I chose to specialize in Early Childhood Advocacy and Public Policy due to my background in psychology. Through my years of study, I have learned how crucial the early childhood period is. A child's future success often hinges on the resources they have access to early on, so I knew it was important to involve myself in this field to help influence positive social change.
I am a former foster child and owe much of my success to the caregivers who advocated on my behalf. Foster children are considered part of a vulnerable/disadvantaged population, much like children with special needs, those going through the juvenile justice system, children in poverty, and English Language Learners (ELLs). After foster care, I came to live with my grandmother. After a year, we moved, causing my designated school district to change. Seeing that I was thriving and understanding that changing schools could disrupt the stability I so desperately needed, my grandmother advocated on my behalf and asked the school board to allow me to remain at my current school. Certain terms and conditions had to be met, but I was allowed to continue in my previous school district with all of the friends I had made. After so many traumatic events and instability in my young life, having that one constant was so important to me.
Advocacy in the early childhood field is essential because children are considered one of our most vulnerable populations, increasingly so for those coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. Advocates recognize a problem or issue that affects them personally or someone else, and then they work to do something to resolve it (Kieff, 2009). Advocacy allows children and early childhood professionals to have their voices heard on issues that impact them; it allows for someone knowledgeable to help influence decisions that are being made about their lives.
Through this course, I hope to learn more about how I can be an advocate and what specific areas I can advocate for. So far, I've found that I am very passionate about advocating for vulnerable/disadvantaged populations specifically. My first goal is to learn more about what these special populations need. My second goal is to find out what I can do to serve as an advocate for them. My third goal is to discover how I can advocate for education in the U.S. overall. I hope to look at what works and what doesn't work, especially within international education systems. I think there are many things European countries are doing better than the U.S. right now in regards to education, and I think we can take a lot of those ideas to help shape and improve our current educational climate in America.
References
Kieff, J. (2009). Informed advocacy in early childhood care and education: Making a difference for young children and families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Hi Jamie, I admire your passion for helping others and giving back to the community. To often many people aren't able to relate to others and are unable to understand why certain things are important if it doesn't affect them. Two of those things are early childhood education and assistance for those in need. Through effective advocacy we are able to spread awareness and help those who don't understand possibly see through the eyes of those that are struggling to make it through the day and night.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, thanks for sharing!
Hi Jamie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing some of your personal history and how those events have led you to this point in your profession. You were lucky that your grandmother advocated for you to stay in your school district and recognized the importance of stability! I had a child in my Head Start class a few years ago with whom we had worked so hard to manage behaviors and he had an incredible bond with his inclusion support specialist, but his family moved out of the city limits and was going to be transferred to another classroom. Luckily the mother did not want to disrupt all the progress that had been made and agreed that it was the best decision for the child to transport him to our center, rather than start him at a new one. Children need advocates who have their best interest at heart, not just what is convenient or protocol. I can feel your passion in your words and I am happy to be on this journey with you!
Laura
Jamie,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you being vulnerable and opening up about your personal life. In my experience, it is often our personal experiences that drives us professionally. It is great to see how your experiences have driven you to advocate and support children from similar backgrounds. I am excited to have such a strong voice in the field to support children when they can not always speak up for themselves!