Getting to Know your International Contacts - Part 2

I have learned so far through this course that getting in contact with international educators is easier said than done.  I think part of the problem may be that many educators are not currently working full time since it is summer.  Because of this difficulty, I spent the second-half of the week exploring the Global Children's Initiative website (www.developingchild.harvard.edu).  One of the most influential things that struck me from that site was in the information page that disscusses the goals of the initiative.  One of the goals listed is to educate the policy makers and other decision makers about early learning issues.  It goes to show the importance of educating those that make decisions on the things they are making decisions about.  Many times those people are not in a position where they have first-hand knowledge of early learning theories and need information and examples to make the best decisions. 
Another good point that I found while exploring the site was the importance of working with children in crisis.  There have been so many extreme weather situations that have occurred recently around the world, and with the economy being as unstable as it is right now...there is a great need for experience working with children that have been through a crisis situation.
Finally, from the site I also learned that they are educating the Harvard students in order to build a stronger infrastructure, and the benefits will trickle down. 
Resource:
Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/),

Sharing Web Resources

Looking at NACCRRA's website further this week and tying the contents into the weekly conversation was not difficult.  NACCRRA puts a lot of effort into looking at economic impact of child care.  One of the interesting articles I found discussed the how the economy has impacted child care and the choices parents are forced to make.  NACCRRA (2010) found that, "More than half (51 percent) of families with
children under age 5 say the economy has affected their child care in some way" (p 2).  Parents still feel that quality and cost are the two things that influence child care decisions, but quality has been overtaken by affordability and parents are having to change child care situations to accommodate the cost.
The most interesting thing that I found in this document was that NACCRRA made some recommendation for states to assist families with balancing cost with quality.  The most profound recommendation they made was to regulate all providers who care for unrelated children, regardless of how many they care for, if they are to be paid by the CCDBG (Child Care Block Grant).  This means that those that are considered Legally Exempt and only care for up to 2 children that are unrelated, they would be held to a higher standard, closer to licensed/registered providers.  At this time, in New York State, LE providers are assigned minimum health and safety standards to follow and only inspected once every two years.  Anyone who cares for 2 or less unrelated children and is not paid by the state is considered informal, and aren't regulated at all.  There is no way to know if these LE or Informal providers are providing quality care for children. The only consideration is the cost, since they are significantly cheaper than licensed/registered providers.  The message we need to send is that all children deserve quality child care, regardless of the amount of money families can afford to pay for it.
Resource:
NACCRRA (2010). The economy's impact on parent's choices and perceptions about child care. Retrieved from http://www.naccrra.org/publications/naccrra-publications/publications/FINAL%202010%20Poll%20Report%20Dec%202010.pdf

Getting to Know your International Contacts - Part 1

Apparently connecting with professionals outside the country is a little more difficult than I had expected.  I have not yet received a response to the emails I have sent.  I hope to continue finding more people to contact in hopes that at some point a connection will be made.
In the meantime, I was able to review the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre website (http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/) and learn about poverty in Krygyzstan.  I chose that country to explore because it was one that I did not know existed.  That tells you how good my geography is! 
One of the major issues in Krygyzstan is that in the 1990s there was a huge poverty problem and more than 60% of people lived below the poverty level.  It has since dropped to less than half of people living below poverty, but the country is still recovering.  Another issue presented by the website in the country of Krygyzstan is that children are more likely to be living below the poverty line than adults.  This can create many problems because children are more affected by poverty.  The benefits of having healthy food and quality healthcare are much greater for them and the lack of those things affects more aspects of their lives.  The third issue addressed by the website about Krygyzstan is the education levels of the citizens.  Many children drop out of school and do not complete a diploma.  The Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre report that the use of Kindergarten has dropped significantly as well.  The lack of education contributes to the poverty level because adults with lower educations are less likely to get higher paying jobs.
The results of these issues are the same as they are in the United States, except in Krygyzstan the generational poverty is more widespread.

Sharing Web Resources

The organization I chose to follow online is the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA).  I currently work for a Child Care Resource and Referral Agency, so this organization really ties what is going on in my professional life with my educational life.  NACCRRA spends a great deal of time, money and effort on public policy and messaging to get information out to parents, providers and other members of society on the various child care issues.  One thing that really caught my eye today on their site was a blurb about a news cast in Minnesota that parents are waiting to hear if child care subsidy is going to remain in the state budget.  Our child care resource and referral agency (CCR&R) serves three counties and right now, two of our counties are not releasing funds for child care subsidy cases.  The families that rely on those funds have to make a choice.  They can either find another provider that is not licensed, or a parent can quit their job and stay home.  For providers that are not licensed, they typically charge a lesser rate but the safety is not quarenteed because there is no one checking on them and setting the standards they must follow.  The news cast that NACCRRA referred to quoted a parent that stated, "Money that I have set aside that I used for daycare this morning, I was going to use for my half of rent, so we'll see how all that works out"  (http://www.naccrra.org/). 

Making Outside Connections

The assignment this week was to make two connections with Early Childhood Professionals outside the country.  The first step was the obvious, Facebook.  However, I found that the search parameters are not that easily used for this project, and even when I was able to find someone I was pretty sure they wouldn't "friend" me without knowing me.  However, the search did lead me to the New Zealand College of Early Childhood Education.  Through there, I emailed a secretary to explain the assignment and see if he or she could recommend a professional of the college that could be my "pen pal".  I haven't gotten a response yet, and I hope that someone is working there through the summer.  My second attempt was through one of the links recommended by the professor.  I used the NAEYC link to get an email address for a Reverand in South Africa.  I emailed him as well, explaining the assignment and inquire if he was able to email me once a week or if he knew someone else that could.  I have not heard back from him either, but hope to make connections next week. 
Looking at the Early Childhood Organizations, I found the selection easy because of my current position and employer.  I am currently working for a Child Care Resource and Referral Agency and am familiar with NACCRRA's website.  I did want to be able to explore it further and the other great resources they have to offer to Early Childhood professionals and parents, not just to CCR&Rs.