Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 1

So far, I have not been able to establish contact with a early childhood professional from around the world. I sent e-mails to professionals from the NAYEC website, and I sent e-mails to my past professors from college. None of my old professors knew any early childhood professionals outside of the United States. I am going to do the alternative assignment.

From CNN.Com, the podcast I listen to was: Feeding kids when parents, school can't. This podcast talks about during the school year, public schools provide breakfast and lunch to millions of students in the United States, but during the summer, parents struggles to feed their children. One community in suburban Atlanta is delivering food and hope in brown bags. This organization called Must Ministries headed by Paula Rigsby provides food, clothing and assistance to families in need. During the summer, volunteers pack hundreds of bag lunches for nearly, 46,000 kids in the county who qualify for free or reduced meals during the school year. Parents appreciate the help because today's economy has caused more families hardships, not only in suburban Atlanta, but nationwide. The number of kids who qualify for free or reduced price meals is growing nealy 6% in the past three years. This Must Ministries Organization headed by Paula Rigsby and volunteers  taught me that by working together in your community can make a difference in the lives of children and families living in poverty.

The Childhood Poverty Research and and Policy Centre (http://www.childhood.poverty.org/): The Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre is a collaborative research and policy programme which involves Save the Children, the Chronic Poverty Research Centre(CPRC) and partners in China, India, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. In addition, this website is a resource for policy makers, practitioners and activists concerned about childhood poverty. The international community has committed itself to meeting the Millennium Developments Goals by 2015; which includes halving property rates, cutting two-thirds the death of children under five and ensuring that all children in the world complete at least primary education.

The three insights or ideas I learned from this website: http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

I had no idea that over 600 million children live in poverty world-wide. Although I live in a small rural community, I never had to deal with poverty in our community. This does not mean that these families do not exist. Most of the people living in our community must travel out of town to work. Almost all of these families are receiving food stamps and living in assistance housing. Another insight I learned that, over 10 million children under the age of five still die every year from preventable diseases living in developing countries. Children are the most powerless groups who bear the physical and emotional costs of poverty. I am thankful and grateful that this website is fighting to change this national tragedy because all children should receive the medical care needed to live a healthy life. I had not idea that "today's poor children are tomorrow's poor parents". This statement helped me to open my eyes and realize that poverty is real and I must work harder and help children and families to overcome this crisis. This website is a great resource to use to use to overcome this crisis.

Feeding kids when parents, school can't, CNN.Com Retrieved July 14, 2011, from http://cnn.site.printhis.clickablilty.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Feeding+kids+when+parents%2C+schools+can%

CHIP: Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre, Retrieved July 12, 2011, from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/