Saturday, January 14, 2012

SHARING WEB RESOURCES



National Black Child Development Institute http://nbcdi.org/



Since 1970, the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) has remained steadfast in its mission –“To improve and advance the lives of black children and their families through education and advocacy.” With a focus on early childhood education, child welfare, elementary and secondary education, and health, the Institute accomplishes this mission by:
1)      Serving as a vital information resource to all individuals who work directly with children, in particular child care professionals, educators, parents, social workers and academicians; and
2)      Providing direct services at the local level through its nationwide affiliate network composed of volunteers, who work in concert with the Institute to improve child welfare services, provide access to universal early care and education, build family support services, and provide vital information on children’s health. (National Black Child Development Institute [NBCDI], 2012).


Issue/Trend:

I was astonished by the level of success this organization has achieved:

  • Conducting a landmark study on children in foster care which resulted in subsequent progressive national policies;
  •  Advocating successfully for progressive adoption policies and subsidies that permitted older and single parents to adopt;
  • Working successfully to create public policy and influence legislation that directly affects the lives of African American children by testifying before Congress on every significant child care bill from the Comprehensive Child Development Act of 1970, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the School Construction Act of 1999 to the Consequences for Juvenile Offenders Act of 1999 and orchestrating a special hearing on parenting in 2000;
  •  Working to gain public support to provide access to universal early care and education which has become a priority for governors in more than half of the states;
  •  Promoting publicly supported quality child care programs for mothers who were entering the work force in increased numbers, resulting in the enactment and special allocation of funds by a substantial number of states for child care; 
  •  Implementing and expanding a community based nationwide intervention/prevention program entitled Entering the College Zone from five to twenty five cities to get more disadvantage middle school students on the college track;
  •  Providing leadership to agencies like the National Institute of Health (NIH) to decrease health disparities; and 
  • Building and nurturing partnerships with organizations ranging from the National Education Association (NEA), the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and a number of corporations like, United Parcel Service (UPS), Proctor and Gamble (P&G), State Farm Insurance Companies, and government agencies like the National Institute of Health (NIH)
(National Black Child Development Institute [NBCDI], 2012).

******I always hear about the overall accomplishments of other renowned Child Development Agencies/Associations,  but I seldom hear about what other cultures (specifically my own) are doing to further healthy development in children and families...

National Black Child Ddevelopment Institute. (2012, January 14). About, mission, initiatives, history. Retrieved from http://nbcdi.org/

1 comment:

  1. I really agree with progressive adoption policies and universal preschool, which your article touches upon. I plan on checking out this site. It looks like a good one! Good job

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