and Community Engagement

  Watching the excitement and appreciation from families and communities that benefit directly from Head Start was moving.  As a community member and future parent I am glad to hear that there are families in the community that genuinely want a better future for their children.  These parents do not want their children to suffer the same hardships as they had or are currently enduring.  As a professional I am moved and even more motivated to advocate for these children and families.  I know that there are families who will appreciate and take full advantage of programs that are available to them through Head Start.  I also feel that incorporating so much parental involvement is part of what makes Head Start so successful.  As one parent stated "This is the program that is a million times worth every single penny you put into it".
  Involving parents, and family members benefits children, families and the early childhood field because there needs to be a partnership built between the professionals and the families.  Without this partnership or  "buy in" of the Head Start programs, the children and families will not advance as much as they potentially could have.  Without the support of families, early childhood professionals will simply be speaking to the masses, which are listening but not hearing the professionals.
  Hearing these stories are beneficial for professionals so they can see and hear the difference they are making.  I feel that advocacy will be similar to the teaching field in that you do not always see a benefit or outcome of the impact that I had on a child or family.  Being able to see how I made a difference in a life will be the motivating force to keep me advocating for children and families.  The same could go for policy makers and officials who can be skeptical of the work that advocates do and the difference in lives the advocates have made.  Any policy makers who is opposed to the idea of investing in Head Start programs cannot deny the visual stimuli that a video provides.  Hearing first hand from the families and community members makes advocating much more real.
  I am a HUGE proponent of parent and family involvement and is essential for all strands of service in the early childhood field.  There needs to be a team mentality built between the professionals and the community members and families in order to be the most successful programs and peoples for the children.  Without the support of families and communities many programs would not be successful.

Parent and Family Stories on the website of the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC), part of the Office of Head Start.

http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/about/stories/pfs.

Quality Programs for ALL Children

Having been in teaching for 7 years now, I have become very aware to what the opinion of education and intervention is in my area.  I do not know that all of these opinions apply to all areas,  but for a few cities in Arizona this is what I have discovered.  

There is not much value held in the importance of early intervention and services to families.  This is particularly true in the low income Spanish speaking communities.  Early childhood programs are seen as babysitting services and nothing more.  This attitude holds true for the children as they progress through school.  There is no value in children attending school.  I have students who don't come to school or do homework because they "don't want to" or take days off to go horseback riding.  The parents in the community believe that their children are always right, that their teachers are wrong, the school must be at fault, and it could never be their child who did something wrong.  If the child fails it is the teachers fault.  I have had several parents blame me for their child's failing grade and bad behavior claiming racism or I don't like their children.  All of this stems from the parents and their early years.  Parent behavior and student attitude has greatly influenced my thoughts with regards to this topic.  Also, social media such as Facebook has also influenced my opinion because I read all of the posts from parents that are on swap pages or community pages.  I am disgusted with the fact that parents do not care or hold value in their children or their futures.  Obviously this does not hold true for the entire community but for the majority that I have encountered.  Early programs are not seen as a benefit or a step to a promising future but a way to rid the parents of their children for a few hours.  I also notice that many parents and families want programs and services for free.  They continually expect donations or free items. Many have become dependent on these items and feel that if they do not get them then they get the right to be angry.  

I sincerely hope that parents of all backgrounds and cultures wake up and realize that there is a great need in the programs and services for young children.  Parents also need to realize that there is not only a need to educate parents and children, but also obtain proper medical care and treatment including vaccinations and hygiene care.  As parents and families grow their understanding of the importance of early childhood care and education, this knowledge will spread to future generations and create a ripple effect.  If families start taking advantage of these programs then hopefully more monies will be provided to support more programs.  More children will begin growing up with a head start in life and have an equal opportunity to become successful as those who are at an advantage.  As more of the public becomes aware and utilizes these programs the more aware the public will become and hopefully show support for them.  As soon as the public that is not in education and advocacy becomes aware of the great need for early education programs, more support for these programs will begin.  Often it is said that "ignorance is bliss" and I wonder if this may be the case for early childhood education and programs. 

Why Choose a Path in Advocacy and Public Policy

  Growing up I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher.  Even against the wishes of my family, I was determined to become and teacher and change lives.  Now with 7 years of teaching behind me, two Masters degrees, and countless additional  credits, I am realizing that teaching is no longer as rewarding for me as it once had been.  
  It was during my coursework in my Early Childhood masters that I realized there may be another line of work in which I could still affect the lives of children and families.  As my research continued I decided that I would like to pursue a role in the field of Early Childhood advocacy.  Even as an educator, I was unaware of how many programs and resources there are for parents and families.  I have made it my goal to obtain a position in advocating for the programs and resources available to families become increasingly utilized and for families to understand the need for programs, education, and health in the early years.  
   Advocates are essential to the EC field because there are many families that do not what is available of the general need for programs in the early years.  Babies, infants, toddlers, and children do not know what is needed for themselves.  As advocates and caretakers it is our duty and responsibility to empower families with knowledge to properly care for and prepare their children for school and social interactions.  Advocates must be skilled and knowledgeable in their field to provide the most accurate information.  As an EC professional it is my duty to provide this information to families and children and for the future of our society.  Also, it will take a great amount of finesse and skill to deliver this information to parents because we are helping them understand how to parent, which could be taken as an insult.  
  I hope to learn many things in this class.  I want to learn or at least begin learning how to become more knowledgeable in educating parents and families.  I want to know what resources are the best and how I go about finding them.  I also want to learn how to talk to parents and families and present information regarding programs and research as to why it is important to educate and interact with children in the early years.  A third topic that I would like to learn more about is what educational programs are available to families for their children and how accessible these programs are.