Early Childcare Policy and Advocacy

Part 1: Why did you choose this specialization? Share what resonates with you about this specialization. Consider the relationship between your passion and aspirations related to public policy and advocacy and what you hope to accomplish with regard to promoting the well-being of children, families, and the early childhood field.

The specialization that I chose which sparked my interest is handling challenging behaviors.  Many parents feel unsure of how to deal with their children who have behavioral issues and what their rights are in terms of education.  This issue has caught my attention and has made me want to further investigate information for the parent’s such as what their rights are and how to get help for them in their home setting with the difficult child.  I hope to accomplish with regard to promoting the well-being of children, families, and the early childhood field to educate everyone on how to properly handle the misbehaving children.  I would like to inform them about what their rights are as parents and the policy of the school’s their children are attending.  This will allow them to fully understand what they can do to help their children and how they can prevent any uncertainty that they may have.

Part 2: Why are advocates essential in the early childhood field? Explain why you believe becoming a skilled and confident advocate is crucial for early childhood professionals and for the field.

Becoming a skilled and confident advocate is crucial for early childhood professionals and for the field because many of the families that we deal with and interact with are not familiar with their rights as parents.  They are unfamiliar with the different policies and how to advocate for their children.  Many of the families have language barriers and are unable to advocate for their children themselves.  By being skilled and confident in advocating I will be able to assist the families accomplish and fulfill their goals for their children in terms of getting assistance they may need.

Part 3: What do you hope to learn about public policy and advocacy? Articulate at least three goals related to this specialization at this point in your coursework.

One goal that I have is to learn the policies of my local school district.  By doing this I will be more efficient in helping the families I deal with on a daily basis.

Another goal that I have is to strengthen my database in terms of resources that are available for the parent’s and families.  This will help me be a more efficient advocate for the families and what rights they have.

The final goal that I hope to learn about public policy and advocacy is to find resources for the families dealing with specialization about handling difficult children.  By having the information available, I will be able to assist the parents and families in a quicker approach to help get the situation taken care of and addressed.