For
this week’s assignment, I decided to research Early Childhood (EC) in
Australia. I chose Australia because it is not a country that I hear about a lot;
therefore, I wanted to compare their EC programs to those of the US.
In doing so, some of the current
international research topics in Australia were slim to none. However, I was
able to stumble upon EC news archives that continuously monitoring the news for
information concerning the wellbeing and development of young children. The
latest article published called Resources
to support services, families and children deal with bushfires, focused on services
and communities around Australia have been affected by the recent bushfires and
gave listings of resources to assist families, children and communities through
this difficult time. Very seldom you see where an area has been hit with devastation
that the community focuses on just EC. Most times there are listings for
assistance, but it doesn’t make mention of the biggest topic – children. The
website goes on to state “Research shows children who have been directly
affected by bushfires can experience emotional distress for a long time after
the bushfire has happened. This can be related to the experience of having to
leave their homes, fears about their parents' safety and fears about the future
as well as actual experience of the fire”. I found this to be extremely
touching having gone through many hurricane devastations here in New Orleans.
The most surprising fact/insights/new
ideas about EC in Australia that I gained from the suggested website was the Australian
Journal has been around for many years and like most magazines or journals have
been through a number of name changes. The best part about it all is that it is
known as the most scholarly journal in the field. The Australian Journal of
Early Childhood (AJEC) acknowledges the breadth and diversity of those studying
and working within the early childhood field, which for many people like me
inquiring about the EC field internationally helps to understand their concepts
and ways of doing things in comparison to the US.
The other noteworthy information I
found on this particular website was that there is many different types of
assistance available in regards to EC. Whether a child is grieving, gone
through a traumatic experience or dealing with a loss of a loved one, there are
tons of assistance offered to children. As adults, we deal with things
different ways from children. We may think the child is okay with certain
things, but the truth is, they tend to deal with horrible or traumatic
situations harder than adults. After reading the many articles related to these
topics, it seems as though many communities need to revise their plans when
dealing with disasters and those affected by them.
Reference
Early Childhood Australia.
(2013). Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/
