Advocacy

It is easier to build strong children than repair broken men. —Frederick Douglass

I encourage you to be a Champion for Young Children. Improving conditions for families, caregivers and communities—living wages: quality, affordable housing; paid parental leave; high-quality childcare; flex time; social inclusion and desegregation; better transit—can improve young children’s chances for growing into healthy, compassionate and responsible adults. Learn about elected officials and the issues in Massachusetts by following early education news.  You can join the Strategies for Children  e-mail list and read their Eye on Early Education blog.  Another wonderful source to support advocacy is the Raising of America website and the toolkit they provide.  See:

Our elected officials need to hear many voices delivering the same, clear message at the local, state and national level.  The message is that the USA needs to prioritize young children and families and the early education and care workforce.  We must work together to make our voices heard.

Do you know who represents you in Congress? If you don’t know find out at http://www.whoismyrepresentative.com.  Send a message to your US representative and Senators either a  letter, hand written note or children’s artwork. Offer to be a resource for early education and care in the district.

Include an invitation to come for a visit to your program.  Do this at the state level as well.

In Massachusetts, each city and town is structured according to the rules and regulation it established and may have amended over the years. Some communities may have mayor or a board of selectmen and women and some might have a town manager. And, while most cities have mayors and city councilors, not all do. There are 39 cities, 312 towns in 14 counties in the commonwealth. Click here to see more about Community Readiness.

We must close the opportunity gap and ensure that all children, regardless of their family’s means or the neighborhood they grow up in, enter school on a path for success.  We must continue to build upon the strong foundation by prioritizing policies and effective investments that result in positive outcomes for children.

Professionalism

Ethics

What is a Code of Ethics and why is it important?

The Code of Ethics provides guidelines for responsible behavior.  The Code imparts a common basis for resolving the principal ethical dilemmas encountered in early education & care. The best introduction is found in the 9 minute video:  Overview of the Code of Ethical Conduct at:  http://www.naeyc.org/ecp/resources/ethics and then watch the 7-minute video:  How to Use the Code: Day-To-Day Practice in Programs for Young Children.

Now read the NAEYC (2005) Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment (Position Statement) which is organized into 4 sections plus supplemental matters.

• Section I: Ethical responsibilities to children
• Section II: Ethical responsibilities to families
• Section III: Ethical responsibilities to colleagues (coworkers, employers, employees)
• Section IV: Ethical responsibilities to community and society
• Glossary Check your answers to the pretest on page 8
•  Statement of Commitment

The Code allows early childhood professionals  to determine if a situation is either a responsibility or a dilemma.

When presented with an ethical dilemma, ideally we should use ethical finesse to meet the needs of all involved without making a difficult decision.  In other words, the goal is to create win-win situations.

Here is a flow chart to illustrate the decision making process.  Now  read Feeney, S. & Freeman, N.K. (2013, March)   The Birthday Cake:  Balancing Responsibilities to Children and Families Young Children. 96-99.

Here is the flow chart completed with the information from the dilemma where Olivia the director is committed to serving nutritious foods and healthy choices for children and to developing close relationships with all families. Her center does not regularly serve cookies, cake, or other foods full of sugar, fats and preservatives.   The handbook states this policy including no birthday cakes allowed instead families are to send in sliced fruit, vegetables, or veggie pizza. Olivia warmly greets families & children daily.   One morning, a new mother to the program, Mrs. Chang, who has been shy and speaks English as a second language, arrives with a large, elaborately decorated cake to celebrate her child’s, Mei-Zhen’s birthday.

Does Olivia follow the policy or strengthen her relationship with this mother?  

Other examples of dilemmas and how to resolve  them  are found at:

Feeney, S. & Freeman, N.K. (2016, March) Ethical Issues Responsibilities and Dilemmas Young Children. 86-89.

Feeney, S. & Freeman, N.K. (2016, March) Misleading the State Inspector: The Response. Young Children. 68-69

Feeney, S. & Freeman, N.K. (2014, September) Reporting Classroom Behavior:  Balancing Responsibilities to Children and Families.  Young Children. 100-104 

What is professional behavior?

#1 – I am showing respect for my colleagues when I

• Take responsibility for my own actions
• Avoid trying to transfer blame to others
• Refrain from comparing my unacceptable actions/behavior to that of a co-worker’s
• Refrain from condemning a co-worker’s life style that is different from my own
• Acknowledge their contributions to the program (be specific about the contribution and how it helps the program)
• Carry my share of the work load

#2 – I am helping to create a positive work place environment when I

• Keep my personal life/problems out of the work place
• Keep my comments to others positive rather than negative
• Share resources with co-workers
• Help a co-worker without being asked
• Plan with co-workers the program of activities for children
• Let a co-worker know in private about a concern I have about her actions
• Avoid conflict with co-worker in presence of children, other co-workers and families
• Attempt to resolve conflicts with co-worker in a confidential manner
• Involve Director as a mediator when conflict cannot be resolved by me and co-worker
• Avoid gossip about co-workers, children and families

#3 – I can feel good about my day at work if I

• Came in with a smile and leave with a smile
• Look forward to returning the next day
• Know I have focused on the children in my care
• Know that each child has felt welcomed and nurtured in my care
• Have greeted families and let them know I am happy to see them and their child
• Shared a new idea or information with a co-worker
• Heard a positive comment about something I have done that day

#4 – I am demonstrating that I am a responsible employee when I

• Am familiar with all program policies, especially personnel policies
• Am familiar with Minimum Licensing Requirements and understand my responsibility in complying with them

• Follow all program policies
• Accept verbal and written notices and consequences when I do not follow policies
• Participate in self-evaluation and evaluation by supervisor
• Can accept constructive suggestions for improvement by supervisor
• Keep confidential all information about my performance evaluations and salary
• Seek professional development opportunities

C

Mandated reporting

The NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria & Guidance for Assessment includes criterion addressing child abuse and neglect.  For example, criteria 10.D.03 states:

The program has a written policy for reporting child abuse and neglect as well as procedures in place that comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws. The policy includes requirements for staff to report all suspected incidents of child abuse, neglect, or both by families, staff, volunteers, or others to the appropriate local agencies. Staff who report suspicions of child abuse or neglect where they work are immune from discharge, retaliation, or other disciplinary action for that reason alone unless it is proven that the report is malicious.

The Code of Ethics includes principles about our responsibilities for mandating reporting.

P-1.8—We shall be familiar with the risk factors for and symptoms of child abuse and neglect, including physical, sexual, verbal, and emotional abuse and physical, emotional, educational, and medical neglect. We shall know and follow state laws and community procedures that protect children against abuse and neglect.

P-1.9—When we have reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect, we shall report it to the appropriate community agency and follow up to ensure that appropriate action has been taken. When appropriate, parents or guardians will be informed that the referral will be or has been made.

P-1.10—When another person tells us of his or her suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected, we shall assist that person in taking appropriate action in order to protect the child.

P-4.7—When we become aware of a practice or situation that endangers the health, safety, or well-being of children, we have an ethical responsibility to protect children or inform parents and/or others who can.

P-4.9—When we have evidence that an early childhood program is violating laws or regulations protecting children, we shall report the violation to appropriate authorities who can be expected to remedy the situation.

Under Massachusetts law, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state agency that receives all reports of suspected abuse and/or neglect of children under the age of 18. State law requires professionals whose work brings them in contact with children to notify DCF if they suspect that a child is being abused and/or neglected. DCF depends on reports from professionals and other concerned individuals to learn about children who may need protection, more than 75,000 reports are received on behalf of children each year. DCF seeks to ensure that each child has a safe, nurturing, permanent home and provides a range of services to support and strengthen families with children at risk of abuse and neglect.

 Examining assumptions

The way to eradicate prejudice is to start with ourselves. We have to be role models for children. Hopefully that will make the difference. – Student quote

 When you challenge assumptions, you can increase your cultural competence which is about being confident in yourself and comfortable with others.  The Work Group for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas, (n. d.), explains the four stages in building cultural competence.

1. Cultural knowledge is when you know about some cultural characteristics, history, values, beliefs, and behaviors of another ethnic or cultural group.
2. Cultural awareness adds an understanding other groups and being open to the idea of changing cultural attitudes.
3. Cultural sensitivity is knowing that differences exist between cultures, but not assigning judgement to the differences.
4. Cultural competence is the action of working with many different behaviors, attitudes, and policies in cross-cultural settings to produce better outcomes.

Source: Work Group for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas. (n.d.) Chapter 27. Cultural Competence in a Multicultural World  see Section 7. Building Culturally Competent Organizations  from the Community Tool Box website at: http://ctb.ku.edu/en

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE CULTURALLY COMPETENT?

We live in a diverse and increasingly interconnected world. Changes in one part of the world affect people everywhere.  We will likely see the composition of our workplaces and communities with more people of color and immigrants. There are many benefits to diversity, such as the access to rich resources of alternative ideas for how to do things, and the opportunity for contact with people from all cultures and nationalities. The benefits of increasing your cultural competence include:

• Increased respect and mutual understanding among those involved.
• Enhanced creativity in problem-solving through new perspectives, ideas, and strategies.
• Improved trust and cooperation.
• Assistance in overcoming the fear of mistakes, competition, or conflict because everyone is more likely to feel more comfortable in general and less likely to to look over their shoulders to be sure they are being “appropriate” in majority terms.
• Strengthened inclusion and equality.

How do I increase my cultural competence?

The Work Group for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas offers these 5 essential principles.

1. Value diversity means accepting and respecting differences between and within cultures. We often presume that a common culture is shared between members of racial, linguistic, and religious groups, but this may not be true. A group might share historical and geographical experiences, but individuals may share only physical appearance, language, or spiritual beliefs. Our cultural assumptions can lead us to wrong conclusions. As people move to new areas and meld with other cultures it creates a kaleidoscope of subcultures within racial groups. Gender, locale, and socioeconomic status can sometimes be more powerful than racial factors.
2. Self-assess your cultural knowledge, awareness, and sensitivity. Challenge your assumptions! Watch these short videos about bias:
   1. Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Racism from the New York Times  https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000004818663/peanut-butter-jelly-and-racism.html?playlistId=100000004821064
   2. What Kind Of Asian Are You?
   3. Unconscious Bias Basics:

How do these videos illustrate assumptions? Why do we prefer people like us?  The problem of cultural incompetence lies in our need to learn more about others. How will you become aware of, knowledgeable about, and seek contact with people from diverse:

• Nationalities regional, or other geographical area
• Ethnic groups
• Race
• Gender
• Sexual orientation
• Social class
• Spiritual beliefs and practice
• Physical and mental ability
• Age
• Educational status
• Family status
• Health status
• Occupational status
• Socioeconomic status

3. Understand the dynamics of difference. For example, Native Americans and African Americans, among other groups, have experienced discrimination and unfair treatment from dominant cultures. Mistrust coming out of these experiences may be passed on to the next generations of these groups, but ignored within the dominant culture. Generational differences also impact working place dynamics.
4. Institutionalize cultural knowledge. Programs must provide professional development as well as reviewing policies for the degree of responsive to cultural diversity. Program materials should reflect positive images of all cultures.
5. Adapt to diversity. When you recognize, respect, and value all cultures and integrate those values into the system, culturally competent programs can meet the needs of diverse groups.