http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

Question Responses:

I love this website/organization http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/, because it empowered Early childhood professionals to get involved, get connected through a network of excellence, gain a voice, and make a difference.  Many of the issues they face in Australia, are very significant to the many problems here in our own country.  The ECA has a strategic plan that they apply to each situation, so that families needs are met, children's rights protected, and advancements in the EC field are followed through.

1.  Some of the current internaional research topics are as follows: Early Childhood Australia does this by:

developing and advocating policies on early childhood education and care promoting and reviewing the Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics contributing to the development and evaluation of government policies and programs through submissions, committee membership, delegations, and discussion with politicians and departments promoting increased awareness and understanding of the needs of young children and their families supporting informed debate and good practice in early childhood settings through its own specialist early childhood publications.

2.  Surprising facts about early childhood I gained from exploring this international sight are as follows:  "As a non-profit, non-partisan organization Early Childhood Australia is in an ideal position to advocate for the best interests of young children and where necessary campaign for change.  As a leading early childhood publisher,
we aim to identify and promote best practice in early childhood.

3. listed below is noteworthy information about the Organization. 

position statements

Our mission statement: Early Childhood Australia will advocate to ensure quality, social justice and equity in all issues relating to the education and care of children from birth to eight years. The rights of children Leadership Excellence Respect Courage Honesty Openness Collaboration Diversity Justice Social inclusion of children

Early Childhood Australia

...voice for young children since 1938

Early Childhood Australia

• The peak national, non-profit, non-government organisation
• Acts in the interests of young children aged from birth to eight years of age
• A knowledge broker linking quality assured early childhood knowledge and information to those who need it
• A leading early childhood publisher

Early Childhood Australia works with...

• Government, Opposition parties, and departments
• early childhood professionals
• parents and grandparents
• other carers of young children
• various peak organisations and lobby groups.

...to secure the best range of options and outcomes for young children as they grow and develop.

Membership of Early Childhood Australia enables you to:

1.     be a voice for young children

2.     receive discounted access to our quality assured publications and conferences

3.     be kept abreast of early childhood news and happenings

4.     network with others in the field through your local branch

5.     identify issues and influence policies concerning the care and education of young children

...and it's tax deductible for those working in the field.

Click here to become a member online.

Social justice and equity 
are the cornerstones of Early Childhood Australia's advocacy and publications programs...

Advocacy	Publications
As a non-profit, non-partisan organisation, Early Childhood Australia is in an ideal position to advocate for the best interests of young children and where necessary campaign for change.	As a leading early childhood publisher, we aim to identify and promote best practice in early childhood.

"{Early Childhood Australia is the peak early childhood advocacy organization, acting in the interests of young children, their families and those in the early childhood field.

A function of our advocacy work...		Policy areas to be reviewed:
Early Childhood Australia develops position statements on a range of early childhood issues. These position statements provide a framework for much of Early Childhood Australia's advocacy work, and support good early childhood practice for those who work with and for young children. Early Childhood Australia position statements emerge from consultation with members in all stateand territory branches, and are debated and ratified at the annual meeting of National Council.		Breastfeeding Care of Infants Child Care – Work Related/Work Based Children and the Mass Media Children of Asylum Seekers Cultural Diversity Gender Equity Guidelines for Consulting with Children Inclusion of Children Information Technology and Children Integrated Services Language and Literacy Physical Environments for Centre-Based Early Childhood Services Professional Development, Training and Support of Early Childhood Personnel

My Response: 

The Early Childhood Australia Organization is wonderful, and as I navigated through the  website  and explored some of the articles of research, there were quite a few that should out. 

Article #1 of my choice:   the ECA really advocates for the child and family, they want to provide assistant to all despite citizen approval, and they strive to provide equal opportunity to all.  Something I found interesting is, that they believe that providing temporary visa's do not benefit the family; but rather they contribute to lack of stability and dislocation.  I took it, that they believe that for as long as a family thinks they can stay without making arrangements, the more time they lose to finalize plans for the future. This organization seeks to cover all children no matter what the circumstances are because they understand that a child does not ask  to be brought into the world, but once they are here, their rights must be guarded and decision's should be made in their best interest.

June 2011 - Media Release: Children’s Commissioner needed to protect children in detention centres

Sending unaccompanied children who are seeking asylum in Australia to detention in Malaysia is a breach of not only their human rights, but also their special rights as children and as refugees, according to the peak advocacy body for young children, Early Childhood Australia (ECA). ECA chief executive Pam Cahir today spoke out strongly in favour of the establishment of an independent Commonwealth Commissioner for Children and Young People to ensure children’s best interests are put first in this and other situations, and released additional recommendations around the issue of asylum seeker children. “It’s a huge concern that children are being put into mandatory detention in this country, and even more disturbing that the Government is considering sending unaccompanied young people to detention in Malaysia,” said Ms Cahir. “The whole debate about children in detention shows that there is a need for an independent commissioner to give a strong voice to vulnerable children in Australia. “One of the functions of a commissioner should be to promote and protect the rights of children and young people in immigration detention, or children whose parents or guardians are in immigration detention. It should also go further to uphold their rights not to be incarcerated in these institutions. “Right now political point-scoring is being given precedent over the rights of vulnerable children. “Our efforts to stop people smuggling – a dangerous, abhorrent industry – should never undermine our responsibility to protect and care for children. “Often these children are pawns in the people smuggling trade. Punishing them will only aggravate their trauma and cause them more harm. “The government needs to show moral leadership in dealing with the complexities of this situation. Australia will fare best by protecting children, and seeking to place families with children and unaccompanied minors in the community while their claims are assessed,” Ms Cahir said. ECA Recommendations: Families with children and unaccompanied minors should be placed in the community while their claims are assessed." In the event that an application for refugee status is unsuccessful and families and unaccompanied minors cannot return to their home country, families and unaccompanied minors should continue to live in the community until such time as they can return home.   Families should have access to the support they need to care for their children and participate in the community. Unaccompanied minors should have access to the support they need to participate in the community. All school-aged children should have access to the same education available to all other Australian children. All young children and families should have access to the same range of children's services and funding support available to all other Australian children. All children should have access to health programs and services. Language support should be available in the child's home language. Specialist support services should be available to help children and families cope with trauma. Temporary visas must be abolished as they significantly contribute to the dislocation and the unsettled nature of the refugee status and are not conducive to the rearing of healthy children. Establish an Office for the Commissioner of Children and Young People to provide a focus on the best interests of children and young people and a platform for comment and action that is in their best interests. Media comment: Pam Cahir, 0407 008 524 | Further information: Claire Johnston, 0434 489 533

Last Updated ( Monday, 06 June 2011 )

Research in Practice Series

for practical, effective approaches from early childhood experts and practitioners ... The Research in Practice Series provides practical, easy-to-read resources for those involved in the early childhood field. The books are designed to assist with those challenging issues which arise in the care and education of young children, by offering effective, new approaches.

RIPS INDEX

Seeing assessment as a stepping stone: Thinking in the context of the EYLF The more you know, the more you see: Babies' and toddlers' learning and the EYLF Planning in the context of the EYLF: Powerful, practical and pedagogically sound Respecting diversity: Articulating early childhood practice Children's resilience: Working with the Early Years Learning Framework Learning and teaching through play Stars are made of glass: Children as capable and creative communicators The Early Years Learning Framework: Building confident learners The Early Years Learning Framework: Getting started Optimistic careers and children: Pathways to confidence and wellbeing Nurturing the spiritual child: Compassion, connection and a sense of self Dealing with bullying together: Prevention and resolution Portfolios: Documenting a journey Treasures and collections: A touch of magic in the early years Learning from High/Scope: Enriching everyday practice The Code of Ethics: A guide for everyday practice The Circle of Security: Roadmap to building supportive relationships Greening services: Practical sustainability Dreaming Stories: A springboard for learning Discovering letters and sounds Capture the moment: Using digital photography in early childhood settings Diversity and difference: Lighting the spirit of identity Managing change with infants and young children Young children as active learners Active children: Healthy now and later Young gifted children: Meeting their needs Engaging families: Building strong communication Storytelling with young children Understanding children's feelings: Emotional literacy in early childhood Overlooked curriculum: Seeing everyday possibilities Aggression and young children Revisiting celebrations with young children Meaningful planning: Rethinking teaching and learning relationships Learning with computers (2nd ed.) Babies: Good beginnings last forever Managing difficult behavior in young children

A Study That Will Make a Major Positive Contribution to The Well-Being of Children and or Their Families.

The topic that I would choose to conduct research would be as follows:  The Effects Of Limited Emotional Connection From Parent To Child, And How It Affects The Child's Ability To Love As He Or She Grows Older?  I have always wondered about this very issue, having worked with young children, especially children from troubled, poverty bound environments.  The children were clingy and it would always amaze me how bright eyed they were when they were commented, hugged and shown love.  When dealing directly with the families, it was clear that love was there, but very distant. A great deal of the families we worked with,  could not communicate with their children,  without cursing, hitting, and screaming; and I was always in question as to whether those children would grow up disconnected and unable to love.  More than just poverty bound children, I also was in question about the children from rich environments that would come out of their shells and smile when treated with love.  I pondered with the reality of whether the rich children who experienced love based on materialistic gifts, would be able to show love as they grew older, outside of materialistic things that money could purchase?  This is a very complex topic, but it is worry of research, because our children are growing up in a society where they feel unloved, where they feel suicide is the answer, because no one loves them, and how sad would I feel if one of my children committed suicide because they felt unloved and I as the parent was guilty even at home of demeanor and hatred?  The contributions of this research, would hopefully help parents to communicate with their children more.  Help parents to be real to their children and show them real love, the kind that money cannot buy.  The main reality is, if love is not poured in, then how can children be expected to pour love out?  Parent's are suppose to "train a child up in the way he should go, so when they grow old, they shall not depart", so if that is our job, then  how likely are children as whole, able to show love later in life, if as a child they were barely taught to love, or shown love by their parents and family?  

My Personal Research Journey

The topic idea that I had in mind was centered around poverty, but as I branched out to create subtopics the topic became to extensive and broad.   I decided to still deal with poverty, but I am focusing on Poverty in respect to its affect within the life of a Child through early adulthood.  What I hope to find out are the extensive effects it has on how children grow,  function and transition into early adulthood.  I am interested in this study, because daily I read stories about children who were born to mothers on crack, children who were starved and left alone in rooms, children who grow up without basic necessities, children who loss one or more parents to drugs, and violence and children who are homeless on streets; and it breaks my heart.   I want to see if there is any research out there which may support  or shed light to the percentage of those children that grow up to be successful young men and women, and who grow up to be stable and self reliant? I would also like to see if there is any  research that suggest that those troubles of poverty in early childhood carry over into adulthood,  leading to a unstability early adulthood (financial, mental, physical etc) ?

I could make assumes one way in regards to what I think, but there are always those stories  like Obama's, Rachael Crow (X-Factor),  and many others who rose up from the bottom, which speaks of HOPE.

The research chart experience has helped me to focus and engage into my reading for clarity and understanding; which has truly increased my interest in this course.  This course is challenging me in areas that I need improvement in, and how better to face my fears, than to address them head on.  I must admit that I am rather excited to see how the research component pans out for others and myself, and I definitely wish us all the best of luck as we embark on this education adventure.

Resources:  http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Improving_Student_Writing_Using_Technology This was a  site that I found,  that may be helpful to you.  I struggle with writing, despite the fact that I have a creative mind, so I have to celebrate the small steps because I have many of those before there is a break through LOL.