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Dear Colleagues,
Those of us in the early learning field know that parents are their children’s first teachers. And parents received some of the credit they deserve when we marked National Parents’ Day this month. The celebration of parents began in 1994 when former President Bill Clinton signed a resolution to support those who take on “the important role of a raising a child.” The resolution described this special parents’ day “as a chance to create a positive tradition based on a core axiom—that the role of parents is crucial in the nurturing and development of children, and thus requires investment, focus, and commitment.”
These words had meaning for President Clinton because he knows “there is nothing more precious to a parent than a child, and nothing more important to our future than the safety of all our children.” And teachers also play an important role as parents’ close partners in keeping kids happy and safe, as Clinton’s daughter Chelsea believes. That’s why she partnered with the Council a few years ago to offer Too Small to Fail, an early learning initiative of the Clinton Foundation. The partnership led to Strive for 5!, online training that counted for 20 credits toward the Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™. The CDA® training advanced the foundation’s mission to “surround families with early language and learning opportunities and partnering to prepare young children for success in kindergarten and beyond.”
And earning a CDA also launched Shearese Stapleton on a career as a family engagement specialist who’s had firsthand experience of the hardships many families face. Shearese overcame divorce, homelessness and depression to found Mothers of Joy Institute for Parenting and Family Wellness. Her nonprofit gives Flint, Michigan, families hope and a safe place to surmount their problems through courses on managing anger, understanding childhood trauma and using best practices to raise children. She also guides parents in gaining life skills that will help them build friendships and careers, as she explains. “I want to help parents have strong values, believe in themselves and want more for their children than they had.”
Children have the best chance of success if we start by supporting parents and families, as Sara Jane Blackman understands. She does that as director of professional development at Parents as Teachers in St. Louis, Missouri. PAT matches parents with trained parent educators who make regular home visits during a child’s early years. The educators tend to see families that face multiple stressors, like hunger, substance abuse, unemployment, lack of proper housing and education, which make it hard to build strong family bonds. But the parent educators can help because they have quality training, including core courses that can lead to a CDA. The educators also meet parents where they are, as Sara points out “We want to know the strengths, support and knowledge that parents already have. We’re not barging into homes with an agenda that says we know better than you. Instead, we’re always looking to partner with parents.”
Parent and provider collaboration is among the topics that speakers will address at the Engaging Exchange Fall Conference: Clearing Pathways to Leadership, Joy, and Equity in ECE. Tune in next month to this interactive event to also learn more about how to stand up for policies that support ECE and make your own plan to surmount roadblocks in our field. In addition, the conference is a chance to hear from Dr. Calvin Moore on a topic in which he has special expertise: the challenges of men in ECE.
The roadblocks men face in our field include social norms that prevent them from hugging young learners. And these norms are at odds with the science of hugs. Hugs cause the brain to release hormones that help children become smarter, grow up stronger and resist stress, Dr. Moore tells us this month as we mark Global Hug Your Kids Day. As an education expert and a dad, he knows the importance of hugs, and how much children need them to be happy, healthy human beings. The warm, fuzzy feelings that small children get from hugs make a real impact on how they develop. Hugs fuel their bodies, feed their minds and help ensure that they do not fail.
Happy National Parents’ Day,
The Council for Professional Recognition
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