Zero to Three

The Zero to Three website is a wealth of information. I dove into the Behavior & Development section (http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/). In each of these sections, you will find information,  interactive tools, parent handouts, charts, Tip Sheets, FAQ’s, articles, and powerpoint slideshows all designed to help you in supporting and nurturing the health and development of babies and toddlers. The sections include: Brain Development, Challenging Behaviors, Early Childhood Mental Health, Early Development, Health & Nutrition, Mental Health Screening & Assessment Play, Promoting Social Emotional Development, Sleep, Temperament & Behavior.

The other section I spent a lot of time in was the Maltreatment section (http://www.zerotothree.org/maltreatment/). 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. The sections include: Child Abuse and Neglect, and Impact of Trauma.

The article “Getting Back to Basics” (http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/BasicNeedsSingles_Mar5.pdf?docID=7863) talks about the struggles families have while living in poverty. It also states policy recommendations and also research information. The issue about poverty can be very controversial because some people believe everyone who is on welfare is lazy. This is normally not the case. I have seen the affects of poverty in young children and I know that there are lasting affects for those living in poverty. I think the policy recommendations could help fight poverty and give the children a better chance in life.

The Zero to Three website has a policy center. The ZERO TO THREE Policy Center (http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/) is a nonpartisan, research-based resource for federal and state policymakers and advocates on the unique developmental needs of infants and toddlers. In this section you can find topics such as: Action Center, Building Early Childhood Systems, Federal Policy, Infant-Toddler Policy Issues, Policy Guide, State & Community Policy.

The last section that really caught my eye was the School Readiness Interactive Birth to 3 (http://www.zerotothree.org/early-care-education/school-readiness-interactive-birth-to-3/) - A web-based, interactive learning tool designed to help parents and caregivers support their young children’s early learning. You'll find age-based information on how children develop the four key skills—language and literacy skills, thinking skills, self-confidence and self-control—that are critical to later school success. I feel that this section is a wonderful resource that parents can use to help to make sure they are doing everything they can for their child.

Reference:

http://www.zerotothree.org/ 

Poverty

Unfortunately, I have not heard back from my contacts. This week has been very busy for me with my husband having surgery and was just released tonight. So with everything that has been happening for the past two weeks, I have decided that I have to complete the alternative blog assignment. I will however still keep trying to reach my initial contacts.  

The Podcast that I really found interesting was Episode 9: Barbara Jones (BJ).

“Barbara Jones (BJ) founded the Pine Grove School in Falmouth, Maine in 1985 and celebrates the schools 25th anniversary this year. The school is a charming, wood-shingled building nested in a grove of pine trees and was used as a school house as far back as 1917” (World Forum Foundation [WFF], 2011). Barbara founded the Pine Grove School and implemented the Montessori philosophy. For additional information, visit: www.pinegrovecenter.com

After going to the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre’s website, listed below are some statements that really stuck with me. These statements are regarding India and childhood poverty.

1.      “Over the last five decades India has made systematic efforts to alleviate poverty through measures to increase economic growth, including liberalization of the economy, targeted programs, land and tenancy reforms, participatory and empowerment based approaches and the provision of basic services”(Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre [CHIP], 2011).

2.      “An estimated 400 million of the population are between 0-18 years” (CHIP, 2011).

3.      “Almost half of all children (about 62 million) under the age of five are malnourished and 34 percent of newborns are significantly underweight” (CHIP, 2011).

4.      “Despite efforts of civil society and government, gender biases continue to pervade all aspects of life and particularly limit girls' life chances” (CHIP, 2011).

5.      “It is reflected in the inferior health and educational status of women, the high maternal mortality rate, the neglect of the girl child, the declining sex ratio, and girl's lower rates of school enrolment and subsequent higher participation in the child labor force” (CHIP, 2011).

References:

Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre [CHIP] (2011). Country Overviews: India. Retrieved from:  http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

World Forum Foundation [WFF]. (2011). World Forum Radio: Episode 9: Barbara Jones. Retrieved from:  http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php

Web Resources

Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/  

Overview"ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers" (Zero To Three, 2011).

"Our mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers"(Zero To Three, 2011).
 

"Our Vision At ZERO TO THREE we envision a society that has the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential" (Zero To Three, 2011).

"Organizational Goals:

·         Training Professionals and Building Networks of Leaders

·         Influencing Policies & Practices

·         Raising Public Awareness of Early Childhood Issues" (Zero To Three, 2011).

"Our Work ZERO TO THREE is unique in our multidisciplinary approach to child development. Our emphasis on bringing together the perspectives of many fields and many specialists is rooted in the robust research studies showing that all domains of development—social, emotional, intellectual, language and physical—are interdependent and work together to promote a child’s overall health and well-being in the context of his family and culture" (Zero To Three, 2011).
 

The Current Trend that caught my attention this week:

"Promoting Early Language and Literacy Development - ZERO TO THREE’s Policy Center announces the release of a video and a new policy brief illustrating how early language and literacy development contributes to a child’s success throughout life. You can play the video right from their website and show it to policymakers, advocates, community partners, and others. In this policy brief, the terms early literacy and emergent literacy refer to what children know about communication, language (verbal and nonverbal), reading, and writing before they can actually read and write. Early literacy encompasses all of a child’s experiences with conversation, stories (oral and written), books, and print" (Zero To Three, 2011).

National Head Start Association
http://www.nhsa.org/  

"Our vision is

To lead. To be the untiring voice that will not be quiet until every vulnerable child is served with the Head Start model of support for the whole child, the family and the community" (National Head Start Association [NHSA], 2011).

"To advocate. To work diligently for policy and institutional changes that ensure all vulnerable children and families have what they need to succeed" (NHSA, 2011).

"NHSA Mission

Our mission is to coalesce, inspire and support the Head Start field as a leader in early childhood development and education. We are compelled to fulfill this mission by the promise of all the possible outcomes:

• one powerful, united Head Start voice;
• a collegial, collaborative Head Start field, one that is a valuable and valued partner and resource to early childhood development and education;
• nonpartisan support of increased Federal commitment to Head Start and, ultimately
• healthier, empowered children and families and stronger, more vibrant communities" (NHSA, 2011).

"NHSA Values

We are determined to play a valued leadership role in this country's efforts to educate and serve its most vulnerable children and families.

We are actively committed to being a high impact organization.

We value partnerships and collaboration and are intent on transforming ourselves into a relationship-based organization.

We are accountable to our members and funders, practicing the highest standards of governance and financial stewardship, ensuring transparency in our operations and living up to the highest standards of quality" (NHSA, 2011).

 One current Issue that caught my attention this week on this website was the about the budget. Below is a small portion of the new release:

"Government Affiars Update Week of March 11, 2011

Date Posted: 03/11/2011

Appropriations Update:

The Good News:
The U.S. Senate rejected HR1, the House bill that would have cut more than 218,000 children from Head Start and eliminate 55,000 jobs.

The Bad News:
An alternative Senate bill, which would have preserved funding for Head Start, was also rejected.

Moving forward:
Negotiations over federal spending will continue among Senate leadership, Vice President Biden, and House leadership. It is important to note that both the House and Senate must act on federal spending prior to March 18th, 2011 in order to avoid a federal government shut down. It is uncertain whether they will come to an agreement, extend the deadline, or shut down the government.

NHSA is actively monitoring the latest developments and will keep you updated. For up-to-the-minute information, make sure to follow NHSA on Twitter and like us on Facebook – see below for more details.

Grassroots Advocacy Update:

The Head Start community has done an amazing job over the past several weeks of standing up for Head Start. Since the first of the year, you have sent over 102,000 emails and phone calls to Congress.

Additionally, the 2011 Head Start Stroll-In was a great success! There were Stroll-Ins in at least 20 states and more than 60 news pieces have appeared in local media outlets. As a result of your efforts, the nation is beginning to understand the value of Head Start and the public will to preserve Head Start is growing.

  

Make sure you keep in touch with your Senators and Representative and stay connected to NHSA for updates as the Congressional budget negotiations continue. Together, we truly are making a difference!" (NHSA, 2011).

References:

National Head Start Association. (2011). Retrieved from  http://www.nhsa.org/  

Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2011). Retrieved from  http://www.zerotothree.org/  

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Part 1:

When I saw this assignment about expanding professional contacts and that it was going to be with early childhood professionals from around the world, like so many of us I too got very anxious and nervous. I’m not sure why because I have been expanding my professional contacts for the past year in the county my agency expanded into. Becoming the Program Supervisor it is my job to go out and learn about different agencies in the community. I have sent emails to a family member who is stationed in Germany and works in the education field. He is going to try to find me a contact in the early childhood field over there to talk to. The other part of the country I have sent emails to is Thailand. I used the UNICEF site to find an email to a representative of Thailand. I have been interested to learn about Thailand for a couple of years. My father was stationed over there a very long time ago. He talks about going back all the time. So I thought it would be interesting to learn about the early childhood field in Thailand.  Unfortunately I have not heard back from any of my emails that I have sent to anyone, but I remain hopeful that I will get a reply soon.

Part 2:

The second part of this assignment has been very hard for me to decide what website I want to immerse myself into. I have narrowed it down to the following two websites, Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, and National Head Start Association. I already receive the Zero to Three journal at work. I have used both websites in the past for work related issues, but I feel that I really could benefit more from both websites if I immerse myself in them to learn what all they have to offer. I am leaning more towards the Zero to Three website because I have attended one of their conferences. I feel that I will dive into both websites more but think I will be focusing more on the Zero to Three website for this assignment.