Identify and Explain 5 Policy Recommendations
Early childhood education policy has been discussed at great length. You will apply that information in a case scenario.
As an early childhood professional, you have been asked to speak to a group of state policy makers about early childhood education issues in North Carolina.
- Identify five current trends or issues impacting early childhood education in North Carolina.
- For each trend/issue, identify research that would provide insight into a solution for the issue.
- Determine a brief policy recommendation for each of the five trends/issues.
- Present the trends/issues, research, and policy recommendations in a 1-2 page document that can be used as a speech appropriate for State policy makers.
- Include a reference page using APA citations.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 1
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 5
Policy Recommendations
Example
Rasmussen College
Author Note
This written assignment is being submitted on March 10th, 2018 for Jamie Wendt’s EEC4485 Early Childhood Education Advocacy, Research and Policy
1. Achievement Gap
In Alaska, there is a significant achievement gap between disadvantaged students and their more advantaged peers. There is considerable brain growth during a child’s first years of life, reaching 80% of its adult volume by the age of three (Investing in Alaska’s, 2017, p. 1). Supporting and protecting children’s brain development during this critical time in life will yield positive long-term effects. Unfortunately, high-quality early childhood education programs are expensive limiting access for disadvantaged families and contributing to the achievement gap. Supporting improvements in lower quality, cheaper childcare homes and centers, will allow underprivileged children to receive better early childhood education. The State of Alaska should continue to fund the Learn and Grow Quality Recognition and Improvement program that provides support and incentives to programs working to meet high standards of care and education. Disadvantaged families also need financial aid to enroll their children in high-quality centers. The State of Alaska needs to increase the amount of financial assistance available to families through the Childcare Assistance Program.
2. Childhood Abuse and Neglect
The state of Alaska rate of confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect is higher than the national average (Prevent Child, 2016, p. 2)! Families experiencing stress and those without support systems in place are at the highest risk (Prevent Child, p. 1). We need to put systems in place to help families during times of stress as well as to help them develop support systems. The Center for the Study of Social Policy developed the Strengthening Families Approach based on research regarding factors that prevent abuse and neglect (Center for the Study of Social Policy, n.d.). The research found five main preventative factors: Parental resilience, Social connections, Knowledge of parenting and child development, Concrete support in times of need, and Social and emotional competence of children. The state of Alaska needs to continue to support the implementation of this program throughout our state. The program rolled out to Pediatricians last year with a toolkit and a few trainings, all supported by a grant from the Alaska Children’s Trust (Pittz, 2017). The state of Alaska should be investing financially in this program to help reduce the number of abuse and neglect cases seen across the state.
3. Early Childhood Mental Health
There is limited support for children with challenging behaviors in a preschool setting. These children are typically too young to receive a mental health diagnosis and therefore have limited access to professional assistance. Additionally, because pediatricians see children for only a quick visit, they are often missing concerns associated with this area of development. Alaska’s Infant Learning/Early Intervention Program has implemented state-wide free access to the ASQ (Ages and Stages Questionnaire) and ASQ: SE (Social-Emotional). Making these screening tools increased the number of children screen, identification of children with delays and there for access to supportive services (“Free Developmental,” n.d.). However, while the ASQ is now widely used by pediatricians, the ASQ: SE still sees limited use by medical providers. This tool, while available, is also not highlighted on the Alaska Infant Learning/Early Intervention Program’s webpage. The state of Alaska needs to work on policies that encourage the use of both tools so that mental health concerns can also be diagnosed and addressed sooner.
4. Number of Children in Foster Care
The number of children in foster care continues to grow each year. In January 2018, almost three thousand children were living out of their homes (“Alaska Office,” n.d.)! The Safe Families for Children program uses host families to help prevent families under stress from reaching the point in which children have to be removed from the home. Host families care for children temporarily while their parents receive support. The main difference in this approach is that children and parents remain in connection with each other (Ross, 2017). The host family acts as a support and social connection for the family. In this way children are safe, and yet parents maintain relationships, interactions and legal guardianship of their children. Currently, this is a small voluntary program that uses churches as its base of operations (Ross). The State of Alaska should implement a similar host family approach to keeping families together while providing safe homes for children while their families get the necessary supports to enable future care of their children.
5. Social Emotional Learning
With a high focus on meeting Common Core Standards and closing achievement gaps between states and countries, the emphasis on social-emotional learning may start to take a backseat to academics. Considering the high numbers of children experiencing abuse and neglect, as mentioned above, we must ensure that children’s basic needs are met before we can expect them to learn. Children need to feel safe and supported, they need pathways for expressing their needs appropriately, and they need skills to be able to build friendships and have social connections. Many programs are being used by the Anchorage School District to promote social-emotional learning across schools (Anchorage School District, n.d.). However, inconsistencies between schools and worse yet within a school can lead to a watering down of specific curriculum or implementation processes. The State of Alaska needs to select specific curriculum to be used within the state. Consistency will assist children, families, and teachers in grasping and utilizing particular techniques as well as provide consistency when school transitions occur.
References
Alaska Office of Children’s Services statistical information [Table]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://dhss.alaska.gov/ocs/Pages/statistics/default.aspx
Anchorage School District. (n.d.). Direct instruction programs. Retrieved March 10, 2018, from https://www.asdk12.org/Page/6643
Center for the Study of Social Policy. (n.d.). The research behind Strengthening Families. Retrieved from https://www.cssp.org/young-children-their-families/strengtheningfamilies/about
Free developmental screening. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2018, from http://dhss.alaska.gov/dsds/Pages/infantlearning/milestones/default.aspx
Investing in Alaska’s young children [Leaflet]. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.bestbeginningsalaska.org/wp-content/uploads/AECAG-2017-Priorities-Doc-Final
Pittz, S. (2017, July 20). Strengthening Families Alaska is on the move! [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://blog.alaskachildrenstrust.org/2017/07/20/strengthening-families-alaska-is-on-the-move/
Prevent child abuse and neglect in Alaska (McDowell Group, Comp.) [Pamphlet]. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.mcdowellgroup.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1567-ACT-Child-Abuse-WEB-Final
Ross, T. (2017, January 19). Program gives TLC to families in crisis. Homer News. Retrieved from http://homernews.com/news/2017-01-19/program-gives-tlc-families-crisis