Getting To Know Your International Contacts

I actually have received one email back from the 6 or 7 that I sent out and here is what it said:

Britanie,

Thank you for your message.  You might be best served by contacting the
Early Childhood Commission.  The Executive Director is Mrs. Winsome
Johns-Gayle (http://my.campuscruiser.com/em2PageServlet?cx=u&pg=papp&tg=Email-readmail&main=1&qi=I3FpCiNUaHUgTWFyIDE3IDE2OjE3OjI4IEVEVCAyMDExCmZvbGRlcklkPTEwMDA1NTg2MTkKX3NvcnRCeT1yZWNlaXZlZERhdGUKX3NvcnRPcmRlcj0xCm1vZGU9bG9hZApzdGFydD0xCg==&seq=2&msgId=1102#); you may indicate that I referred you to
her.  She and her team would have a better sense of the national
interventions you might be interested in.

all the best

Kenneth      Kingston UNICEF/JAM/TACR/UNICEF 

I actually emailed her right then and I have yet to hear anything back from her and her team, but I am hoping to hear something back from her next week.

In the mean time however, I visited the website http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/
This website provided great information and several other links such as, publications, pictures, and stories of the children.  CHIP aims to fill some of the gaps in knowledge about childhood poverty internationally and in partner counties, and to work with others to gain commitments to action (CHIP).

I read up on information about research and projects on going in India to help with poverty. In India CHIP researched factors underpinning intergenerational poverty cycles and role of gender and caste-based discrimination in maintaining poverty cycles.

What they found that contributed to the continuing cycle of poverty in India is
1.) Drought and environment deterioration have significantly undermined livelihoods and exacerbated poverty in Rajasthan. Contributors are:pressures on children to work and undermining their education and health
2.) 10-15% children migrate for work
3.) 18-45% migrant children's work constituted for the poorest household's income
4.) Indebtedness affected over 80% of households and major factor to intergenerational poverty cycles

At this time national and state development programs in health, education, and livelihoods are not fulfilling their potential to help break poverty cycles.
Developments not be fulfilled because of:
*under-resourcing
*limited accountability of staff to the people they are intended to serve
As a result core education, health, and nutrition programs are of variable quality and not all available on a reliable basis in the areas studied.

By reading this page I have come to understand the difficulty that this country and many others are enduring because the lack of resources and the lack of work effort being done on these families part. So many children and families are suffering and this is a great project to help stop the cycle of poverty. However, more effort and support needs to be done for anyone to benefit from this.
I hope that I will hear from some of my contacts soon because I would truly love to know how they are dealing with the issue of poverty and other issues that may have raised.
I can't wait to read what my colleagues have found out from their contacts.

Sharing Web Resources

The resource I chose was Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/  or http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/

Zero to Three:

is a national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their effort to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.

Their mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers.

The Zero To Three website provides great material and resources about the healthy development of children and provides parents with great tips and tools to help promote healthy development. Also, the website offers a free e-newsletter that offers science-based information on the growth of children from birth to the age of three. The e-newsletter also provides information such as: age-based information about child development; In-depth articles on common child-rearing issues and challenges; Parent-child play activities that promote bonding and learning; Frequently asked questions; and Research on child development and what it means for parents.

As I looked on the website today is featured:

~ A baby brain map: which reveals the secrets of how early care enriches development

~Download of the Week: The magic of everyday moments 24 to 36 months, which this article informs parents on how children grow and develop. It offers tips for parents and children on how to nurture a healthy development  in everyday routines and interactions.

~Policy Videos, Info. on National Trainings, Featured Resources (Books & Articles), Webinar's, Free Parenting Resources, Shop in their Bookstore, and their Journal.

~ Additional links are also provided to help inform about certain issues such as; Behavior and Development; Maltreatment; Care & Education; Public Policy Military Family Projects, Early Head start, and National Infant & Toddler Child Care Initiative. When each link is clicked on for review that provide you with information on this topic and new developments and provides with additional resource's. I clicked on the Early Head start link and it took me to another site: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children and Families- this site provided their information in Spanish as well, which I thought was excellent!

I took it upon myself to search up information on diversity within the classroom on the Zero To Three web site and it provided me with 9 or more articles and books on this subject. These articles would be very beneficial when teaching children about treating others that may be a little different than them nicely and appropriate. I was always told to treat people the way I would like to be treated and I think that is a great lesson to learn by.

Why did I choose this resource?

I have always had a strong connection with children and have always wanted to work with them in some way. I hate to see children hurting and suffering because of lack of food, clothing, health, or the pain they have to endure everyday from a parent who doesn't care or who got pregnant to young and has no idea on how to raise a child.

This provides parents and care givers excellent resources to help promote the healthy development of a child. It provides one with tips on healthy play, brain development, and how everyday routines can make a difference in a child's development. I believe all parents should receive the newsletter because is provides new information all the time and it can help build a great bond between parents and child.

I hope that in the near future that I will become a parent and this newsletter will be very helpful for a first time mother.

Establishing Professional Contacts

Honestly, when I began reading the assignment to establish professional contact from outside of the country, I started to stress a little bit because I didn't even know where to begin with this task. I started reading through the blog resources provided and started emailing places that I would like to learn more about. I sent 3 mails so far; 1.) International Step by Step Association-Netherlands 2.) Canadian Child Care Federation- Canada 3.) Center for Early Childhood Care and Development-Philippines. Out of these 3 one came back underliverable and I haven't yet heard back from the other 2. I will continue to send more emails out in hopes to make contact with someone soon.

I looked through the provided list of websites that is devoted to helping children and promoting a high quality education. The website that I chose was Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families.
This organization informs, trains, and supports professionals, policy makers, and their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. In the previous course we used articles from this organization and I truly enjoyed reading them because they provided such great information and the website offers different options to click on and to learn about different topics and issuces. I also subscribed to their newsletter.
I believe this website will provide me with great information throughout this course and beyond.

My Supports

I wake up every morning thankful for the people and support that I have in my life. The support that I have helps me work hard, do my job to the best of my ability, and knowing that I have someone there for me when I need them. No matter who you are everyone needs a support system to help keep one organized and on track, calm, and to help you through stressful situations to may occur in life.

I try to be a organized person and have everything I need just right and in a certain spot that way when I need it, I will know exactly where to look. I use calendars, planners and check list to help stay organized and prepared. Every morning I come in to work, I sit down with my assistance and we discuss what activities and task that need to be accomplished. I make a list of my task for the day and as I complete each one, I mark a line through it. As, I mark each task of one by one it makes me feel good and that I have worked hard to get my work done in a timely manner.

I am one of those people who gets stressed easily when something isn’t done the way, I had planned it and that is one thing I need to work on, but to keep me calm and focused on the task at hand, I EXERCISE!! This is the best way for me to regain my focus and look at the whole picture; it truly calms me right down. I enjoy going on long walks, jogging, and aerobics. Everyone needs time to them self just to relax and be worry free because if you didn’t the stress would be out of hand.

The back bone of my support however, is my family and friends. Whenever, I need someone to talk to about work, my worries and concerns, or just to enjoy someone’s company they are always there for me. This past year has been a roller coaster ride for me; I got engaged, I started classes, I bought my first house, and my brother and I had to face Cancer in our own ways. I found out about my cervical cancer and was scared, but 2 weeks later my younger brother was diagnosed with cancer as well. I worried more about him because his was so much worse. We supported each other through everything. As a family we stood strong for him and we were there for him no matter what. We kept a strong face as did he. The love and support of a family and the faith of God can do amazing things. This past weekend he has been cancer free for a year. It is amazing what a strong support system can get you through. I am so blessed and thankful for the support system of my family and friends.

I honestly wouldn’t know what to do without the love and support of my family and friends. I talk with them everyday or see them, they are there for me when I need a shoulder to cry on and vise versa, and we work together to stay a close and happy family. I have been through so much and I know without my family I would not have made it through the way I did. Without there support I would not be the person that I am today. I would be scared, very cautious, and I would not even have begun this course without my mother’s support. With a little love and support you can do amazing things in life.

My Connection to Play

Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning. ~ Fred Rogers

In our play we reveal what kind of people we are. ~ Ovid

Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning. ~ Diane Ackerman

                                                                                   

  

When I was a child it seemed like things were so much simpler than it is today. We had no worries about anything. I remember going outside and playing for hours with my siblings and my cousins. We would pretend we were in a marching band, play “tag”, basketball/volleyball, go swimming, and climb up in the hills to see what we could find. We would play until it was dark outside. Weather never stopped us from playing and using our imagination. My favorite activity when I was younger was playing school and playing with my baby dolls.

I was always the teacher when we all played school. I would have old books I would hand out and they would have paper and pencils. I would have them write their names 10 times or work math problems. I loved the feeling of helping others and them depending on me to help them learn new things.

I could play with baby dolls for hours even if I was playing alone. I would pretend to fix the baby her meals, bath her, change her, dress her up in pretty dresses, and take her to the doctor for check-ups. I loved taking care of babies and nurturing them. I have always loved babies and always wanted kids of my own and they desire is still strong in my heart. My favorite activities as a child really influenced my career choice in life. I have always wanted to work with children and feel like I’m making a difference in their life.

My parents were big supporters of play when I was younger. They were always involved in our life and the activities we chose to participate in at school. My mom would play school with us. She would make out work sheets for us, quiz us on want we have learned, provide us with lunch and then we went outside for recess. She would push us on the swing and play games with us. She was always a volunteer at our school and supported us in everything. My dad always coached us in sports (basketball and softball) even though I wasn’t very good he would practice with us all the time and encouraged us to try our best at everything we done. Together as a family we would also have “Family Night” and we would sit around talking and playing games or watch a movie and that was very important in my development I think and that is a big part of who I am.

Children and play today has changed so much since I was young. I know there is more danger and concerns today than they were back then, but parents still need to encourage play and interactions with us for their children. Most children today stay inside watching television, playing video games, listening to their iPods, text messages on their cell phones, and working on the computer and it seems like younger children are getting caught up into this also. The children are not getting exercise by running and playing outside and they are not being encouraged to pretend play and use their imagination to be someone else or to visit a place they have never been before. Play and interactions with others builds a child’s social development and they are learning from one another and by imitating and watching others.

I watch my soon to be stepson play with his wrestling men and how he uses his imagination to make them go to different planets, how he can turn into spider  man and he saves the world, and my favorite is when he turns into the Hulk. This is the kind of play that should be encouraged because kids have just great imaginations and that shouldn’t be wasted.

Malnutrition in Guatemala

Each and every one of the public health topics is very important and people from all over the world are faced with them on a daily basis, even in the United States. However, I chose to look into malnutrition because it is so important for children and families to have the food and nutrition they need to live a healthy life. You see on television about children from other countries that are suffering from disease and infections and body growth due to the lack of nutrition that they need to have a strong and healthy immune system to fight off illnesses and to develop normally and it truly breaks my heart and I just want to do something to help. I have a big heart and I love to help people in anyway that I can, rather it is donating money, collecting and donating food, or helping in clothes drives. It may just be a little that I am giving, but I hope that I am helping someone who truly needs it.
I looked into how children are suffering from malnutrition in Guatemala. According to UNICEF Representative in Guatemala, Gonzalez-Regueral, half of the country's children suffer from chronic malnutrition. Due to the severe malnutrition the children have lower IQ scores and stunted growth. The main reason for the stunted growth in the children experts say, is the lack of vital nutrients during the critical period of development from conception to age 2. Peter Rohloff, an American doctor who runs a group of medical clinics in rural Guatemala says, children are at least six to eight inches shorter than they should be (Gowen, 2010). Also, children suffer from impaired cognitive function and lower IQ, which shows that when the children grow up they are more likely to drop out of school and have little potential in economic success later on in life which just continues the cycle of poverty and the lack of food needed to live.
"If you want to break the cycle of poverty in Guatemala this is how you do it: Feed kids and feed them early before they get malnourished," Rohloff said (Gowen, 2010). Here is Rohloff suggestions to help with the issue of malnutrition. He encourages mothers to breast feed and begin supplement food at six months,
he teaches mothers how to use Incaparina, a locally made corn gruel fortified with vitamins and minerals that needs to be mixed with just the right amount of water, however the mixture will not work and can even be harmful if it is too diluted or used with unclean water (Gowen, 2010). He also suggested a supplement called "Plumpy Doz, a ready-to-use sugary peanut paste with milk powder and vitamins. However, due to not having a local Plumpy Doz manufacturer getting the product shipped in can be a hassle and expensive (Gowen, 2010). For nutritional intervention to be most effective, he said, it has to be done before the age of two. "Unfortunately, most programs in Guatemala are geared to school-aged kids but by the time they get to school it's too late," he said (Gowen, 2010).

What Dr. Peter Rohloff talked about is very important for all children in the world. This information has inspired me and something that I will carry with me throughout this program and in my future work. I want to make sure that children are receiving the adequate amount of nutrition they need to function and develop normally. I want the children to have a chance to grow and learn and to use their imaginations. All children deserve the chance to make something of themselves and when they are not receiving their daily nutrients they suffer in the classroom and they are more prone to common illnesses. I would love to start a program within my community at some point to help children and families receive the help they need to make sure they have a hot meal everyday.  I also, think that you should start teaching of the importance with young soon- to-be mothers and offer them with resources.Every one hears of other countries suffering, but they sometimes forget that they are children right in front of them that are suffering as well.

Gowen,G, & Martelli, J. (2010). Severe Stunting: Twelve Years Old Going on Five. Retrieved from
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/malnutrtion-severe-stunting-guatemala-children/story?id=12381731

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/guatemala_48087.html

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to introduce myself to everyone. My name is Britanie Sturgill and I'm a Activity Director and help in Social Services in a long term care facility and rehabilitation. I have my B.S. degree in Sociology & Human Services.
I'm engaged and will be getting married in June 2011 which I'm exteremly excited about. I have a puppy named Copper and I love being around my family.
I'm excited about working on my Master's because my passion has always been to work with children. I hope that we can support one another in this class help each other achieve our goal. If I can do anything to help just ask. I look forward to work with each of you.