Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I accessed the Global Alliance for the Education of Young Children and attempted to contact:
Step by Step Program/ Tipa Tipa in Haiti.

I chose that country because of the devastation it suffered with the earthquake and I am interested in the challenges faced by the Child care professionals and how, if possible they are adjusting, overcoming or dealing with them daily.  I was not able to contact them through the email address provided so I've written to the person to get another email address.  I hope I get a response.

I have quite a few friends from different countries in Africa and when we discuss children I often hear, " We don't do it like that in my country".  I am curious to connect with Child Care professionals in both Ghana and Nigeria to get their perspective on what is considered developmentally appropriate in those countries.

The Middle East is also an area that I would like to learn about.  With the wars going on I'm interested how it is affecting the development of the children in the region and how girls are being educated when it is prohibited.  I accessed the Unicef website for that information and I plan to return often for updates.

The professional organization I chose was National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI).
NBCDI is celebrating 40 years of service to children and families.
The organization was conceived by the Black Women's Community Development Foundation whose concerns were that of the unsatisfactory conditions faced by families wanting to rear healthy children.
The mission of NBCDI is, "To improve and protect the quality of life for children of color and their families by giving every child a chance".
NBCDI has made tremendous strides in its efforts to improve the lives of children.  The core program areas are: 

• The Early Years and Parenting - Love to read, The Parent Empowerment Program, African American Parents Project and SPARK:  Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids.
• The Middle Years - Entering the College Zone
• Community Mobilization - The National Affiliate Network 

I am joining this organization as a committment to my profession and the children I serve.  Membership in professional organizations helps us keep abreast of the issues and trends in the Early Childhood field.