AAP

Part 1. Advocacy Issue, Position, Protective Factor, and Resources

Due Unit 3

NAEYC Standard 2a

A. Identify at least one issue from 10 policy areas.

Child Poverty, Income and Wealth Inequality, Housing and Homelessness, Child Hunger and Nutrition, Child Health, Early Childhood, Education, Child Welfare, Youth Justice, and Gun Violence

i. Read the Children’s Defense Fund State of America’s Children Fact Sheet for your home state or another chosen state.

ii. Select and write the titles of the issue(s) that you identified from the CDF State of America’s Children Fact Sheet.

iii. Indicate your state and the statistic(s) related to your advocacy issue.

Issue Title: Housing and Homelessness

State: California

Statistics: Approximately 161,000 persons are homeless on any given day. A larger percentage is comprised of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness followed by unaccompanied young adults (aged 18-24) and veterans. The rest involves family households.

B. Present your advocacy position.

Issue: Explain why you have selected this issue and the need to advocate for change.

In an actual sense, housing, and the state of homelessness in the region and the country a as whole has increasingly turned out as a complex social problem. The majority tend to believe that homelessness is just an individual problem which further complicates the whole issue. To my opinion, society has and continues to play a major role in why people are increasingly becoming homeless. The victims of homelessness are not lazy as perceived by many. In reality, people are struggling with unrelenting societal challenges including constantly skyrocketing cost of living and hence their inability to adequately support themselves financially. The issue as such a factor by numerous social forces including increased costs of housing and living, poverty, and the absence of affordable housing plans and similar systems among others. Hence, the issue has contributed to the development of other challenges such as uncertain physical and mental health, community and family breakdown, and additions including educational challenges and violence.

NAEYC Standard 4a

C. Connect the issue to one of the five Strengthening Families Protective Factors.

Write an explicit description of the issue and the connection to a protective factor.

Five Protective Factors : 1) parental resilience, 2) social connections, 3) knowledge of parenting and child development, 4) concrete support in times of need, and 5) social and emotional competence of children

Protective Factor: Social connections

The effects or rather the consequences of homelessness are monumental and equally devastating. Essentially, the repercussions are not only discernible at individual levels but also by society as a whole e. On personal levels, the victims of homelessness are exposed to numerous elements that are capable of taking a greater tool of their health. Equally, their personal and psychological wellbeing is highly threatened hence increased inclination to such tendencies as substance abuse, involvement in violent activities, sexual assaults, Nd a, Nd ultimately increased risks of incarceration. based on societal effects, the cost of public services increases as the government tends to spend more on related measures rather than just offering homes. As a result, the issue leads to the widening of existing social barriers and espouses a high public health threat, especially in the t of pandemics. Hence, the particular strengthening o famous lies’ protective factor, presumably deteriorated by homelessness has the potential of installing the necessary networks of support that are vital in a typical neighborhood. Essentially, friends, family members, neighbors, and the entire community offer emotional support, assist in solving problems, and provide parenting advice and tangible assistance to parents. Isolated families and other individuals may need that extra assistance in reaching out and building positive relationships.

D. Write references for all Part 1 resources, in APA Format.

The following two references are required. You may use more.

1. Children’s Defense Fund State of America’s Children Fact Sheet

- The Children’s Defense Fund, (2022). THE STATE OF AMERICA’S CHILDREN® 2021. Retrieved from https://www.childrensdefense.org/state-of-americas-children/

2. Center for the Study of Social Policy Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework

- Center for the Study of Social Policy, (n.d.). Strengthening Families: The Protective Factors Framework. Retrieved from https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/childadvocacy/strengthening_families_protective_factors.pdf

3. Issue, state, and statistics

- Streeter, J. (2022). Homelessness in California: Causes and Policy Considerations. Stanford: Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR).

- National Alliance to End Homelessness, (2021). SOH: State and CoC Dashboards. Retrieved from https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-dashboards/?State=California

Part 2. Application

Due Unit 5

NAEYC Standard 6a

A. Application: One Sociological Theory

Briefly explain how you can use one sociological theory to support your advocacy issue.

Choose from Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological theory, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, or Family systems theory.

Family systems theory

The family systems theory is essentially a theory that concerns human behavior. Specifically, a typical family unit is defined as a sort of complex social system in which every member interacts and suitably cooperates in influencing the behavior of each one. In particular, family members interconnect and hence allowing the view of the system to be collective instead of individual constituents or components for that matter. In that regard, the issue of homelessness is a representation of a rather persistent and a fixed teat to public wellbeing well-beings around the developed world is faced ware. Families, children, and marginal aIi, adults are faced with life-course implications ranging from housing insecurity while at the same time communities struggle to address the bra assortment of fun heterogeneous homeless populations. This is further complicated by unrelenting trends as regards the overall issue despite initiated and existing policy programs in attempts to put to an eon thereto. The complex systems perspective offers an understanding and awareness as regards the changing dynamics that underlie coordinated responses to the issue.

NAEYC Standard 6b

B. Application: Two Fundamental Course Concepts

1. NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct

Utilize the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment. Identify and briefly explain how one ideal or principle supports your advocacy issue. (Only one ideal or principle is required. You can choose more than one.)

Preferred ideals: -

· To appreciate the vulnerability of children and their dependence on adults.

· Create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions.

When it comes to the issue of homelessness and other relevant societal challenges and inadequacies, children are often at the receiving end. As exemplified, the complexities involved are enormous and equally unrelenting. This is to illustrate that the extremes of challenges as experienced by adults and in this case the parents can be equated to that of children by all means. In other words, families encountering homeless-related challenges lack the basics of fostering optimal parental upbringing standards hence children are at higher risk of suffering rather immeasurable insufficiencies in nearly all aspects. In that regard, the social policies and other protracts as potential means of bridging the inadequacies and fostering optimal upbringing.

2. NAEYC Building Family and Community Relationships Standard

Using key elements 2a and 2b, briefly explain the necessity of establishing family and community relationships to effectively address your advocacy issue.

· Key Element 2a. Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics.

· The element is exclusively fundamental in addressing the issue of homelessness in many aspects. Firstly, the ideal is not only focused on addressing the needs of the child but their families and the community as a whole. The approach thus encourages total inclusivity where every member feels accommodated and their needs acknowledged to the best levels possible hence lessening the aches associated with the issue of emptiness created by lack of belonging.

· Key Element 2b. Supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships.

· The beneficial aspect linked to the element and in this case in addressing the issue of homelessness is the attempt to foster togetherness under well-established platforms where everyone achieves that sense of belonging and enduring relations.

NAEYC Standard 6e

C. Present an action plan.

How would you address this issue to improve conditions for families with young children?

Utilize at least two evidence-based programs, approaches, strategies, and/or tools from course resources. (e.g., Help Me Grow, a checklist from Beyond the Bake Sale, an article, a video)

1. Help Me Grow: - Focused on the wellbeing of children at no cost and irrespective of the prospective beneficiary’s background.

2. Article: Oudshoorn, A., Dej, E. & Parsons, C. (2020). Evolving an evidence‐based model for homelessness prevention. Health & Social Care in the Community, 28(2): 1-9. DOI: 10.1111/hsc.130 00 (mainly concerned with the preventive strategies in conjunction with the other established programs in addressing the issue of homelessness at all levels.

NAEYC Standard 2b

D. ACTION TEAM! (Read and review the concept in Beyond the Bake Sale)

Demonstrate how this action plan supports families as their children’s first and most important teachers and advocates!

· The action plan is dedicated to highlighting and raising the awareness of the issue and the necessity as to why immediate action is crucial not only in limiting the related challenges but also in instituting a lasting solution.

· Children and equally the highly susceptible members of the public will be given priority on anticipated contingency measures and other lasting solutions.

Identify who will help you create and implement this plan. At minimum m, your Action Team must include the Center/Program Director, the Lead Teacher/Educator, and one or more Family Representatives.

Remember: Families must be involved in the creation and implementation of the plan!!

E. Write references for all Part 2 resources in APA Format.

The following references are required.

1. Sociological Theory

Fowler, P., Hovmand, P., Marcal, K. & Das, S. (2019). Solving Homelessness from a Complex Systems Perspective: Insights for Prevention Responses. Annual Review on public health, 40: 465-486.

2. NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct

National Association for the Education of Young Children, (2011). Code of Ethical Conduct: Supplement for Early Childhood Program Administrators. Retrieved https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/Supplement%20PS2011.pdf

3. NAEYC Standard: Building Family and Community Partnerships Key Element(s)

National Association for the Education of Young Children, (n. d). Summary of the NAEYC Professional Preparation Standards. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/accreditation/higher-ed/standards/summary

4. Course Resource 1

Article: Oudshoorn, A., Dej, E. & Parsons, C. (2020). Evolving an evidence‐based model for homelessness prevention. Health & Social Care in the Community, 28(2): 1-9. DOI: 10.1111/hsc.130 00

5. Action Team (Beyond the Bake Sale)

Henderson, T., Mapp, L., Johnson, R., & Davies, D. (2007). Beyond the bake sale: The essential guide to family-school partnerships.