As I browsed the Child Defense Fund Website I believe that the section about ending childhood poverty is relevant in every aspects of my professional development. “More than 15 million children in America are poor, but they live in working families“(Child Defense Fund, 2011). Most children that come from poorer neighborhoods do not excel in school as they are more concerned with other issues that are going on in their home environment. There are many children who are hungry every day. Some children only meal is what they eat when they are at school. Before I relocated back to Houston I was a probation officer in Dallas County. We worked together with the North Texas Food Bank to fill bags and boxes to feed the hungry. Our probationer’s would donate can goods for community services hours. The North Texas Food Bank had the back pack program. Educators would submit the names of students who needed additional food. The back packs were filled with items that can last throughout the weekend to ensure that the child had food even when they were not at school.
The February 2011 newsletter regarding the “Budget Watch” raised many concerns as to how politicians support the early childhood field. Due to recent budget cuts many children will lack inaccessible resources. “There were will be $66 billion in cuts to federal programs such as Head Start, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, and the Title I education program for disadvantaged children between now and September 30, 2011” (Child Defense Fund, 2011). Reading this made me become very angry as the children are our future. Without support and funding students will not have the stability they need. If everyone would advocate for no child being left behind, the policy makers would see that there is a need to supply funding to help these children in any way(s) possible. There should be more organizations like the CDF all over the world so that children and families can receive the adequate support and care they need in order to make it in today’s society. “CDF is committed to seeing that children living in concentrated poverty, children without access to full-day kindergarten, children attending drop-out factories, and children in foster care and those in juvenile detention get the educational supports and stability they need” (Child Defense Fund, 2011).
The CDF website has drawn my attention to the many issues that can have an effect on children and families. Despite of sending their children to school some families have bigger fish to fry. Some families have to worry about the quality of education that their children are receiving while other families have to worry about being able to afford to send their children to school. The CDF website is filled with many resources that I plan to utilize as I become an educator. As a future educator I hope to have an effective relationship with the families of children and is able to help address any concerns and needs that they may be facing to ensure that the child’s education is not affected.
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Nequiatuia,
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
It would be nice if, as a nation, we would stop bailing out big businesses and start bailing out our children. If we spent nearly as much as we do on children as we spend saving people who can save themselves, we would have a great nation because we would help to nurture the future.
Nequia....all I can say is OMG. Your post is so powerful. Once you get your organization started, I do believe you'll be quite a force to be reckoned with. And thank you for posting up this information for us who had no idea!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. It is very sad to see budget cuts in the area we need the funds most. We as a society say we want to put an end to poverty but with all these cuts I do not know how low income families are going to survive. I agree that there should be CDF every where to advocate and support children and families.
ReplyDeleteGreat Post!
ReplyDeleteYou had a wealth of information about your website that you researched. I really agree with the information that you said about the cuts in many different educational programs. I feel that the government is cutting so many programs that are needed in our communitites to help educate the children and the families.