We always here that the
preschool years of a child life is the most critical and we usually have
preschools that educate children birth through five, but I took much interest
in The Baby College which is a program from the Harlem Kids Zone website. This
program ensures that from the time children are born they are immersed in a healthy
and supportive environment so that they are able to thrive and are capable of
being set on the path to school and college readiness which I see as building a
very strong foundation.
There are workshops given to
not only the parents with infants but also to expectant mothers to help prepare
and guide them into raising happy and healthy babies which include workshops
and at home visits for 9 weeks where parents gain the knowledge of things such
as child behavior, safety, communication, intellectual stimulation, linguistic
and brain development, and health, and nutrition. The classes are all offered
in English, French, and Spanish. This made me think that some parents may be
interested in workshops and gaining knowledge pertaining to raising kids but
they may not have transportation in doing so. It is awesome that this program
makes home visits for parents who may be experiencing this conflict.
This program also helps parents
to learn how to build strong
interactions with their children, create a literacy-rich environment, and
foster early language skills. This is especially beneficial for young
teenage parents. Politicians are supporting the early childhood field and
recognizing how important early learning is for each individual child. In January
of this year Obama spoke on the 5 promise zones. He believes in changing the
odds for every American child to have a chance to succeed in the economy no
matter whom they are or where they are from. His plan is to create a better bargain for the middle-class by
partnering with local communities and businesses to create jobs, increase
economic security, expand educational opportunities, increase access to
quality, affordable housing and improve public safety.
Just
this week alone has made me think about all the different aspects that people
may have when it comes to the issues of childcare and education. Many of
decisions that are being made about childcare or the education of children have
big effects on their future being either negative or positive.
Reference
Erika,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post about the Harlem Kid Zone's new program. I agree with you in that there are vastly differing opinions on childcare and education. It can be very difficult to take all of these opinions into consideration when making big decisions about changes that need to be made in our system. I suspect that this is why it has taken so long to begin to see the improvements being made. I wish that everyone would put their personal feelings to the side and look the big picture, which is what is best for our children and the future of this nation.
~M.Bussey
Hello Erika,
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of the Harlem Kids Zone. I love the idea of the workshops for the expectant and new parents. And home visits are very beneficial. This sounds like a fantastic program. I will have to check out the website. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Erika,
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
I was actually reading through a proposal by President Obama to pour billion of dollars into early childhood. http://www.ed.gov/early-learning
I also read about an act our government is considering releasing, entitled Strong Start for America's Children. It proposes a grant based release of money to states.
https://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/1697
I am very thankful that our government is taking a serious look at the necessity for early learners (specifically four year olds) to attend school via a free and public education. After all our Pre-K program are servicing some children...why not service all of our preschoolers at age four?
I agree with you that the decisions that we are making now are going to have a lasting affect on our children's future and the future of education as a whole.