My Own Capacity

Which issues impacting young children and their families and/or the field of early childhood fuel your passion?

One of the major issues impacting young children and their families that has fueled my passion is the lack f people willing to speak up.  I work in a community that is composed of a large amount of illegal immigrants.  Because of their current status, many people feel as though they do not deserve the help and attention that legal citizens do.  I want to open everyone’s eyes about how this is impacting their children and their education.  Many of the families are unaware of how to help their children if they have any educational problems or even health problems.  People write them off as being needy and wanting too much assistance. This has fueled my passion into wanting to help those when others have given up on them.

What resources do you have at your disposal that can benefit your advocacy work?

One resource that I have at my disposal that can benefit my advocacy work is my current access to a wide range of professionals.  I work in a center that has many different people entering.  I work with people who have resources outside of a public setting that better help the children in my class.  The school psychologist knows a great deal of professionals that can help my student with ADHD and the doctor speaks multiple languages helping me communicate with all the families I serve.

In what ways do you hope to grow in order to be a more effective advocate?

One way that I hope to grow in order to be a more effective advocate is strengthening my list of resources.  I want to have information that is relevant to my community on hand at all times in order to better serve them.  Having the list available will help me provide them with fast information and resources about where to go to get the solution to any problems they may be having.

My Role as an Advocate

What motivated you to start advocating for very young children?

I work in a preschool setting and know how hard it is for the parent’s to get the necessary resources for their children.  They don’t feel comfortable reaching out to strangers and being their child’s teacher; I felt it was my job to help them.  What truly motivated me was seeing how difficult of a time the parent’s had when it came to help their children. 

Why is it essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro as well as the macro level?

It is essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro level because it affects the people we work with directly.  We will be able to better serve the families we interact with directly by being their voice and helping them get anything that they may need.  It is also essential for the macro level because people from around the world will be able to shed light or offer different suggestions on problems that are occurring.  They could advocate in the other side of the country about strategies that worked somewhere to help other families.  Professionals can work together to advocate everywhere and help families that they may never meet.

What does it take to be a community leader on early childhood issues?

Being a leader in any community can be difficult and challenging.  To be a leader in the early childhood issue the individual must be aware of all the current problems and what is being done to help them.  They must stay current in both the state and country in terms of the issues that are coming up.  The individual must also be aware of what they can do to help the community they serve as well as their colleagues.  They must also be willing to speak up and have their voice heard about issues that see occurring.

What resources does it take to be a state leader on early childhood issues?

The resources that it takes to be a state leader on early childhood issues are people within the community as well as online sources.  By creating a list of people within the field who can help, the individual will know where to send the families for any additional resources that they may need.  Having a list of online sources as well will help anyone stay current and up to date on any new information or issues that may occur.

What tactics or strategies do you use to mobilize others?

One strategy that I utilize to help mobilize others is to ask them to put themselves in the family’s shoes.  Once they start thinking about what the families go through in terms of not speaking the language, not knowing what to do with their child’s education, they begin to realize how much the families need our help.  This helps motivate others to think of and find ways to address the family’s needs.  They would want someone to help them and that is enough to get them started helping others.

What advice would you give to someone who was interested in taking a leadership role in advocating for young children and their families?

Create a list of resources both online and within the community.  Since each community is unique in the needs, it is important to focus on the families that you serve.  Gather as much information as possible about the current struggles the families are dealing with.  This will help make the information ready and available if they approach you with any questions.

Personal Advocacy Reflection

I have seen others around me be a strong advocate for the children in my school.  They stood up for a family who was having a difficult time getting their children the necessary resources for his speech problem.  The social worker walked the family through the process and even took them to the doctor’s appointments.  The family was able to get the services for the child as a result of the social workers hard work and dedication.  The child now receives speech therapy twice a week and has made significant strides.  His family is extremely grateful because they felt that no one was going to help them.

Upon seeing this family’s experience, I decided to explore my own options for advocacy work.  This part in my career I feel it’s important to find as many ways possible to help every child that I come across.  By researching and keeping a list of the websites along with journal articles that I found useful, I am creating a broader spectrum of information helping me reach out to more children and their families.  After seeing the family’s smiles and hearing the child’s speech develop, it gave me the necessary motivation to pursue ways to help more children.  At this stage in my career, I have been able to provide families with information that will help them and their children with things such as housing issues and taking English classes.  Everyone is grateful when someone takes the time to listen to them and provide them with a little bit of assistance to help make their life easier.