Sharing Web Resources (Week 4)

• What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?
• The sections on policies and programs are most relevant to my professional development. The policy priorities are child poverty, child health, early childhood, education, child welfare, youth justice, and gun violence. The programs listed are the CDF Freedom Schools, Beat the Odds, and Faith-Based programs. I think these resources provide a wealth of information that will aid professional development.

• Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?
• Gun violence was one policy I wasn't expecting to see. It's definitely a controversial topic. CDF works to promote an environment where children can grow up safely. They offer solutions such as implementing universal background checks, prohibiting firearm access for high-risk groups, enacting child access prevention laws, requiring child safety features for every gun, banning military-style weapons, and funding gun violence prevention research. 

• What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support positive social change through the early childhood field?
• CDF offers information on combating child poverty, stating much of the same research we covered in class this week. Resources need to be used to ensure children's basic needs are met, the playing field is leveled for disadvantaged students, and increase employment and wages for working families. These investments will in turn yield more for our economy in the future.

• What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?
• A recent CDF press release addressed the continued child poverty crisis across the nation. I learned the following:
• More than 1 in 5 children were poor in 16 states and the District of Columbia in 2017.
• More than 10 percent of children were extremely poor* in 7 states and the District of Columbia.
• More than 1 in 5 children under 6 were poor in 20 states and the District of Columbia.
• More than 1 in 3 Black children were poor in 22 states and the District of Columbia.
• More than 1 in 3 American Indian/Alaska Native children were poor in 15 states.
• More than 1 in 4 Hispanic children were poor in 28 states.
• The youngest children remain the poorest. In all but three states, poverty rates were higher among children under 6 than among children 6-17. In seven states and the District of Columbia, 1 in 4 children under 6 lived in poverty. No state had less than 10 percent of young children living in poverty.

*Poverty is defined as an annual income below $25,283 for an average family of four, or less than $2,107 a month, $486 a week, or $69 a day. Extreme poverty is defined as less than half of the annual poverty level, or less than $12,642 for a family of four.

Getting to Know International Organizations

CARE is an organization that works around the globe to defeat poverty and achieve social justice. While the goal is to help all people, this organization places women and girls at the center, as they believe everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities.

This organization provides families with baby kits that contain reusable diapers, soap, and other hygiene items. Girls, who typically have to drop out of school, are provided with textbooks and school supplies, so that they can return to school and earn an education. Children are also provided with warm and nutritious meals at school for a year, improving their energy, attention, and performance. These items are all funded by monetary donations.

CARE notes that poverty affects every aspect of a child's life. Education becomes limited, children suffer from an increase in health problems, and the likelihood that they will be subjected to child labor or early marriage is also increased. Due to hunger, children in poverty are also at risk for malnutrition, underdevelopment, and stunted growth.

The organization's website provides resources such as "She Feeds the World," which is CARE's strategic program framework for Food and Nutrition Security. There is also a briefing on how orange fleshed sweet potatoes can be used to improve nutrition in impoverished areas. Additional resources include advocacy kits, information on using mobile health technology, and recommendations for effective nutrition programming in nutrition-sensitive arenas.

I was impressed by this organization's focus on women and girls living in poverty, and how they specifically are affected. The extensive list of resources was also very informative, providing numerous reports and tools to combat poverty.

Sharing Web Resources

The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) website offers the option to sign up for their newsletter. I have attempted to sign up with my Walden and Gmail account, but have not received confirmation that I am subscribed as of yet. Thus, this post will focus on the issues and trends addressed on the website.

CDF advocates on behalf of all children, with a specific focus on children from low-income backgrounds, children of color, and children with disabilities. One current issue that they consider a priority policy is gun violence. In 2016, a child or teen was killed with a gun every 2 hours and 48 minutes, equating to 3,128 children or teens. Gun violence is considered the second leading cause of death among children and teens ages 1-19.

To combat gun violence, CDF works with elected officials to advocate for gun safety and against gun violence by proposing the following measures:

1. Implement Universal Background Checks
2. Prohibit Firearm Access for High-Risk Groups
3. Enact Child Access Prevention Laws
4. Require Child Safety Features for Every Gun
5. Ban Military-Style Weapons
6. Fund Gun Violence Prevention Research

CDF also notes that as of 2016 data, African-American children and teens were four times more likely to die by gun violence than white children and teens, and eight times more likely to die by gun violence than Asian and Pacific Islander children and teens. Further, the majority of gun violence deaths in the black community were attributed to homicide, whereas the majority of deaths amongst children and teens in the white community were suicides. Much like our course resources taught us this week, this policy impacts a certain demographic more than others. Thus it is important to look beyond our personal worldview to identify solutions to this problem.

Getting Ready - Expanding Horizons and Expanding Resources

A few podcasts that I found intriguing were Nurture, Teachers Aid, and The Preschool Podcast. Nurture features a host of speakers, including parents, educators, and practitioners. This podcast focuses on the social emotional development and explores a variety of topics. Teachers Aid highlights the unmet needs of educators, offering social and emotional support for the challenges that teachers face. The Preschool Podcast features leaders in early childhood education, particularly focusing on professionals in child care and preschool settings. This podcast offers practical advice to educators, as well as inspirational and motivational stories.

Initially, I thought about choosing an early childhood website for an organization located outside of the United States, as I thought it would be interesting to see how this field works in other countries. However, I ultimately chose to explore the Children's Defense Fund website, which also has a newsletter to subscribe to. I chose this website because I was in foster care as a child, and on the front page of this site is the statement, "Be a voice for children in need." That really resonated with me, as someone who needed that as a child. I like that this organization inspires activism and advocates for policies to make a difference in the lives of children. This website has both general and faith-based programs, and provides many resources for those who lobby in support of children in America.

Children's Defense Fund