The International ECE Community

     In the international community of the early childhood profession, I am drawn to agencies that work with orphaned children, or those with disabilities, perhaps because I desire to serve children who have the fewest resources. Save the Children initially appealed to me because it was founded and is based in The United States. An Early Childhood Professional does not have to travel outside of home borders to find children who struggle with poverty, lack of health care resources, protection from family and environmental threats, or lack of appropriate developmental stimulation. Save the Children was started in Appalachia, during the Great Depression, and stretched overseas to help children in war-torn, post-WWII Europe. Today, they work world-wide in disaster relief as well as in long-term restoration of basic children's rights to survival, protection, development, and participation. Positions posted at Save the Children are of limited duration, an appealing option to anyone who is looking for a variety of experiences. Information about Save the Children can be found at http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

     In Budapest, Hungary, The Pickler Institute, at

http://pikler.org/AboutUs.html 

serves orphaned infants and toddlers, and educates caregivers about their methods of providing tender attention within an institutional environment. The Institute has conducted long-term research about the success of the chidlren who have been cared for in the Pickler methods, and is a model for all institutional care, including child day care in the United States. The Institute is interesting, however I believe that job opportunities are limited by its small size and budget.

      Whole Child International, at

http://www.wholechild.org/vision/ also serves children living in group homes by providing training in developmentally appropriate early childhood practice. The three corners of their vision are attachments for children, continuity of caregiving, and small groups. The description of Whole Child International's efforts in Nicauragua include director and caregiver training, creating appropriate environments for children with limited resources, and creating meaningful histories for children without guardianship. The website indicated that recruiting for positions is a slow process.

     Working for any of these agencies would require me to be fluent in Spanish or French. Immersion may force fluency of my street and classroom Spanish, and so working in a Spanish-speaking country might be a possible option for me. My lack of foreign language ability, however, limits the flexibility I have and may compromise my personal safety serving outside of English-speaking nations. In addition, social skills and personal habits that accept modest living will be needed traits to live where infrastructure many not always provide electricity, transportation, water or plumbing, or comfortable housing. As poor as some of our American communities seem, many areas in the global early childhood envionment are without even basic, survival resources. American early childhood professionals must be gracious guests in foreign homes.