Discussion
There are ten exemplary early childhood programs outlined in the article. While all of the programs have specific features, which make them excellent, other programs seem to stand out as compared to others. One such program is the Children’s Village Child Care Center located in Philadelphia. What makes this program exemplary is the fact that it exhibits open communication, which transcends the obstacles presented by language and cultural barriers. The program embraces families with a myriad of diversities given that it is located in an urban setting. It unites and enables interactions of families of diverse constellations, economic levels, cultural and ethnic backgrounds (naeyc.org).The program operates on the basis that nothing substitutes open conversation and listening while seeking mutual comprehension with sheer curiosity and interest.
This program allows the participation of the family in decision making as required by the first principle. Most of the parents are allowed to serve on committees. They are also allowed to engage in interactive workshops on a child’s education and development. Additionally, the program allows parents to participate in parent-teacher conferences. While the techniques outlined by this program are effective, they do not adequately address the principles described NAEYC. Consequently, I would introduce a program that allows parents to contribute to extensive advocacy efforts.
Obesity Disparities
It is crucial to recognize the effects of culture and social aspects of different families. The Cultural and social difference that exists in most families across America has been an obstacle in mitigating obesity (Larson, Story & Nelson, 2009). Cultural and social aspects form part of the most influential factors associated with obesity. It is imperative to point out that causative factors associated with obesity revolve around cultural and social aspects of different families. It is, therefore, significant to note that different families practice different cultures (Singh, Siahpush & Kogan, 2010).The difference in social status across American families should be considered when addressing obesity. It is imperative to generate preventive measures that cut across all social and cultural backgrounds.
References
Children’s Village Child Care Center. (2016). naeyc. Retrieved 17 August 2016, from
https://www.naeyc.org/familyengagement/programs/childrens-village-care-center
Larson, N. I., Story, M. T., & Nelson, M. C. (2009). Neighborhood environments: disparities in
Access to healthy foods in the US. American journal of preventive medicine, 36(1), 74-81.
Singh, G. K., Siahpush, M., & Kogan, M. D. (2010). Rising social inequalities in US childhood
obesity, 2003–2007. Annals of Epidemiology, 20(1), 40-52.
