CE210 Professionalism and Ethical Conduct – Unit 5 Sarah Cordett, M.A.

Agenda Discussion on advocacy Resource exploration Ideas for advocacy Unit 5 Project

Learning Outcomes for Unit 5 Explain how to act as an advocate for children and their families. Create an effective professional business letter.

CDA Competency Goals To establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment To advance physical and intellectual competence To support social and emotional development and provide positive guidance To establish positive and productive relationships with families To ensure a well-run, purposeful program responsive to participant needs To maintain a commitment to professionalism

Commitment to Professionalism Objectives: Seek opportunities to increase professional knowledge and improve professional skills Serve as an advocate for children and their families Maintain the ethics of the early childhood profession Build a professional support system

What is Advocacy? Question: What does it mean to be an advocate?

What is Advocacy? Support or recommendation for a cause Making a plea on someone else’s behalf Influence of public policy and resource allocation in support of cause Question: Why advocate for children?

Why advocate for children? Decisions made by government officials affect children and their families. Early childhood professionals need to be the lead voice on what policies are needed to promote the goal of a well- financed, high quality system of early childhood education for all children.* Effective public policy advocacy work requires intentionality, which in turn requires organization.* * From the NAEYC Affiliate Public Policy Tool Kit (2004)

Advocacy Issues Children need advocates to speak for them and their families on many issues, can you share a few?  

How do we advocate? Some strategies that we can use to advocate for children and families includes: Being passionate about what we do We need to pass on information and be a bridge between the state and the community Mobilize the community to care by educating them Providing Advocacy Workshops Coordinator's meetings

Activity Resource exploration—Click on each of the links in the Information Box with the following titles: CASA Child Advocacy 360 The National Children’s Advocacy Center Share: What did you find of interest? What are these organizations doing to support children?  

Activity Google “Child advocacy in ____(your state)___” to find local advocacy information. Share: What kind of advocacy efforts are happening in your state?  

Questions Have you ever acted as an advocate for anyone? (in or outside of the child care environment?) Please share your experience.

Questions What personal qualities do you feel you possess that would make you a successful advocate for children and their families?

Questions If you were to become an advocate, would you choose to be an advocate on the state or community level? Why?

Ideas for Advocacy In 2011, Week of the Young Child will be April 10-16. Click on the link provided to learn more about this special week. How can you use this week to advocate for young children?

Ideas for Advocacy Invite community members to visit high-quality programs with open houses Publicly recognize those who work with and for young children in your community Promote partnerships with business and community leaders by holding meetings or contacting the local newspaper to do a story on the Young child.

Ideas for Advocacy Have the Governor or Mayor Issue a Proclamation in your town about Young Child Week by writing him/her a letter Honor Children's Champions Mobilize families to contact their local representatives to support programs that help parents and children Recruit families to join grassroots advocacy efforts during the Week of the Young Child.

Unit 5 Project You will go to The Library of Congress located at http://thomas.loc.gov/ and research bill related to education.  Write a hypothetical letter to your state representative and/or senator advocating for or against the bill. When submitting your letter, please include a copy of the bill you researched. Visit the Kaplan Library and use your textbook to learn more about the bill that you advocating for. Use the Sample Formal Business letter provided in the project directions for help formatting your letter. Your letter should be 1 to 2 pages in APA style. Include a title page and reference page!

Unit 5 Project Rubric

Unit 5 Project Begin your research! Visit http://thomas.loc.gov/ Tips: Be specific in your search—Use more specific terms such as “early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education, physical education” etc. Share: What did you find? What bill might you use and why?

Have a good week!