Standard Six

Early childhood educators are responsible for not just educating young children, but to
be an advocate for the families they serve. Standard six describes the importance of being
professional and being knowledgeable with the information that is available to families. When a
need arrives, educators are to step in and be a resource to every child and their family. Being in
this profession, you acknowledge that it takes a team to raise a child and working together with
the family will allow for the child to be successful. Early childhood educators have an advantage
being that they get to be involved in the development and growth of children from an early
age. It allows educators to assist families earlier and offer support to prevent long term issues
to occur. Early childhood educators understand the profession's distinctive values, history,
knowledge base, and mission (“Build your public policy,” n.d.). They connect with their
student’s families to communicate needs they may have and educate themselves on services
available.
There is a great need for high quality, affordable childcare in the United States. Families
from all over are limited to what they can afford and end up using low-quality childcare or other
alternatives for the child so they can make a living. This adds stress on families and can cause
them to miss work for multiple days and result in being let-go due to not having the proper
childcare available. The ripple effect this causes the family is serious. If parents are not able to
work, they will not be able to support the family and be able to care for their children properly.
Unfortunately, this is a common issue for many families. Both parents who live in the same
house are put in a position to choose who stops working and stays home as the main childcare
provider while the other works. Single parents are relying on family members or friends to
watch their child while they are at work. Some may even leave their child home alone due to no
other option, which is a cause for safety concerns. Families should not be put in a situation that
causes them stress and most importantly, every child should be in an environment that is safe
and healthy for them to continue to grow and develop.
One program that has been established to help with the need for high quality and
affordable childcare is the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG). This program is in
partnership with states to dramatically expand access, address affordability, increase quality,
and invest in early childhood education professionals. The funding this program offers allows
families to have an opportunity to afford high-quality childcare by each state receiving this
grant. Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) not only supports families of low income
but also educators. By having this grant, it offers stability and consistency in payments.
Educators will have a salary that is regular and not rely on if a family can pay or not. This allows
educators to pour their energy into teaching and caring for the children, and not stressing on
whether they will be paid. It gives notice of the importance of the work of educators. It
supports early childhood educators and the children they serve. I would directly apply this
knowledge of CCDBG by continuing to educate myself on the grant and making families aware
of the program as well. The more people using this grant, the more children will be cared for in
high quality, affordable childcare centers. I would offer to help families fill out forms and I
would also be up to date on forms I need to file for the childcare center to allow the grant to
serve the community I serve.
Early Childhood educators not only take the responsibility to care for the children they
have in their center, but they serve each family as well. Their profession goes beyond lesson
plans and daily schedules, they are advocates for the families. They are the support system and
a resource for every child and their family. Educators have an enormous impact on children and
their families. The beginning years of children's lives are crucial; what an honor for early
childhood educators to be a part of this pivotal time.

References
NAEYC (n.d.) Build your public policy knowledge. Retrieved April 30, 2020 from
https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/public-policy-advocacy/build-your-public-policy-
knowledge