Throughout the past few months, each course I have taken at Walden University has pushed me to grow my cultural competence. Working with young children requires the act of accepting the differences; no matter where we see them. As a young adult, I have also been spending a great deal of time supporting my own growth as I strengthen my abilities to advocate on behalf of both children and their families as well as for my own self. Since I love to travel, I always wonder what my life would be like in a new place- whether it's a state in the U.S. or a foreign country. When given the option to learn more about the Australian equivalent to NAEYC, Early Childhood Australia definitely caught my attention.
As I began to explore ECA's website at http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/ I was reminded very much of NAEYC's webpage: it is visually inviting, and organized to share resources with families and professionals, as well as easy access to information and newsletters. Yet, it did seem as though ECA publishes more print and collaborative journals and newsletters than I am familiar with seeing in the U.S. Along with having more options of resources for families and professionals to peruse, ECA provides clear access to information being published and shared through a nation wide initiative called Kids Matter.This initiative is designed to advocate for and educate the public on children's mental and emotional health. Kids Matter shares tools such as a "programs guide summary" which allows families to search for available early care and education programs to enroll their children in based on a number of very specific qualities.
After making this discovery, I began to realize that this model of support and accessibility for families and professionals is so similar to the desire to provide those resources to families in the United States. On the ECA's website I was able to locate several resources available on topics such as ethics in the field, separation anxiety, and school transitions. These topics are all familiar to the topics we discuss every day in the United States. What seems to be the case is that Australia is one step ahead as we are in the U.S. As I think about it, it makes me excited to know that there others around the world that share such a common goal. As Australia shows more connectivity between the various dimensions of supporting young children and their families, we in the U.S. can continue to strengthen our relationship with our international colleagues, all while gaining bright new ideas on how we can continue to improve our access to appropriate supports for our children.
