Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

From a professional and personal standpoint, I have always thought of Head Start as preparing low-income children for kindergarten and primary school. However, I now see that the services provided can benefit children from all walks of life. In her success story, Evita Gaillard noted that her son learned about manners, good hygiene, health, feelings, and compassion (Capital Area Community Services, Inc. [CACS], n.d.). These are things that all children, not just those from low-income backgrounds, should know to help them navigate through life.

The importance of involvement opportunities for parents and family members are highlighted in Rimidia Taylor’s success story. She notes that Head Start helped her rule out an underlying medical condition related to her daughter’s weight. Through Head Start, they learned about the food pyramid and how to make better nutritional choices. Her daughter also got to try a variety of fruits and vegetables in the classroom. In Evita’s story, she praised the monthly meetings she got to have with her child’s teacher and the network of parents she was able to connect with (CACS, n.d.).

I think these stories are valuable because they highlight the good work and importance of what Head Start does. Ashley Hawkins’ story is particularly important, as she provides a firsthand account of how Head Start led to her current achievements. She gained her independence through the program, learned about other people and the world at large through field trips, and eventually earned an MBA, to which she credits the early encouragement from Head Start to (CACS, n.d.). Hearing these success stories is a great reminder to childhood professionals, the public, policymakers, and government officials that the Head Start program provides so many fantastic services and can lead to more positive outcomes for children long-term.

I think parent/family involvement is an essential system element for all strands of service in the early childhood field. Parents can learn more about health and nutrition, develop goals for themselves and their children, and take on the shared responsibility of the education, school readiness, and overall development of young children. They can also provide cultural and linguistic information to improve programs

Reference

Capital Area Community Services, Inc. [CACS]. (n.d.). Success Stories. Retrieved from https://www.cacsheadstart.org/success-stories/

Quality Programs for All Children

Throughout the years, public opinion on early care and education programs for children has varied. In the 1920s, nursery schools (preschool programs) were designed to care for children from middle class families. In the 1960s, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a War on Poverty, leading to the creation of programs to serve children from disadvantaged families (i.e., Head Start). However, prior to either of these programs was the development of kindergarten education, which served to prepare children to transition into formal schooling and to provide an extra year of education before children began working at age eleven (Laureate Education, 2018).

Current public opinion favors the original intent of kindergarten, which is to prepare children for entrance into formal education. However, we now also realize the long term benefits of providing quality early childhood care and education to all children. Research shows that children in poverty are exposed to factors that impact brain development and cognitive functioning, as well as social and emotional functioning. These children are more likely to have a parent with depression, malnutrition, trauma, abuse, and low-quality childcare. Children from low-income families are also more likely to battle chronic illnesses and mental health problems (Child Trends Data Bank, 2016).

Investing our resources to equalize the playing field for all children can lead to more positive economic outcomes. Targeting disadvantaged children and their families can reduce the achievement gap, the need for special education, and the crime rate, while also leading to healthier lifestyles and a higher investment return (Heckman, 2011). This investment is theorized to also create a better prepared and better trained future workforce, thus securing the economic future of our nation.

I hope that over the next five years, public opinion will continue to be influenced by all of the positive benefits provided through early childhood education strands of service. I hope that quality monitoring will become mandatory for all programs. I hope that educators will require more training and will in return receive higher compensation. I hope that people will recognize areas in which we fall short and advocate for stronger policies and better resources. I believe the related implications for children, their families, and our field will include an increased interest in serving in the field, better health, education, and development for children, and a more involved parenting style.

References

Child Trends Data Bank. (2016). Children in poverty: Indicators of child and youth well-being. Retrieved from https://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/04_Poverty.pdf

Heckman, J. J. (2011). The economics of inequality: The value of early childhood education. American Educator, 35(1), 31-35. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ920516.pdf

Laureate Education. (2018). Historical overview of early childhood systems: Head Start/Early Head Start. [Interactive Media]. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6765/02/mm/historical_overview/index.html