Early childhood is a critical period in human development when the foundation of one’s future health and learning is laid. During this period, a child is entirely dependent on adults. The environments and experiences one has in this period can have a significant adverse effect on his or her future life (Lumsden, 2018). Thus, ensuring a young child’s safety is of utmost importance, especially when this task is entrusted to an early childhood specialist; caring for children is a great responsibility. In an early learning environment such as a day care center, a child faces potential dangers from his or her surroundings, other children, hygiene concerns, and even staff members.
The documents examined list a multitude of requirements to ensure a child’s safety. These requirements range from providing a safe and welcoming environment to handling food and collaborating with children’s parents. Adhering to these requirements and standards is an early childhood specialist’s crucial responsibilities, which I plan to fulfill in my professional practice to the best of my ability. Furthermore, as each child’s interactions with his or her environment are unique, collaboration with parents can be a critical aid in ensuring his or her health and safety. First, a child’s parents can be an invaluable source of information regarding the child’s health, preferences, and behaviors, whose knowledge will assist in tailoring the environment and care for the individual child. Second, parents provide the most care for their child, thus, informing them of the child’s developmental progress will help them provide better care. Finally, as abuse or neglect are unfortunate realities of early childhood practice, interacting with parents will allow to identify and report them if they happen. Thus, I hope to make two-way interaction and collaboration with parents a point of emphasis in my practice.
Reference
Lumsden, E. (2018). Child protection in the early years: A practical guide. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.