Getting to Know Your International Contacts- Alternative

My podcast participant was Susan Lyon.  Susan is the Director of Innovative Teacher Project in San Francisco, which she started in 1994.  She talked about how you can see a window in the minds of children if you really look.  You will be able to understand how children see things and how to understand their world. 

The Innovative Teacher Project was designed for educator’s professional development and a way to advocate on behalf of the children, by using the environment in which the children grow.  In this project, educators come together from public and private schools to have discussion groups where they share ideas, and the participants walk the environment.

My other podcast participant was Barbara Jones (BJ).  She spoke about how the public school was not for her.  She founded the Pine Grove School in Falmouth, Maine in 1985.  And, it is still in existence today, 25 years later.  This a Montessori school for preschoolers in which they help children to develop positive social skills, self-esteem, and a love for learning just to name a few.

Since I used the alternative, I also read about childhood poverty in Kyrgzstan.  Kyrgzstan was a part of the Soviet Union until 1991.  The majority of this country’s population makes their living from agriculture.  The children in Kyrgzstan disproportionately live in poverty.  57 percent of urban infants under 1, and 65 percent of rural under 1 live in poverty.

In 2001 an estimated 7 percent of children were malnourished, and approximately 14 percent of the population had no access to health care services.

Recent research estimate that 24 percent of children work either full or part time, similarly since transition there are now homeless or “street” children in Kyrgzstan’s cities, and some reports of child prostitution and trafficking.

My insight is that poverty has been a critical issue for a long time and it continues to evolve.  We need to make sure children are able to get an education and not have to work jobs to help take care of the families.  Without an education these children grows up and keep the cycle repeating.  Our governments need to find ways to expand economic growth, create a better society by making commitments to eliminate/reduce child poverty.

Resources

Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre’s.  Retrieved from

     http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

World Forum Foundation Radio.  Retrieved from

     http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php

Sharing Web Resources

The organization I selected is: 

National Association of Child Care Resources & Referral Agencies

Their link is: http://www.naccrra.org/

(Newsletter:  http://capwiz.com/naccrra/mlm/signup/)

Brief Description:  NACCRRA is a nonprofit organization that speaks for childcare.  Their goal is to make sure that children have access to high-quality, affordable childcare.  They represent over 750 state and local Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs) by providing training, resources, and best practice standards to local and state CCR&Rs that support high-quality childcare.  They also provide the families with information and resources on childcare and parenting by connecting the families to local CCR&R resources.

Current Issue from the newsletter:

Despite Weak Economy, Child Care Costs Continue to Rise

According to the newsletter released by the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), on August 24, 2011, the cost of childcare continues to increase.  Parents are struggling to afford quality care for their children.  The report revealed that the average annual cost for center-based care for infant care was higher than a year’s tuition and related fees at a four-year public college.  Childcare is very important for working families.  Parents want to know that their child is safe and also in a safe childcare setting that promote healthy development and learning.  However, “In the United States, more than 11 million children under age 5 are in childcare each week and although childcare costs are high, most states have inadequate requirements for the quality of care.”

The federal Child Care and Development Block Grant provides funds to states to help make childcare more affordable for families; however, it is not mandated that funds be used to pay for licensed care.   In these unlicensed care facilities they are not required to meet state health and safety standards, providers are not required to be trained and the settings are not inspected.  And, on a national average more than 20 percent of children who receive assistance from this grant are in unlicensed settings.  There should be more responsibility and accountability for quality childcare when the government is providing funds.

                                                                         Reference

Http://capwiz.com/naccrra/mlm/signup/

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Hi Everyone,

My choice of establishing professional contacts is to use the World Forum Foundation and World Forum Radio.  Currently, I have listen to some podcasts that are available.  I am in the process of subscribing to World Forum Radio and downloading iTunes to my computer.  Of course, I am skeptical when it comes down to downloading on my computer so I will not have that portion done until tomorrow when my daughter gets in town to help me.  I haven't seen any links yet that would contact me with the people in the podcast.  I am hoping that once I get everything download I will be able to share more information on how I got it all done.  So, stay tune to hear from me again with this information.

The early childhood organization's website I chose to immerse myself in National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (http://www.naccrra.org/).  I was able to subscribe to a free electronic newsletter through this website (Newsletter:  http://capwiz.com/naccrra/mlm/signup/).