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/
Jamie,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your post! I thought these success stories provided several different perspectives related to Head Start. These stories can be especially helpful to policymakers and government officials because they are able to learn firsthand how their support for these programs directly impact individuals. It helps make it real for them and to learn more about who is being, or could be, touched through their support. For me personally, though I have never worked at a Head Start program, these stories encourage me to continue my advocacy to lobby for programs, like Head Start and Early Head Start, through Save the Children Action Network.
I agree with your views regarding all that Head Start does. I think that it is great that Head Start goes deep into the ways that they support child development and wellbeing. It is well known to those who come from disadvantaged areas and those that have friends and family living in disadvantaged communities like some of my friends and old classmates that knows about the little to no resources and support and how hard it is to get access to some of the available resources. They have received resources from their child's center that has helped them greatly. Head Start is doing a great job at supporting both children and families and are great for helping these communities that don't have access to much needed resources.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!