Thoughts from RevJ: WebSite Study For Week Six Assignment

Saturday, October 15, 2011

WebSite Study For Week Six Assignment

The website I had previously chosen to study during this course has not posted anything new pertaining to EC in the six weeks. Although the intended information will benefit Illinois practitioners, there must be communication in order for this to occur. Therefore, I have chosen to review another website that caters to the Illinois populous; to be more specific, Will County: Child Care Resources and Referral (CCRR).

http://www.childcarehelp.com/

Links on the home page lead to Dept of Human Services in Illinois and United Way of Will County. However, there is a page for childcare linking to several non-profits, national organizations, advocate groups, and government agencies.

I signed up for the news blasts. They cover updates with the subsidy payments, grants, training for practitioners and parents, childcare news. One link was on an organization that focused on parent awareness and involvement in early learning.

CCRR in Will County is known to provide information for parents and praactitioners on area improvements of equity and excellence. The personnel in the childcare department have a drive for EC advocacy and makes every person feel at home in their offices when making inquiries or using the resources. The website captures their drive. Many times an organization is very much different than the ‘printed’ mission. CCRR is not the case.

CCRR’s site stays abreast of EC news and trainings. One of the downloads on the home page is the statistics of children in poverty for 2010. I could have completed one of the previous week’s assignments by just studying this site.

2 comments:

Amy SmithOctober 16, 2011 at 11:09 AM
Thank you for the additional resource. It is great to provide information for parents and practitioners on area improvements of equity and excellence in the field of early childhood education. The site provided current information on EC issues and relevant trainings. Thanks again for the site connection!
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AnonymousOctober 19, 2011 at 4:39 PM
Don't you just love it when you come across a resource after you need it? :O) I just recently accepted a poition with a CCR&R and am very excited about it. It appears that the CCR&R's are very passionate about advocacy!
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RELATIONSHIP REFLECTION

John Donne (1572-1631) said '...no man is an island...'. Human beings require relationships as we matriculate through life. However significant to us, we need other beings. Even if one went out and lived from the elements around no other humans, that individual would need some other beings to live. Further more, we are born because people came together and when we pass on someone will handle our remains and effects. Relationships of every kind (family, social, professional, religious, romantic) require efforts and maintence from the parties involved.

Some Personal Relationships

I live in a (penthouse type) apartment with a friend of mine I became acquainted with at church. After a painful divorce and left with large mortgage payments, I asked this 'nice' lady from church if she wanted a roommate. She had gone on a weekend trip and while gone her apartment was broken into and everything taken or destroyed (even her clothes). When I sold the house, we continued to be roommates. It has been 11 years now. Although we spend our social time with a seperate group of friends, we are still very close. This relationship has grown as we continue to help each other in any way we can. Denise would give me the shirt off of her back if asked. I would have to think about it if the tables were turned. :-D

I have a best friend named Tonya. She knows me better than my own blood sisters and brothers. We became very close friends after she lost her newborn son as she and her husband held him together. Because of our friendship many have tried to explain it by giving us nicknames such as, Mary and Martha, Paul and Silas, Jonathon and David. The one that stuck is Salt and Pepper. Someone said we bring spice to every situation. Guess who is salt. We minister together. We cry together. We travel together. I have sat in the hospital as she battled illness. She has verbally fought for me. We council each other. We pray for each other. We even feel when the other one is upset or sick. Our friendship is very rare. One author called a friendship like ours, soul-friends. Because of our friendship, we both have grown as a result of our friendship spiritually, emotionally, and cognitively. We even have clothes alike that we bought without the presence of each other. I couldn't make this up.

Both of these relationships are important to me and can be challenging at times. As a friend to both, sometimes I must overlook my thoughts or feelings on an idea or event in order to make the other comfortable or happy. For instance, at our national church conventions I want to talk to everyone I can on the first day. Tonya feels she has all week to see people so she goes to the room while we are on a recess. Every year we fight over which we are doing, meeting and greeting or going to the room. I recently learned that something from her childhood was the reason she didn't like meeting and greeting. I wouldn't have known this without communicating or observing my friend.

Denise and I are partners financially because we split the bills or take responsibilty of certain bills. This must be done through collaboration. Tonya and I are partners financially, spiritually, and professionally. Since becoming friends we have incorporated 2 nonprofit companies, started a women's annual conference, become Bible college professors and board members, as well as an international ministering team.

Learning to compromise in order to accomplish tasks with my friends has given me experience when working with my customers as an administrater of a day care. However, the knowledge I have aquired through these relationships will also give me experience as an EC professional working with children and their parents. As with the friendships when I had to disgard my desires in order to help them, I have the understanding that I must understand that my desires are not always the best as I collaborate with others.