COMMUNITY VIEW

Wilmington's Kingswood Community Center recently lost its day care director, and as the immediate supervisor I was thrust into this role. What immediately followed were long nights of reading anything about early childhood I could get my hands on -- and even longer days trying to apply what I learned inside the center's classrooms.

I quickly learned "day care" was an ineffective term, and that the early childhood field was in the middle of transition.

I found myself in a new world. Children that I have interacted with every day at the center now were preoccupying my thoughts as I gauged their growth and development and the role the center played in that. Regulations, ratios, accreditation, certification, assessments and curriculum topped the list of my concerns.

I enrolled in Delaware Technical & Community College's early childhood education program. These classes taught me an array of theories and approaches to early enrichment. I was able to apply what I learned while I completed an internship.

During my hours in the college's Child Development Center, I developed lesson plans, directed activities, wiped runny noses and changed diapers.

The college's center was perfect according to any environmental rating scale, as a recent national accreditation affirmed. The small group setting, supportive parents and educationally credentialed and trained staff sharply contrasts with the blunt reality of early childhood education in most inner-city child care facilities.

Small-group instruction in these facilities is almost impossible because the children are the funding source for the program. Purchase of Care, the state's assistance program that provides a subsidy to support early childhood education for low-income families, does not pay enough. Day care centers are forced into trying to serve the maximum number of students, struggling with state funds that do not pay for even the minimum number of teachers required.

Proposed changes and new government initiatives seek to improve the quality of care and guidance that children receive in their early years. Unfortunately, similar to the No Child Left Behind legislation, these measures will heighten standards and accountability with little or no support or resources to address the inevitable.

For example, child-care teachers must receive increased training and certification. There are programs to assist with paying for these courses. However, the new certifications makes these teachers more valuable and marketable. As a result, many will leave inner-city community centers for better-paid positions.

Ultimately, the initiatives that were designed to improve the early childhood field could create high staff turnover and disruptions in the learning environment.

Recently, I was engaged by a child who in his vernacular said, "Brother Nnamdi, where you been at?" The rest of the day was spent trying to explain to him why he did not have to say "at" to end his question.

I hid objects from him and then he would say, "Where is the car at?" Every time he added the "at," I made a loud animated sound. By day's end, he understood and was using appropriately structured questions.

As I marveled at the accomplishment of the day, I could not wait to note it on his daily assessment sheet. Before I could complete that thought, his mother arrived to pick him up. As she buttoned his coat she asked him, "Where's your hat at?" I realized my day was far from over.

Again, I made a loud sound and the child remarked to his mother that she did not have to say "at." She smiled at her son's growth as we searched for his hat.

My unintentional venture into early childhood education has changed my focus to the infants and toddlers in the community. If we are successful at providing the needed supports and addressing the early needs of these children before they enter school, they will be empowered with the skills to become life-long learners.

Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha lives in Wilmington and is a member of The News Journal Community Advisory Board.

Partners | Jobs: CareerBuilder.com | Cars: cars.com | Apartments: apartments.com | Shopping: ShopLocal.com Copyright © 2007, The News Journal.
All rights reserved. Users of this site agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights (Terms updated March 2007). Questions?