The National Black Children Development Institute website sight provides a wealth of information but there is a few link I had yet to check out. For this assignment we were challenged to explore our resource website deeper. As I explored the website, I discovered three links on the home page: donate now, join now, and take action. When I click on the donate now page it takes me to a questionnaire will someone who wants to donate money to the organization they will have to fill out the questionnaire. The second link was the join now page on this page the website provides you with information about the organization, who you can join, and what benefits you will receive as a partner.
The last link entitled take action gives a brief description of what it means to be an affiliate with NBCDI and a list of different charters in the United States. Each of the contact information has additional links to emails and facebook pages for each of the charters.
One of the areas of the website that I decided to search thoroughly was the Child Welfare page, I selected this page because I was really like the little feet icon the had on the website :) (Sorry it was too cute). When I clicked on the page this was a quote at the top of the page that I found really profound. I really love this because it articulates the passion of an early childhood professional who has dedicated their live to health and well-being of young children.
On the Child Welfare page it list the goal and objectives of the NBCDI to African American children. There are for main goals and objectives.
One of the areas of the website that I decided to search thoroughly was the Child Welfare page, I selected this page because I was really like the little feet icon the had on the website :) (Sorry it was too cute). When I clicked on the page this was a quote at the top of the page that I found really profound. I really love this because it articulates the passion of an early childhood professional who has dedicated their live to health and well-being of young children.
"There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they can grow up in peace."
- Kofi Annan
On the Child Welfare page it list the goal and objectives of the NBCDI to African American children. There are for main goals and objectives.
To help support the transformation of child welfare systems, NBCDI has established the following priorities and objectives, as adapted from those developed in the BCDI-Seattle Affiliate:
1. Ensure that African American culture is recognized, respected and reflected in child welfare practices, by integrating appropriate cultural competence teaching into social work training and prevention practices, and by engaging in community support practices that encourage family-to-family mentoring and kinship care support.
2. Implement targeted efforts to actively recruit foster and adoptive families that reflect the culture and ethnicity of children in out-of-home placement, given the dearth of licensed African American foster families and adoptive parents.
3. Focus attention on the issues of racial disproportionally and service disparities in child welfare systems with the goal of reducing and ultimately eliminating those disparities.
4. Engage in effective prevention efforts, including parenting and family support practices, to keep Black children safely in their homes and reduce the number of Black children removed from their homes.
(www.nbcdi.org)
I do not receive monthly newsletters and I was not able to locate them of the website but I was able to find articles under the resource tab on the website. One of the articles I discovered was that was closely related to our discussion this week was entitled, A Call For Change: A Preliminary Blueprint to Improve Educational Excellence and Opportunity for African American Males in Urban Schools. One section of the article talked about school-based policies and program for equity and access. In this section they make the following suggestions for early childhood:
1. Establish high-quality educational and developmentally appropriate preschool and early
childhood programs and supports to which African American males have full access to.
These programs should have small teacher-to-child ratios, an age-appropriate curriculum that
is integrated across subjects, well-trained teachers in child development, and mechanisms for
engaging parents or guardians.
2. Set clear goals for the developmental progress of African American children participating in
early childhood programs. Monitor student progress, evaluate the results regularly, and
follow students as they move up the grades.
3. Ensure that early childhood programs also connect developmentally to kindergarten and first through
third-grade curriculum, address social, emotional, health, nutritional, and physical
development needs of children, and use developmentally appropriate assessments.
4. Consider implementation of home visitation efforts, pre-school centers, and pre-school
classes in the schools to address the multiple needs of some African American males.
5. Ensure that teachers and aides in early childhood programs serving African American males
are early-childhood certified; have adequate training in child development (particularly as it
applies to African American males); understand the effects of negative stereotyping and the
appropriate use of assessments, and are compensated commensurate with other teachers.
6.Provide mentors Make sure that early childhood programming that serves African American males is staffed with appropriately trained teachers, aides, parent-resource personnel, community liaisons,
nurses, psychologists, and social workers. (Early grades could use these supports as well.)
Staff compensation should be in line with others in the district.
7. Make certain that pre-school programming includes services starting at age two and spanning
two years; that parents or guardians have the opportunity to volunteer and participate in
program decisions; that there is a curriculum in place that focuses on language and earlys in cases where teachers struggle.literacy and is aligned with the curriculum of later grades, and that these programs offer
health screenings, nursing services, and free or reduced price meals.
8. Eliminate the use of out-of-school suspensions to discipline students participating in early
childhood programming.
(http://www.cgcs.org/cms/lib/DC00001581/Centricity/Domain/88/Blueprint%2082312.pdf)
Before this week I never really looked at equities that hinder the success of certain groups of people. I understood that their were inequalities but I did not understand how deeply rooted they were in our society. This information has empowered me to become a better advocate for all young children and families because I have a better understanding of issues and conditions that can hinder the advancement of thousands of people. I also understand how influential policy makers can be at changing or perpetuating an inequity.
childhood programs and supports to which African American males have full access to.
These programs should have small teacher-to-child ratios, an age-appropriate curriculum that
is integrated across subjects, well-trained teachers in child development, and mechanisms for
engaging parents or guardians.
2. Set clear goals for the developmental progress of African American children participating in
early childhood programs. Monitor student progress, evaluate the results regularly, and
follow students as they move up the grades.
3. Ensure that early childhood programs also connect developmentally to kindergarten and first through
third-grade curriculum, address social, emotional, health, nutritional, and physical
development needs of children, and use developmentally appropriate assessments.
4. Consider implementation of home visitation efforts, pre-school centers, and pre-school
classes in the schools to address the multiple needs of some African American males.
5. Ensure that teachers and aides in early childhood programs serving African American males
are early-childhood certified; have adequate training in child development (particularly as it
applies to African American males); understand the effects of negative stereotyping and the
appropriate use of assessments, and are compensated commensurate with other teachers.
6.Provide mentors Make sure that early childhood programming that serves African American males is staffed with appropriately trained teachers, aides, parent-resource personnel, community liaisons,
nurses, psychologists, and social workers. (Early grades could use these supports as well.)
Staff compensation should be in line with others in the district.
7. Make certain that pre-school programming includes services starting at age two and spanning
two years; that parents or guardians have the opportunity to volunteer and participate in
program decisions; that there is a curriculum in place that focuses on language and earlys in cases where teachers struggle.literacy and is aligned with the curriculum of later grades, and that these programs offer
health screenings, nursing services, and free or reduced price meals.
8. Eliminate the use of out-of-school suspensions to discipline students participating in early
childhood programming.
(http://www.cgcs.org/cms/lib/DC00001581/Centricity/Domain/88/Blueprint%2082312.pdf)
Before this week I never really looked at equities that hinder the success of certain groups of people. I understood that their were inequalities but I did not understand how deeply rooted they were in our society. This information has empowered me to become a better advocate for all young children and families because I have a better understanding of issues and conditions that can hinder the advancement of thousands of people. I also understand how influential policy makers can be at changing or perpetuating an inequity.
