The Purpose of Building Blocks: Strategies for Inclusion Training Program is:
- to promote inclusion in child care programs
- to encourage early childhood educators to use their creative resources to support the needs of all the children in their child care program.
During the training program, early childhood educators are encouraged to think critically about important issues that surround inclusion within child care programs. Some of these issues include developing program philosophies and policies, addressing administrative challenges , building partnerships in the community, and locating the necessary resources to support inclusion. Educators are also guided through a simple 5 step problem solving process used to assist them in creatively addressing everyday challenges. Through observation and detailed analysis, educators are encouraged to come up with practical solutions to everyday problems. These solutions pave the way to developing practical programming that meets the needs of the individual child, and the child care program as a whole.
Key Principles
The Building Blocks : Strategies for Inclusion Training Program is based on the following principles:
- All children can be active participants in their communities to their own capacity.
- Early childhood educators already have many talents and resources at their fingertips to meet the challenge of inclusion.
- Teamwork is essential in the building of inclusive child care programs.
- Parents have a central role in the care and education of their children.
- Communities have a responsibility to assist and support inclusive child care.
- Basic problem solving strategies are an important first step to meeting everyday challenges around inclusion.
