Sharing Web Resources - ZERO TO THREE

In my first week of the course  - EDUC 6162-2 Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field, I chose 2 websites:

1. World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP) and their journal called the International Journal of Early Childhood.  I searched the Journal and realized that although I was allowed to view a synopsis of most articles in order to read the full article I would have to subscribe and pay subscriber fees of US$34.95.   Hmmm, sorry – no can do.   
2. National Black Child Development Institute.  I am still awaiting a newsletter since I signed up for one.   In addition, I reviewed the website and was unable to locate any articles or publications to review.

What do I do?

Therefore, I took the liberty of selecting another website - Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families -http://www.zerotothree.org/.  I signed up for their newsletter and began reviewing the website.

ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. Their mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers.

In the Professional Resources section of the website, in particular, Public Policy – Building Early Childhood Systems there was a PDF file entitled Toward a Bright Future for Our Youngest Children: Building a Strong Infant-Toddler Workforce .  It was a policy brief by the ZERO TO THREE Policy Center focusing on strengthening systems that support professional development for the multidisciplinary infant-toddler workforce.

The paper summarizes related research and the policy context. Ten recommendations are offered to ensure that policymakers invest in comprehensive, integrated professional development systems for those who work with infants, toddlers, and their families.  The policy recommendation which caught my eye states as follows:

“Professional development of the infant-toddler workforce should support practitioners in addressing the ethnic, racial, and linguistic diversity of the families they serve and prepare them for culturally competent and sensitive practice. Professionals who reflect families’ cultures and can speak their home languages foster connections and continuity between the home and other settings. Institutions of higher education should diversify their faculty; require increased faculty expertise in working with diverse communities; integrate diversity issues into all coursework; and offer courses in English as a Second Language (ESL) as well as student practica in diverse settings.  Individuals of diverse racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds should be recruited and supported to work with infants, toddlers, and their families.

Context

As the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of our nation’s youngest children increases, the cultural competence of the infant-toddler workforce becomes ever more important. Today, children of immigrants comprise almost a quarter of the 12 million children between birth and age 6 who are receiving care and education services from adults other than their parents.

Many organizations across the spectrum of services that support young children and families have fully embraced the principle that professionals must respect families’ diverse cultural practices and languages and develop the skills necessary for working effectively across cultures.   However, in early care and education, the workforce is composed predominantly of White women in their late 30s and early 40s.

 A similar ethnic profile characterizes the faculty of early childhood teacher preparation programs.   Recent studies of diversity requirements in bachelor’s-level early childhood teacher education programs across the country have shown that the majority of programs require limited coursework on diversity issues and only 7% require students to teach in a diverse setting.”

Resources:

ZERO TO THREE.  Toward a Bright Future for Our Youngest Children:  Building a Strong Infant-Toddler Workforce.  Retrieved January 14, 2012 from http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/policy-toolkit/professional-development-final-for-web.pdf.