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5 JUNE 1999
ListenListen to this

practice

"...to assist the children over the hurdles of daily events..."

Brenda Farley

As a prospective worker entering the field of child care, I viewed all child care workers as special people ... people who were willing to give their time and best efforts towards the task of making life a little bit easier for different types of children by caring, showing concern and helping them learn how to cope with society. I realised that this was no easy task. A lot is demanded from child care workers. They are responsible for their children and the children demand attention from these workers. In most cases, there is a big turnover of staff because they receive little pay in relation to the responsibilites and tasks they are required to fulfil. I felt that the workers continued with their jobs, although being underpaid, because they were more concerned about the child's welfare. I, too, was concerned. I became interested, and I transferred to a college where a child care curriculum was offered. With the influence and encouragement of my supervisors, and the information and education from my courses, my interest in child care soared.

I had the opportunity to work at an agency for my field placement. While working at this particular agency for several weeks, I faced a startling revelation ...not all child care workers care. Some workers in this agency showed little, if any, concern towards the needs and interests of their children. They did not take an active part in preparing or carrying out a recreational activity. The activity takes up a large portion of the day in this agency. Another portion of the day, while I was there, was dinner. Some counsellors wouldn't go to dinner with their children. These counsellors found much more interesting things to do to occupy their time, such as sewing, talking to other counsellors, or talking to friends on the telephone. How do the children feel? I feel that this is neglect. The child is not given the attention, support or encouragement that is needed to develop a good self-concept and a strong ego. Society feels that the child was – supposedly – brought out of an unhealthy environment, away from people who could not, or would not provide for the child's needs. The child was then placed in an environment that may provide housing and food – but lacks the staff who are enthused about and willing to assist the children over the hurdles of daily events, through the mud hole of a poor self-concept, and down the home stretch to adequately prepare them for the future that lies ahead of them.

I realise that there are many child care workers who do care and are concerned about the welfare of their children. To each of you to whom this applies, I want you to know that this does encourage prospective students to continue in this chosen vocation. Maybe through your efforts and ours, we can make the children's lives more worth while. If we look at life as a race we all have to run, then we're all in this together. Some children lack the proper directions for the race. We, as lthe child care workers who give directions and run the race with children, or are we the child care workers who trip the children up with our lack of caring so they have no possible chance to win this race?

The International Child and Youth Care Network
THE INTERNATIONAL CHILD AND YOUTH CARE NETWORK (CYC-Net)

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