[Children's Express reporter] "David
Sampson, 10, recently moved away from an Oakland housing project
where 13 and 14-year-old gang members carry 9 mm pistols. Already an
eye witness to gang-related shootings and beatings, Sampson is well
aware of what prepares children for the gang lifestyle. 'They have so
little love at home, they have no one else to turn to. Families hurt
children with abuse, because parents are so down on their luck and
don't have anything to take their anger out on.'" [Taken
from
Brazzil
website's article on street children.]
Intro
While
there are many obvious ways
to serve as a child advocate (social worker, police officer, family
counselor, children's health educator, teaching parenting classes),
there are also many not
so obvious ways
that
are just as important. For example:
Everyone has a moral responsibility to report suspected child abuse,
neglect, or endangerment. Reporting can usually be done
confidentially and, contrary to popular belief, the general
intervention response is not to immediately remove the child to
protective custody.
Furthermore
if you are a teacher or professional caregiver, you
are legally required or "mandated" to report even your
suspicions of child abuse. Failure to report can lead to
serious fines and even jail time if it is ever discovered that you
knew something and did not immediately report it.
Learn more about child abuse and how to
prevent it.
Child Development
Awareness.
Educate yourself about child development and developmentally appropriate
education and discipline practices. You can use this knowledge in all
areas of working with children. And just as importantly, you can teach
it to others -- formally or informally. You will find lots of
information about
child development
and
positive guidance & discipline
simply by browsing around this site.
Remember, child development information
doesn't simply apply to infants and toddlers. It is vital that those who
work with preschoolers and school age children also understand
what is developmentally appropriate, given a child's physical,
cognitive, and emotional level of development. Great harm can be
done by trying to force children to live up to standards that are too
far out of their reach.
Speaking up on a child's behalf.
So
often adults try to shoe-horn children into situations that are just not
appropriate for them. Harm is done to the child's self esteem,
self-expectations, and to his/her relationship with the adults in
question.
When you see this or any other form of
unfairness or unkindness happening to a child, speak up!
Share your perspective. Be firm or use your sense of humor, but be
kind -- remember there is a little child inside that difficult adult.
Years ago someone squashed it down. It needs support and
information to heal and uncover the love he or she has to offer, more
fully.
If you are part of a school, church or
other organization that is making unrealistic expectations of children,
explain the problem. Use information about child development to
educate. If you see a parent being overly harsh to a child
who can't meet their expectations in the store or the restaurant, smile
and comment on how cute the little one is, affirm the difficulty of the
parents situation-- and the child's! Perhaps you could even help
by engaging the child in a game or conversation. But most of all
it seems to help parent's to have their attention drawn to the positive
in their child -- while feeling understood and accepted themselves.
Health & Safety.
Educate yourself about current health &
safety practices. Furthermore, be community minded; let your words
and actions reflect regard and concern for the
health & safety
of all the children around you -- not just your own. Avoid harsh,
judgmental words with children or a "safer-than-thou" attitude toward
other adults, but do share your concerns and your information.
Teaching & Caregiving.
Right now there are a shortage of
teachers and professional caregivers to work with young children, and
this trend is not expected to change anytime soon. When schools and
centers must stretch themselves thin and place caregivers and teachers
with too many children per adult, children suffer. Note: in the state of
California, those who pursue training as early childhood professionals
(teachers, caregivers) can now receive huge reimbursements to offset the
cost of proper education for the field. See
Support & Professional Development.
Promote Tolerance &
Appreciation of Differences.
Teach children to know and appreciate
the beauty and the gifts contained within themselves, each other, and
other cultures. Set an example for children by modeling tolerance -- of
your own self and of others. Let them know that your home/classroom is a
"safe zone", where we may have our thoughts and feelings, but where we
may not inflict them in a hurtful way on others. See
Dealing With Diversity.
Volunteering.
There are many groups out there trying to better the lives of
children. Some of these children are in dire need -- that is, without
intervention they would die or be confined to mental hospitals or
juvenile detention facilities. Some of these children simply need
your help to enhance the quality of their lives and education, that
they may add the fullness of their potential to our society.
Check
out some of the groups below for chances to help. (Or check your
local schools, medical facilities, churches, etc.)
Foster Care.
Many, many children are in need of
placement in a safe, loving home -- with a family that makes them
feel secure and cared for.
Those
foster children who end up institutionalized in expensive boarding
school-type centers will have their basic physical
needs reliably met. But what about their emotional needs? Such kids
report that the thing they miss most in their lives is the feeling
of having a family -- having someone to wake them up for school in
the morning, having a mom and dad to sit down to dinner with at
night.
Political involvement.
Too
often, organizations with big bucks and big interests influence the
laws and governmental policies that affect our children. Or just as
bad -- well-intentioned politicians or political action groups that are poorly
educated about children and children's needs get legislation passed
that does more harm than good. Educate yourself, and then do what you can to get involved, or to
support the child advocacy groups that are working to make a positive
(and informed) difference in children's lives. (See
Links Below.)
Environmental Action.
How much simpler can it get?
Today's children will inherit this world after us. The condition in
which we bequeath it to them will affect their health, their happiness--
in fact, their very ability to exist.
What sort of world do we want to
leave
them?
Promoting Peace.
Again, this is basic. Children need and deserve a safe world, a safe
neighborhood -- a safe school and family. Promoting peace occurs
through almost all of the means listed above, as well as by learning
how to be peaceful within yourself -- learning how to constructively
deal with feelings of anger, fear, and frustration. Browse around
this website for helpful links and ideas. Be sure to check
Guidance
& Positive Discipline, as well as our
bookshop,
for information about modeling and teaching peace with children.
Teaching Empowerment. How
many of us feel we can really accomplish our goals or that it is
possible to envision a world, or even a life path, that is different
from what we see around us? Did we ever really figure out what we
"want to be when we grow up" and how to go about it? If the answer
is less than a resounding "Yes!" the problem is that as young people we
were never sufficiently empowered to do these things! We
were criticized, categorized, and very often we were guided by others
who had little more idea than we did about how to find ones path in the
world.
How can anyone expect children to make a better life for themselves, a
better world for themselves without teaching them to believe in
themselves and to reach for a power greater than themselves (however you
choose to define this) for inspiration and support? Read what we
have to say about Teaching Empowerment to Children
and then surf our related articles to find out how you can attain and
model these ideals within yourself!
Children
need adult help to ensure that their lives
remain
joyful and healthy...
It has
been said that in the year 2011, we will experience a demographic shift
of a magnitude not experienced since the heyday of the Baby Boomers.
There will be more teenagers coming into their own in 2011 than at any
time since the days of Woodstock (the original, not the knock-off
commercial imitations). What will be the effect of this demographic
revolution?
The Center for Environmental
Health’s Safe Playgrounds Project provides important health and
safety information about arsenic-treated wood and how you can
protect young children and your community from arsenic exposure at
school, the park or home.
Home of the Children's Advocate
Newsmagazine (great tips for parents, teachers, & childcare
providers.) Site also covers such topics as: Advocacy and
Policy, Budget, California and U.S., Child Development/Early Childhood
Education, Education, Family Income/Poverty, Government, California and
U.S., Health, Violence Prevention
Annual American Indian Infants to Elders Benefit
the
first weekend in November
at the Community Center of San Juan Bautista, CA. An annual holiday
drive collects and sends new toys, blankets, clothes and food to
disadvantaged families on Indian reservations and shelters in
California, South Dakota, New Mexico, Arizona and local Indian
communities. Info:
(831) 623-2379,
Child Development
An Earth's Kids page -- articles,
links, and book recommendations.
Part of the Connect For Kids website,
these pages offer "101 Things You Can Do For Our Children's Future",
plus information on what others are doing to help children, as well as
plenty of suggestions for what you can do to help.
Also check out their other
advocacy related sections, such as Politics and Elections (who's really out to help our kids, and who's just blowing smoke), and
Children and Foster Care
-- which includes a down-loadable guide
from the Foster Care Awareness Program, designed to enable you to
better the lives of children in "out-of-home" care. Also discusses the
issue of foster children transitioning to independence.
A large selection of information
on
Child Abuse
can also be found here, including what
you can do if you suspect that a child you know is being abused or
neglected.
Join the National Association for
the Education of Young Children and help support their efforts to
educate teachers, parents, and caregivers regarding children's health,
development, and potential, and well as on developmentally appropriate
practices for interacting with children. The N.A.E.Y.C. also offers
preschool accreditation.
This non-profit organization seeks to
connect individuals willing to donate their time or money to
organizations seeking to create positive change, and to help such
organizations better utilize technology (such as the internet) to
better get their message out to the public. Member organizations
include Childhelp USA (child abuse), The American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Big Brothers & Big Sisters of
America, and many, many more well established and highly effective
organizations. The Network For Good was formed in 2001 as a
philanthropic venture by Yahoo!, AOL Time Warner, and Cisco.
This program, benefiting children in the
U.S. and 41 other countries, allows you to aid needy children through
donations, sponsorship, mentoring, and through online shopping at sites
which donate a portion of the proceeds to Save The Children.
World Vision is a
Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping
children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential
by tackling the causes of poverty. Offers various ways to help
including sponsoring a child and buying farm animals for rural
people trapped in poverty and hunger.
Search this site for information and
opinions on a variety of advocacy topics.
Special Needs
An Earth's Kids page -- with links to articles
and websites useful to parents, teachers, and other concerned with the
needs and welfare of children with special physical, cognitive,
behavioral, or emotional challenges.
Stand for Children
is a nonprofit membership organization that helps people who care about
children come together to advocate for concrete, lasting changes that
improve the lives of children. Since 1999, their members have won 50
state and local victories that have resulted in better schools, quality
early childhood education and after-school programs, and other essential
services for hundreds of thousands of children.
Youth
Philanthropy Worldwide works to inspire young people to contribute
to the global community. They
work in partnership with local leaders and organizations who guide
their efforts for the greatest possible impact. YPW's partners
include The Global Fund for Children, The Firelight Foundation, and the
Girl Scouts of Santa Clara County.
Youth Philanthropy Worldwide believes
that young people all over the world are our greatest asset in solving
our greatest global challenges.
Check here for local
links for organizations working to improve the welfare of
children -- many of them local to the Bay Area. Check for information
internships, and volunteer opportunities. Check their
calendar for upcoming workshops and conferences.
This local South Bay organization works with
children diagnosed as "emotionally disturbed" to bring comfort,
support, and healing to the children and their families. Learn about
their foundation and find out about
opportunities to volunteer your time!
Check this site for ideas and
opportunities to jam the commercial culture -- to disengage from the
prefabricated mass culture and create something DIFFERENT, something we
like, something that works for us... and our kids. (Something that gets
us off this snowballing ride to devour the planet in support of
consumer culture.)
Those
foster children who end up institutionalized in expensive boarding
school-type centers will have their basic physical
needs reliably met. But what about their emotional needs? Such kids
report that the thing they miss most in their lives is the feeling
of having a family -- having someone to wake them up for school in
the morning, having a mom and dad to sit down to dinner with at
night.
