This week I was to imagine opening my very own family child care home, with help from this week’s resources I was able to create and visualize how I would want my family child care home. After watching Adriana’s care home media segment, I saw how diverse the learning areas where right from the entrance of her care home. Pictures of the children were utilized throughout the learning areas, comfort zones were created for the children, diverse activities were provided, and I even loved how Adriana made homemade toys that reflected diverse learning. After reflecting from the media segment, it was easier for me to visualize on what I would want in my own child care home. Diversity was going to be my main goal when visualizing my very own family child care home.
At “United Little Minds Family Child Care Home” from the moment you walk into through the front door you are welcomed by the child care home director. The families and the children are welcomed with smiles, positive communication, and body language. Once you enter the home all you see throughout the learning areas of the home are diverse pictures of the families of the children enrolled hanging the walls. In the comfort zone there will be a huge “United Little Minds Family Tree” so that children can have comfort seeing their families on the tree. I will provide a Parent board with information for parents in all the languages my program caters to. Learning environments will consist of 3 rooms filled with safe and healthy age appropriate materials, furniture, books, and learning activities. In all 3 rooms you see diverse environments that reflects the children and their families I serve such as diverse music, posters, materials, music instruments, dramatic clothes, books, and dolls. The outdoor play area is a safe exploring environment. All children will always explore in a diverse learning environment. At “United Little Minds Family Child Care Home” children’s needs will be met educationally, diversely, and age appropriately. Most importantly children will be able to explore learning comfortably and appropriately.
Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Welcome to an anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: Author
Stacy D. Almendarez 
Hi Stacy,
The family child care home you envisioned will be a wonderful place for all children to grow and develop into caring, competent and confident individuals. The environment you created will allow them to explore their curiosities about themselves and their peers through the materials, furniture, books, and learning activities that you provided. I love your idea of the having a family tree where the children can place photos of their families. In the media segment, Ms. Castillo notes that often times the children have a hard time separating from their parents when they are dropped off, and seeing photos or things that remind them of home makes a connection (Laureate Education, Inc. 2011).
Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Welcome to an anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: Author
LikeLike
Hello Stacy,
I really enjoyed reading about your childcare center.You have imagine a perfect design without a blueprint. I think your description of the center represents much need anti-bias learning environment where all the children and their families will be glad to be a part of. Even the name of the center is a big stand out whereas it describes unity and social justice. If this is your true goal planning after completing this program, you have a good vivid design. According to Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010), an anti-bias program should reflect the diverse cultural aspects of each family who are a part of your family-center (p.43). Thank you for a wonderful post!
Reference:
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J O (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
LikeLike