Module 2-Focusing on Observing and Talking with Professionals

• Whom you observed and interacted with in your setting during these two weeks
• During this visit I got the opportunity to speak with the director of an Easter Seals Early Head Start program. As I explained to the director what topic my paper was about, she wondered why I would be interested in doing my obervations at her site. She stated that Early Head Start works directly with low income families and one has to meet certain criteria to get into her program. All this time I thought that Head Start was a free program, hoever, it is not. It is only a free program for low income families and one has to be above or at the poverty level to qualify for the program. The facility was very nice and the classrooms were warm and inviting. The center is located next to a school and has plenty of space. The director pointed me to another Easter Seals who caters to middle and low income families. She emailed the designated person who I could speak with. Thinking that this would delay my observations, I delighfully accepted her request to speak with someone else.

• Any special learning experiences, insights, challenges, etc., related to your topics/focus questions and/or advocacy efforts in this setting, the community, and/or the field
• I learned from this visit that Head Start has lower income guidelines than what the state may require for thier child care assistance program. The early head start program started for children from the ages of 0-3 in 1994. The progarm offers absolutely nothing for middle income families. One challenge that I could see is that middle class families are limited to either little or no assistance with child care programs. So I wondered exactly what is going to be beneficial to my research paper.

Observing and Interacting with Professionals in My Setting

In this interview I meet with the program director for an Easter Seals Early Head Start program. My interest area for my research paper is Affordable Child Care for Middle Income Families. I had mixed information before I asked if this site would be okay to do my obervations in. I knew that Head Start was a free program, however, I did not know exactly to what extent it was free. The first time I went to the site I meet with the Family Support Worker because the director was not in. The Family Support Worker stated that Head Start is a free program, however, it is a free program for only low income families. The Head Start program has lower income guidelines than the child care assistance programs that are funded by the government to the states. Learning that this program that is funded by the government made me feel even more troubled about how limited middle income families have to child care assistance programs. Head Start was originally started as a "School of Readiness" in 1965 and was a half-day program. The Early Head Start program began in 1994 for ages 0-3, to start on focusing on the early years of a child and helping children to have a healthy development. After meeting with the director it was plain to see that this was not the right site for me, the director requested that I go to another Easter Seal's cite that has Head Start, afordable care for cash paying families, and child care assistance. The new site would allow me to get the information needed as I speak to other professionals and families.

Interviewing Professionals

Insights gained from your interviews regarding current advocacy efforts and needs in your area of interest within the field of early childhood.

One major insight that I gained from my interviews is that middle income families are not having access to affordable child care like many low-income families are having. I have always been overly concerned with quality and affordable child care for low income families and never thought about what may be hard for other families who make larger salaries. Per my discussion with a Kim, program director from University of Illinois Child Care Center, states "her center is limited to grants and other funds because they do not service low-income families", "It is a catch 22 because it is hard for these families to make ends meet". Many middle income families make nice salaries but it is still not enough for them to have to pay for all of their child care expenses. She states her center faces hard hits when middle income families may have acess to quality care, however, with other financial responsibilities it can make it hard for them to pay $230/wk for child care. Kim also stated that a single parent who has a salary of $40,000/yr will not qualigy for the child care assistance program because of her income and family size. Per interview with Nataly Barrera, Adocate Coordinator at Illinois Action for Children, stated that some families have had to deny a pay increase just so they will still qualify for the child care assistance program. Many middle income families have to make choices like the example above when it comes to child care and they should not have to!!!!!


How these interviews may have influenced your decision about which area of interest and topics to choose for your research paper

These interviews have influenced my decision about the topic I am going to do my research paper on. These interviews have allowed me to look at different concerns and perspectives. I have gained some insight about some of the concerns that other families are facing and also what are some current advocacy issues dealing with child care.

Which area of interest you are thinking of focusing on for your paper as well as the related three specific topics

My area of interest is affordable and quality child care for all children. One specific topic, why can't guidelines for child care assistance programs decrease so that many more families can have access to the child care and assistance programs?

How can these guidelines be changed?

How to get more families involved with decision making about afordable child care issues?



Interviewed Professionals:

Nataly Barrera   7/12/12     11:00am      Advocacy Coordinator, Illinois Action for Children, Chicago, IL

Kim Kull            7/13/12     2:25pm       Program Director, UIC Child Care Center, Chicago, IL