Ethical Values in Early Childhood

The following ethical ideals that hold personal meaning to me and my career, have been taken from the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, and the DEC Code of Ethics. 

Enhancement of Children's and Families Quality of Lives

• "We shall advocate for equal access to high quality services and supports for all children and families to enhance their quality of lives" (DEC, 2000)- This ideal is important to me because I believe that all children should have access to high quality childcare programs to ensure a brighter future and lifelong love of learning for ALL children. Families should be able to have access to high quality programs without having to pay a fortune for their children to attend. 

Responsive Family Centered Practices

• "We shall empower families with information and resources so that they are informed consumers of services for their children" (DEC, 2000)- In all my years of working with children and families I have noticed that families that need assistance are either too embarassed to ask for help or just do not know where to begin. It is our jobs to keep current services and informaion readliy available to parents and families and to have trusting relationships with all that we support so that when they do need assistance they have someone to turn to and information that may help even if they are too embarassed to ask for it. 

Ethical Responsibilities to Children

• I-1.1 "To be familiar with the knowledge of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training" (NAEYC, 2005)- This is particularly important because if I expect to continue to provide the best practices and quality services to the children and families I interact with then I have to be up to date on current trends, research and ideas. Times they are changing and if we do not change with them the children we care for will not get the highest quality of care and will not be able to grow up and adapt in this ever changing world. 

Ethical Responsibilities to Families

• I-2.2 "To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve" (NAEYC, 2005)- Without trusting relationships all of the work we do will be for nothing. The relationship we have with the children and families we serve needs to be one of trust so that the information we exchange holds meaning, in times of turmoil they have someone to turn to, and so that the best care can be provided to the children of our future. 

Resources

• NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved from:
  http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf
• The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved from:
  http://www.dec-sped.org/

Helpful Early Childhood Resources

·   National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/ 
The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/ 
Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/ 
WESTED
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm 
 Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85 
FPG Child Development Institute
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/ 
Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/ 
HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/ 
Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/ 
Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/ 
Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org/ 
 Institute for Women's Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/ 
 National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/  
 National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/ 
 National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/ 
Pre[K]Now
http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067 
Voices for America's Children
http://www.voices.org/ 
The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/

    United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund

     http://www.unicef.org/ 

    World Forum Foundation

    http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/

     World Organization For Early Childhood Education

     http://www.omep-usnc.org/

     Association For Childhood Education International

     http://www.acei.org/

     

     Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
    http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/
    The Learning Child

     http://www.child.unl.edu/

     Conscious Discipline

     http://www.consciousdiscipline.com/

     Foundation for Child Development

     http://www.fcd-us.org/

     Child Development Institute

     http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/

   Resources Specific for Arizona

    Arizona's First Things First

    http://www.firstthingsfirst.org/

    Raising Special Kids

    http://raisingspecialkids.org/

    Childcare Resource and Referral for Arizona

    http://www.arizonachildcare.org/

    Bridges Early Learning

    http://www.bridgesearlylearning.com/

    Easter Seals Blake Foundation

    http://www.easterseals.com/

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Quotes

"Children need play in order to play. Good old fashioned fun- with an empty box or a simple rag doll- provides something very important to later growth and development" 

-Deborah Leong, PhD

"Children benefit most from teachers who have the skills, knowledge, and judgment to make good decisions and are given the opportunity to use them"- Sue Bredekamp

"It is our responsibility to cultivate children's delight in exploring and understanding their world. Early childhood is and should be a time of laughter, love, play and great fun"

-Sue Bredekamp

"Passion is an ongoing process, its like a ripple you throw a little rock and you have sort of the center ignite"-Leticia Lara LCSW

"It became my passion to make sure that all children were taught in environments and in ways that truly nurtured their ability to grow and to develop to their fullest ability"-Louise Derman-Sparks