Sharing Web Resources

I have been researching the website and organization Parentsasteachers.org. Looking through many of the programs and resources presented by the organization, I feel that many of them are extremely relevant to my professional career and development including:

Resources

Parents as Teachers is the trusted resource for the most respected organizations and professionals serving children and families within the early childhood development and education continuum. We equip early childhood organizations and professionals with information and tools that are relevant—and widely applicable—to today's parents, families and children, especially those in vulnerable circumstances.

Fact sheets

Learn about our model/approach

• Parents as Teachers: an evidence-based model
• About the Parents as Teachers approach
• Why Invest in Parents as Teachers?

See how we work with special populations

• An Evidence-Based Approach to Outcomes for Indian Head Start Children
• An Evidence-Based Approach to Strengthening American Indian/Alaska Native Communities
• Parents as Teachers: Investing in Innovation (i3)
• How Does Parents as Teachers Prevent Child Abuse?

Discover how we partner with others

• Parents as Teachers works for HFA to keep America’s families healthy
• Parents as Teachers and affordable housing
• Exploring the Early Head Start Connection

Find out how we support care providers

• How does Parents as Teachers support family, friend and neighbor care?
• Parents as Teachers Supports Care Providers

Learn how we increase school readiness

• We’re Going to School: a parent involvement approach to school transitions
• How Does Parents as Teachers Support School Readiness?
• Parents as Teachers and Promise Neighborhoods

Finding funding

• Guide to Funding for Programs Offering Parents as Teachers Services

Screening tools

• Selecting a Screening Tool
• Parents as Teachers Approved Developmental Screening Tools

Resources for professionals working with fathers

Information for 2011 Fatherhood Grantees about Parents as Teachers

This curriculum was developed for Strengthening Families and Fatherhood: Children of Fathers in the Criminal Justice System under the Innovation and Improvement Project grant from the Office of Head Start, Administration for Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

I also discovered that this organization created partnerships with many governmental/educational systems that focus of the enhancement of child development.

Our Position

Parents as Teachers is a strong voice for children and strengthening families. We work collaboratively with a network of other strong organizations and professionals to advocate on their behalf. Our organization is successful only when those we support are able to effectively meet the needs of the children and families they serve.

Read our positions on important issues impacting children and families.

•ESEA Reauthorization

•Even Start

•Head Start

•PIRCs 

•PreK

•Family Friend Neighbor Care

•School Readiness

•Child Abuse and Neglect

•Investment in Early Childhood

 I am strongly passionate about educating the whole family, this organization focuses on the same issue. I look forward to seeing what other articles and resources they provide throughout my search.

International Contact #1

I had the opportunity to meet a young woman in college that eventually married a great man that served in the US Army. Last year her family was forced to move to Germany where her husband was being stationed. Jenna Bonin was more my sister friend that gradually turned into a mutual friend, so when she moved and started a child care business from her home in Germany, I knew I had a great international resource and connection. Currently, Jenna and her family reside in Ramstein, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany where child care is more centered on family instead of government educational systems. Jenna explained that beginning in August 2013, parents will be entitled to a monthly supplement of €100 ($128 US) for each child between the ages of 15 months and three years that are cared for in home care rather than in a day-care facility. The payment will rise to €150 a month in 2014. The subsidy will cost taxpayers an estimated €30 0 million in 2013 and €1.1 billion in 2014. This sounds awesome for her being a home based center, but for taxpayer it seems a little overwhelming to image billions going to child care regardless if you are using it or not. Another huge issue brought up regarding this plan is the fear it will discourage women from joining the workforce and encourage immigrant families to keep their children out of German day-care centers, which leads to lowing employment rates.

Germany is a country that is facing economic hardships in certain areas and thriving in others, but the population is increasing steadily which creates a huge need for childcare and educational systems. “Coming from the US and moving to a country that as such a change in the profession was interesting to adjust to, but getting better after being in Germany for a year now,” said Jenna. It was also fascinating to me that the government would give out money to parents that use home child care centers and not system based ones, it is completely opposite in the US. It will fun to see how the profession changes in August and throughout the year, I look forward to speaking with Jenna a lot about this development and the profession there in general.

 

 

Sharing web Resources

 

Parents as Teachers

http://www.parentsasteachers.org/

 

Starting in 1981, Parents as Teachers was developed to assist parents in the process of becoming the best teachers for their children prior to entering the educational system. Today, Parents as Teachers has the same focused mission and values:  to equip early childhood organizations, programs, and professionals with the information and tools that are relevant and widely applicable to every person serviced.

Vision

All children will learn, grow and develop to realize their full potential.

Mission

To provide the information, support and encouragement parents need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years of life.

Values

The early years of a child's life are critical for optimal development and provide the foundation for success in school and in life.

Parents are their children's first and most influential teachers.

Established and emerging research should be the foundation of parent education and family support curricula, training, materials and services.

All young children and their families deserve the same opportunities to succeed, regardless of any demographic, geographic or economic considerations.

An understanding and appreciation of the history and traditions of diverse cultures is essential in serving families.

One amazing issue or trend that was introduced in their monthly update posting or resource area was the section about how Parents as Teachers works with special populations. There was a fact sheet about how this organization assisted in implementing and maintaining the Native American Indian Head Start program. Being from American Indian decent, I automatically gravitated to this resource newsletter. This clearly shows that diversity is much larger than what many Americans realize. It was also refreshing to see that as a people Tribes have finally accepted governmental assistance programs to better prepare their youth. The major purpose of Indian Head Start is to support high quality, comprehensive, early childhood developmental and educational services by retaining value of cultural exclusivity and diversity of each Native communities. Another exciting idea that should be implemented in not only the Indian Head Start program, but in all early childhood and educational programs, is that this program seeks to preserve each groups’ identity through culturally appropriate and relevant family- centered child development and educational services.

I feel that this article/fact sheet definitely relates to this week’s topic of changing demographics and diversity. Native Indian tribes were the first group in the Americas that felt like outcasts or different and they were ironically the original citizens. Their educational programs and systems were based solely on traditional ceremonies and life needed skills, which lacked many advanced, modern enhancements including technology. Being the first group “looked down upon” or discriminated against, it took hundreds of years for tribes to welling trust and accept assistances from the “enemy”. Because of immigration being on a raise and diversity being more accepted, I feel it has definitely become easier for ostracized groups to reach out for help and/or be more welcoming of assistance.

 

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

It was extremely hard for me to locate and establish contact with an international colleague concerning the Early Childhood field. I know that there are numerous resources available, but I was disappointed to not hear back from anyone or group I attempted to contact. I resorted to using the provided podcast from the World Forum Radio. 

World Forum Foundation:  http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php
World Forum Foundation Radio: http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php

I will defiantly continue attempting to make contact with my resources across the world, but this week I fell short in my journey. I do have a possible colleague in Germany, Jenny Bonin, who runs an at home child care service and has three young children. I still need to find my second contact or use the provided forum/radio podcast.


I selected an organization that I felt was more universally involved and not positioned in just one country of area. Of the organizations and websites that were provided and researched I decided to go with was International Step by Step Association.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to gather more international contacts; it has been hard for me to find my second resource/contact. I was able to connect with my my first contact through my sister, but as far as reaching outside of personal sources it has be extremely difficult.