WEBSITE ADDRESS: http://www.childrensdefense.org/
The organization I selected was the Children's Defense Fund. The Children's' Defense Fund is the leading voice and advocacy organization for all children. They have many agendas and initiatives that are leading the fight against child poverty, ensuring access to healthcare for all children and basically simply promoting a 'better" world for children. The Children's Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities (www.childrensdefense.org).
THE FOLLOWING CURRENT ISSUE, ON CDF'S WEBSITE, CAUGHT MY ATTENTION:
A Call to Action for Infants and Toddlers
Infants and toddlers are the age group most vulnerable to child abuse and neglect and the largest group of children entering foster care. Just as their brains are undergoing dramatic development, these young children experience maltreatment that can lead to permanent damage to the brain’s architecture and lifelong problems. When not attuned to developmental needs, child welfare practices can compound this damage. CDF, in collaboration with ZERO TO THREE and other early childhood and child welfare organizations, recently released A Call to Action on Behalf of Maltreated Infants and Toddlers, with recommendations for policies, programs and practices to better address the developmental needs of infants and toddlers who come to the attention of the child welfare system. It provides a starting point for federal, state, and local policymakers and administrators to assess and identify where and how they can revise or institute policies and practices that protect the development of infants and toddlers and their safety (www.childrensdefense.org).
Kensha,
ReplyDeleteThis is such a powerful statement from the Children’s Defense Fund. It amazes me that when people talk about getting the children ready for school, usually they refer to 3-5 years old. We have to understand and educate our communities about the significance of those early years. This stage of development is so crucial in developing healthy social and emotional development. Furthermore, because they rely so much on the adults in their lives, infants and toddlers need to be protected. They need to form secure attachment with their caregivers, but above all, they need to be provided with rich stimulating environments that enhance growth. This is one of the reasons I am interested in the Early Head Start Program. As it seems they are doing a phenomenal work with infants and toddlers from low-income families. I am looking forward to reading your next post.