Podcasts: I chose to listen to the podcast of Delfena Mitchell of Belize City. She is the director of the Liberty Children's Home. This is an orphanage for children between 0 - 5 years of age and is is designed specifically for those who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected. She stated that Belize had the highest rate of child abuse cases in the Caribbean. They do take older children if they have younger siblings that are placed in the orphanage.This orphanage also helps children who have disabilities or who are HIV positive.
She told the story of a 9-year old little boy who came to them with severe abuse issues. He had not spoken a word for over a year. In addition to receiving abuse he also witnessed his sister's abuse. He came to the orphanage with his 6 siblings. They could not place him in a traditional school setting because of his lack of communication so they homeschooled him. After a few weeks in the home, he spoke to Ms. Mitchell during a horseback riding excursion. He only spoke a few words but over the next few weeks he became more comfortable and talked more. He spoke about his experiences with abuse and about the uncle he loved that had left his home. He described having to hide under his bed to eat so the others would not take his food. Ms. Mitchell stated that he loves spending time outdoors and can now attend school and communicate with the other children.
I wanted to learn more about this child and the Liberty Children's Home so I went to the website link. Sadly, the link no longer works and I could not track it down through any other means. If anyone knows how to find out about this program, please let me know. I would love to find out more about the orphanage and if they are still in operation and if there is anyway I could help with some of their needs.
Harvard University: I love this website! It is full of information and links to initiatives dedicated to improving equity and excellence around the globe. Take a look at what I found!
- Applying the Science of Early Childhood in Brazil - The project describes Nucleo Clencia Pela Infancia, which is a program dedicated to improving the lives of young children and their families in Brazil by utilizing the science of child health and development and connecting the information to better policies. Well worth your time to investigate!
- National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs - This forum was established in 2006 and it's main purpose is to help policy makers and other interested stake holders understand what and how investments should be made in early childhood programs and policies. This forum interprets research and designs best practices and policies. The meta-analytic database is especially interesting to read.
- Global Children's Initiative Fact Sheet - This fact sheet shares a wealth of information on the Center's 3 strategic goals: to reframe public discourse about the early childhood period; to support innovative, multidisciplinary research and demonstration projects, and; to build leadership capacity in child development research and policy. The fact sheet also describes issues surrounding mental health, crisis and conflict situations, and building leadership capacity in research and policy. This is one of the most informative articles that I have read in this course.
I hope that you will take advantage to the links below and learn more about the ways that equity and excellence are being pursued in the early childhood field. We can all be a catalyst in this very important work!
Resources:
http://worldforumfoundation.org.uk/
Hi Monette,
ReplyDeleteWow! How sad for children to have to experience abuse and neglect. My oldest daughter is in the process of opening a group home for young girls in the Washington D.C. area and I am so excited because there is a great need for in-house programs to help children. I will certainly share the websites you offered with her to help in her research.
Thank you!
Berdetta
Hi Monette,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the information. I have also struggled with having responses but do not give up! I have had a few introductory responses and so the doors are starting to open. I appreciate the information provided from the podcast. Thank you for the web resources and the insights. I wondered what happened to the children who did not have younger siblings but were older than 5. :-( Tammy
I also listened to this podcast. I was so saddened to hear what had happened to this young boy, but also so relieved to hear the outcome. It is a pure example that children are so innocent and fragile. When they are scared they will shut down and regress, but when they are comfortable and feel like they can trust someone they will flourish. This makes me so thankful for this organization and what they are doing for young children.
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