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.
Thank you so much for your post. I also feel that it is a real value to have the families involved in the education of their children, to make sure that they are successfully prepared for starting school. I actually feel the same way about advocacy being similar to teaching. There may be times when you actually hear or see the results of your efforts but sometimes the children that you think you have not been able to touch and yet they will be the students that end up realizing that you, their teacher, really did care and they will thank you for it later.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that parent involvement in their child's education is important. This will assist with parents being able to identify and understand their child's developmental milestones. Thanks for sharing
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