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Barnes, M. D., Hanson, C. L., Novilla, L. B., Magnusson, B. M., Crandall, A. C., & Bradford, G. (2020). Family-centered health promotion: Perspectives for engaging families and achieving better health outcomes. Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financing, 57, 46958020923537. https://doi.org/10.1177/0046958020923537

Duncan, G. J., & Magnuson, K. (2013). Investing in preschool programs. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 27(2), 109–132. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.27.2.109

Foster, C. E., Horwitz, A., Thomas, A., Opperman, K., Gipson, P., Burnside, A., Stone, D. M., & King, C. A. (2017). Connectedness to family, school, peers, and community in socially vulnerable adolescents. Children and youth services review, 81, 321–331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.08.011

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2017). Child, family, and community: Family-centered early care and education (7th ed.). Pearson. file:///C:/Users/15308/Downloads/9780134042275.pdf

Jessen-Howard, S., Malik, R., & Falgout, M. K. (2020). Costly and unavailable: America lacks sufficient child care supply for infants and toddlers [report]. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/costly-unavailable-america-lacks-sufficient-child-care-supply-infants-toddlers/

Lillard, A. S., Lerner, M. D., Hopkins, E. J., Dore, R. A., Smith, E. D., & Palmquist, C. M. (2013). The impact of pretend play on children's development: a review of the evidence. Psychological bulletin, 139(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029321

Roberts, T., Stagnitti, K., Brown, T., & Bhopti, A. (2018). Relationship between sensory processing and pretend play in typically developing children. The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 72(1), 7201195050p1–7201195050p8. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.027623

Thomas, D. V. (2011). Implementing a new social-emotional philosophy: The struggle in one head start classroom. Early Childhood Research & Practice, 13(1). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ931231

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Within our school, we take an evidence-based approach to discipline. Discipline is about guidance and boundaries, not punishment (Thomas, 2011). We want to invite all parents to take our course on parenting. If we can use the same approach at home and school, children will experience consistency. This program is offered online and in-person.

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Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 23-09-36 conscious discipline evidence - Google Search

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To aid in local food insecurity, our school has begun a program that sends children home with food for the weekend. This program is eligible for all students who receive free or reduced-price lunch. It includes breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Fresh produce is also available. This program is available to us through ACCESS in Southern Oregon.

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Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 23-01-57 food shopping cart - Google Search

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To better reach families who are burdened by our medical system, we will provide a Fall and Spring family-focused immunization clinic. This will be provided free of charge by La Clinica's Mobile Health Unit. Increasing access to medical care, especially preventative measures like vaccinations, has the ability to make lasting impacts on community and individual health (Barnes et al., 2020).

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Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 22-55-22 immunizations - Google Search

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Dental Screenings will be provided twice a year, in Fall & Spring. This service will include an examination and fluoride treatment. Fluoride is shown to be safe and effective at reducing dental caries and producing stronger teeth in adulthood. This service will be provided free by Smile Oregon.

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Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 22-53-07 dental screening kids - Google Search

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We will bus the children to the library each week. They will be able to check out two books and return them to class for return to the library.

Once per month, students and their families will be allowed to attend science works museum for $5/per family. This is due to a generous sponsor from the museum board of directors.

Libraries & museums are rich resources for the community; children should learn their value early. During appropriate weather, children will be walked with their class to the library or science museum.

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Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 22-50-37 library kids - Google Search

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Parallel play is common in toddlers. This age is not quite developmentally mature enough to play with each other, so they play side by side. They typically mimic each other--getting genius ideas from one another. The learning happens from indirectly interacting with each other by watching (Lillard et al., 2013). Parents can help create an environment that supports parallel play.

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Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 22-47-47 parallel play kids - Google Search

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Solitary play can be perceived as negative, but it is not always a form of social isolation. Playing alone has many benefits (Thomas, 2011). Children spend time watching interactions and learning about their world before exploring it. We all need time by ourselves and solitary play is a healthy form of expressing our need to be alone. Solitary play can support cognition and emotional regulation.

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Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 22-44-15 solitary play kids - Google Search

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Children can also engage in cooperative play. A great way to do this is with a board game that requires team work. Getting outdoors and gardening with a child also requires working together. Organized sports is also a form of cooperative play (but also competitive, another form of play).

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Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 22-41-41 cooperative play kids - Google Search

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Partnerships are a critical component to the success of the programs that support the community (Foster et al., 2017). The act of giving support begets more support. Youth who feel connected are greater protected from the adverse effects of trauma and adversity. Building a strong foundation for the family to engage is critical to finding the "togetherness".

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Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 22-36-53 community - Google Search

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Sensory play is important for all children. It can sometimes leave children feeling uncomfortable or unsure--this is because it requires playing with unusual textures, sights, sounds, and smells. After all, it's about igniting the senses! Children can learn to identify the way their bodies feel externally and internally. This is critical for emotional and behavioral regulation. This type of play can be social, cognitive, and physical (Roberts et al., 2018). Parents can set up sensory play spaces by using common items in kitchens (corn starch + water, play doh, rice bin).

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Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 22-29-49 orbeez - Google Search

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Preschool and school-aged children engage in dramatic play. This play requires props and the typical youthful imagination. It can be dressing up or acting out scenes (role-play). This type of play fosters a healthy sense of self-confidence, imagination, and social interaction (Lillard et al., 2013). This type of play is physical, social, emotional, and cognitive (Roberts et al., 2018).

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Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 22-27-20 kids dramatic play - Google Search

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What can parents & caregivers do to support and connect with the child to best foster healthy development? How can they interact to support the domains of development?

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What can parents & caregivers do to support and connect with the child to best foster healthy development? How can they interact to support the domains of development?

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From Better Brains for Babies Organization based in Georgia.

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Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 22-21-51 Child Development Principles Better Brains for Babies

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Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model explains the concept of the child existing within the context of their environment, societal structures, economic status, culture, family, and social group (Gonzales-Mena, 2017).

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Support for Increased Access to Early Child Education

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Support for Increased Access to Early Child Education

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With this philosophy, our goal is to provide greater support to families through equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive childcare. Nationally, there are only enough spaces in early childcare programs to accommodate 23% of the total infants and toddlers, and 1/4 of parents reported difficulty securing childcare (Jessen-Howard et al., 2020). Early child education and care are differently structured but of the same nature: quality learning and development occurs with both (Gonzalez-Mena, 2017). To address the unmet need, we have created action steps and coordinating optimal outcomes.

Action Steps:
1. Secure more grant funding for rural site location expansion.
2. Utilize and hire staff who we can invest in. We want individuals who have passion and heart for the work--and we want to keep them!
3. Partner with local community college sites and high schools to involve community participation and interest.
4. Provide opportunity for engagement with families who you cannot provide direct care for.

Outcomes:
1. To hold more students, we need more space and more staff.
2. Affordable employment pool that can learn on the job, receive additional training through the position, and educational reimbursement for secondary/post-secondary degree attainment.
3. Community partners are essential. Many colleges and high schools want students to experience child development and community service. These individuals could be future instructors or just a cost-effective way to get more helping hands.
4. Engagement and support of families who needs are not being met, is critical for building resiliency and helping families become self-sufficient. We will not be able to serve everyone.

Increasing staffing & square footage are small steps in addressing this large systems issue. We feel the benefits are exponential, as quality childcare has been shown to reduce generational poverty, increase rates of graduation, and lead to better financial outcomes (Duncan & Magnuson, 2013; Gonzalez-Mena, 2017). In our community, this is a feasible plan of utilizing the available resources to provide for a greater number of families in the community.

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Conferences are a great way to apply the whole child lens. We let the student guide our conversation and discussion about the learning objectives. Parents are reserved a portion of time to also discuss concerns. We host Fall and Spring conferences, with a midway report card (delivered via mail). Conferences are hosted throughout the week and parents select their own time slot.

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Verbal communication could be in-person, in-passing, at drop-off/pick-up, or by telephone call. Verbal communication is great for building an understanding of differences and aligning common goals between home and school.

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Hardcopy written communication is sent home each Thursday with the child. This unfortunately means it can become lost or misplaced before it gets home. Hardcopy written communication is typically a handout, permission slip, reading log, calendar update, or school events flyer.

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Electronic written communication is great for quick updates, schedule changes, and weather delays. It could include participation in our teacher-parent WhatsApp group chat, email, or text. Parents enjoy our WhatsApp group for parent-to-parent connection, sharing birthday invites, and celebrations. Email is a great tool for more in-depth conversation, conversations that need a record, and private or personal concerns.

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"But don’t just talk; also listen. Communication is a two-way street. If you open up to new ideas from the families you work
with, you’ll expand your view and know more about what to do with each particular child in each particular family." from Gonzalez-Mena (2017).

Two keys to effective two-way communication is understanding an individuals perspective and preference.
Cultural curiosity is necessary to understand a family's communication style and preference. Families will be asked about their preferred communication style and efforts will be made to establish and utilize that method.

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This theory focuses on the working dynamic of the family unit--how they come together to survive and thrive, and how they do/don't meet each others needs (Gonzalez-Mena, 2017). The focus is not on the behaviors of individuals but everything and everyone within the context of the family unit.

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Family support within our program is based upon the belief that the best place for children to grow up is in a family, and the most effective way to ensure children's overall well-being is to provide services that engage, connect, involve, strengthen, and support families.

We do this by assessing the family and child through regular interaction and application of child development and family theories. Each family is unique, bringing different strengths and weaknesses; this is where the power of community lie, the power of coming together and building a culture of community (Barnes et al., 2020).

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The child is a dynamic whole being, inseparable from their intellect and emotion (Gonzalez-Mena, 2017). Healthy emotional attachment, understanding, and regulation build the foundations for future educational strength.