| Tip of the Week |
Take a vacation.
You may not be able to take as long as you like - but even an afternoon doing only what YOU want to do can help bring perspective when you are feeling overwhelmed by change.
After your vacation, ask yourself these questions:
What is the change that is overwhelming me? How do I feel about it? Is there some way this change could be helpful to me? What small step could I take? |
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Solutions for Parent Partnerships
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Saturday, May 22nd AND
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8:30 am - 3:30 pm
HCC
$45.00
Know, Love and Teach III: Infants and Toddlers
See coupon below
Allegany/Garrett Counties
Saturday, July 31st and Saturday, August 28th
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Grantsville Elementary School
Saturday, July 10th and Saturday, August 7th
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Hagerstown Community College |
| Contact Us |
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6 West Washington Street, Suite 210
Hagerstown, Maryland 21740
301-733-0000 or 800-924-9188
FAX: 301-733-0886
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Greetings!
Happy Wednesday.
Last week we shared a cycle of change to understand ways we process the inevitable changes around us. This week we'll use that cycle to explore ways that we process the changes in the child care field.
Ask anyone in early childhood or school-age care, and they will say change is a part of our daily experience. As more people understand the importance of "good places for children," child care providers are asked to do more and know more to ensure this goal. How do you feel about these changes? Let us know at help@applesforchildren.org |
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All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.
~Anatole France
We have longed for this day - a time when our work with children and families is recognized as an important profession. Research on how babies' brains develop has had a significant impact on the widespread acceptance of early childhood education, whether it's in a child care program, in an Early Head Start program, or at home.You have probably seen "Born Learning" TV spots or billboards, sponsored by the United Way. These types of campaigns have helped many more people recognize and value the work that you do.
Policy makers and much of the general public want to be sure that we all have the skills, knowledge and attitudes to care for those babies and their older siblings. They want all children - not just children from privileged backgrounds - to love themselves and others, to enjoy learning, and to embrace the opportunities that life brings.
This community goal has translated into increased requirements for you - caregivers and early educators. You are being asked to commit to more training and education, to use specific types of curricula and assessments, and to look at your program using evaluation tools such as the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales or accreditation standards.
This may leave you in the beginning of the change cycle: in denial, or anger, or even fear. Gradually, you may come to see that these requirements may even benefit you, financially and professionally, by giving you access to funds and increased knowledge and skills (moving into the next stage in the cycle). Then you may find that you want to help others see these benefits, and even help local, state and national leaders design future requirements by participating in a child care association (another stage in the cycle). Finally, you may come to see how these changes have helped you provide better care than you thought possible - even though you have been doing this work for many years (completing the cycle).
Where are you in the change cycle? How long have you been there? Is it time to move along? Wherever you are in the cycle, we're here to help you move to the next phase. Contact us at help@applesforchildren.org. |
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