Advocacy Messages

"Discovering Nature"

Families do not have to travel far to connect with their loved ones in nature. The benefits of being outdoors do not require major efforts and far distances. Families now have access to a search database that will provide them with information about the different types and locations of natural spaces in their very neighborhoods.

"When kids spend time outdoors, they get the chance to explore, use their imaginations, discover wildlife, and engage in unstructured and adventurous play. Additionally, studies show they have lower stress levels, become fitter and leaner, develop stronger immune systems and are more likely to become environmentally conscious in the future," (US Forest Service, 2016).

This message reiterates a lifestyle that generations before us were naturally privy to. With the changing economy, and growing communities, many parents and young people are often at a loss of their options for outdoor recreation. Through this PSA, families are able to see that there is a quick, easy, and free way to find new natural spaces to enjoy. The PSA also provides short, quick bursts of data supporting the value that natural exploration has on both children and entire family units. 

"Understanding is everything"

The simplicity of the visual depiction of this message is something that I found to be incredibly touching. The diagnosis of ADHD in young children is on the rise in the U.S. Approximately 6.4 million children ages 4-11 in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD in 2011, and appears to be rising by 3% yearly (CDC, 2016). As many parents with children with ADHD may find that their patience runs thin, or that their child simply isn't trying, this message works to empower parents of children with attention challenges. It works to build an understanding that their child's struggles are not intentional, and that there are resources available for both parents and children. Rather than build frustrations, there are people and tools that will help to grow understandings of the causes of attention challenges, and solutions that can and will work. 

Center for Disease Control. (2016). Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html#us

US Forest Service. (2016). Discovering nature. Retrieved from http://www.adcouncil.org/Our-Campaigns/Family-Community/Discovering-Nature#sthash.FThQ4iVx.dpuf

My Own Capacity

One issue impacting young children and their families that fuels my passion for the field, is the issue of parents lacking support as their child's first teacher. I've come across family after family that is taken aback by my referring to them as the first teacher. So many parents take on the responsibility of parenthood, but are seldom given clear, useful help in regards to understand what that role really means. Rather than focusing on the things that parents can use to occupy or teach their child, we should be teaching them and pushing the understanding that their relationship is most important. 

I find that even though I find I constantly build new relationships across the field wth professionals and families alike, I am most grateful for my most reliable resource: my mother. My entire life, my mother had served as not only a mother to her children, but a caregiver to her older brother, and a shining example of advocacy in action. She always worked to inspire my siblings and me to find the joy in dedicating our time to helping other. Later in her life, my mom tackled the incredible feat of completing her Masters of Social Work, and later became a mobile response counselor for local children and families. As she, too, is fairly new to her field, she and I are always talking through possible solutions to our challenges, sharing our most thrilling discoveries, and seeking professional advice. It's been an inspiring experience to ease into the understanding of the social work field through someone I trust tremendously. I've been given many opportunities to understand the value of cross-profession collaboration in order to tackle the same goals. 

In order to be a more effective advocate, I would like to gain greater experience in identifying specific issues to tackle, rather than over-arching problems. I find that I struggle to set realistic goals because of this; I often struggle to hone in and focus on the small pieces as opposed to the complete product. 

My Role as an Advocate

• What motivated you to start advocating for very young children?

During my first year as an undergraduate practicum student in the ECE program at the University of Delaware, I became exposed to some of the most passionate educators and advocates I have since come in contact with. The teachers at the Lab School were (and still are) models of positive force in the field. I watched as these teachers shared their passion for the field in the early childhood classroom, in the undergraduate classroom, and out in their communities. They shared with me how meaningful their work was on a multitude of levels. From that semester on, I became a member of the Student Association for the Education of Young Children, working on my free time to head out into my community and support young children and their families. Through my earliest volunteer work, I found just how many levels of support go into successful ECE models, and how easy (as in natural to speak out on behalf of something that is so pure, full of life, and promising), fulfilling, and vast the work of an advocate is. 

• Why is it essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro as well as the macro level?

Every. Bit. Helps. No matter what population, what location, or what device an advocate uses in order to execute their efforts, their voice can make an impact at both micro and macro levels.

• What does it take to be a community leader on early childhood issues?

A community leader on early education requires one to be willing to reach out to everyone. No effort is too small, and no community is not worth reaching. A community leader must be able to understand the development process of building policies, straight down to the beginning stages of compiling meaningful research. Community leaders must understand the immediate and future needs of their constituents, placing value on all issues, regardless of the personal connection he/she may have to it. 

• What resources does it take to be a state leader on early childhood issues?

State leaders on early childhood issues must understand the vast needs and implications of child development. They must understand the vast sub-populations within their states, from incarcerated parents, to parents in high-powered, high-SES positions. State leaders must be able to link together all professionals that are involved in supporting children and families in ways that are meaningful to the common goals at hand. They must also be willing to collaborate across state lines in order to find the most effect tactics to combatting pressing issues.

• What tactics or strategies do you use to mobilize others?

Shared information is one of the most effective strategies used to mobilize others. In order to effectively share information, though, one must be able to present it in a wide range of presentations. Different populations respond to different forms to campaigns, be it written, face-to-face, or visually represented through graphs, statistics, and general research. Linking individual stakeholders together by expressing to them their shared interests across issues and across communities must take place before action can occur. 

• What advice would you give to someone who was interested in taking a leadership role in advocating for young children and their families?

Something I would implore a potential advocate for children and families to do is to get to know the population(s) who they are speaking on behalf of. It is one thing to read the research, but it is totally different to show your face. In the field of early care and education, we strongly believe in the power of relationship. The best way for change to occur, is to build a team to support the actions that must ensue. I would suggest taking time to build meaningful relationships not just with the families and children that would be affected by your proposed policies, but to also get to know all parties involved (i.e. professionals in the field that would be affected by policy, or could provide meanigful suggestions or feedback to join in your efforts). 

Personal Advocacy Reflection

I like to think my family is pretty spectacular. Don't we all?

Well, when I sit down and piece together each gem in our family history, I have no reason NOT to believe my family truly IS spectacular... In the mid 1950's, my maternal grandmother gave birth to her first, health baby boy. (She had several failed pregnancies before, including a live birth of a baby with severe tissue deformities, eventually resulting in the baby's death.) She had prayed and prayed for this day to come, and there it was! Michael was born. A little over a year and a half later, Grammie had noticed Michael had a fever that he just could not break. Having taken him to the doctor, and being told it was nothing to worry about, she vigilantly watched as her once healthy baby boy suffered. After taking him back to the doctor and insisting something be done, it was found that my uncle Michael had contracted meningitis. The late diagnosis, and prolonged fever had left my uncle severely brain damaged and deaf. Although this was a huge cross to bear, Michael was still young enough to manage and my grandparents did not believe this road-bump was large enough to deter them from growing their family. Grammie and PopPop continued on to having 5 more children (all of whom turned out perfectly healthy).

My mother is the second oldest in her family. That means she was the first born after Michael's tragic diagnosis. From a very young age, my mother learned (often the hard way) how to put someone else's needs before her own, and to look at such situations with a lens of empathy and forgiveness. As a young girl, she watched her two parents seek every outside support possible for her older brother, all while he ripped the heads off of her dolls and dismantled every toy she ever laid eyes on. Michael was not an easily child to be around. He was often times violent, seemed constantly frustrated with a lack of communication, and love to wander off. My mom, though, never thought less of him. He was her family, and she was responsible for being her parents first line of defense. She would do whatever she could to support those around her.

As my mother beared the brunt of a challenging older sibling, my grandparents began to set up meetings for families affected by disabilities. In the early 70s, my grandparents became hosts to the very first parent support group in the county in NJ. They began to speak out for the rights of people with disabilities, and worked to empower the families around them that were going through similar experiences.

After my grandfather passed away, and my grandmother began to deteriorate in her old age, my mother began to take on more and more of the responsibilities as Uncle Michael's caregiver. She managed the relationships with the caregivers in his group home. She made sure that all of his medical needs were properly being taken care of, and that the family was called together at least once a year to go and visit with him.

It wasn't surprising to me that when I was beginning my undergraduate studies, my mother had gone back to school to pursue a masters in social work. She has, for my entire life, been an incredible role model of selfless adoration for mankind. I have watched as my uncle's care ebbs and flows within the constraints of a state-funded care system, but how quickly his quality of life can increase through one carefully drafted email speaking out on behalf of his unalienable rights. One of my biggest hopes for my own career is that I will be able to speak out on behalf of those, much like my Uncle Michael, with the same amount of grace, empathy, and compassion as my mother has shown our family her entire existence.