Transcript Document
Quest for Inclusion “Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.” Lady Bird Johnson “When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments: tenderness for what he is and respect for what he will become.” Louis Pasteur “Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation” Everett Koop Learning Outcomes • Participants will have an understanding of the SpecialQuest Birth - Five Initiative and approach to inclusion • Participants will learn how the NM State Leadership Team functions and how it supports inclusive practice • Participants will learn how to access SpecialQuest Birth – Five resources to assist with implementing inclusive practices in their community. What are your thoughts and feelings about inclusion? “Creating Bright Futures” Draft Definition and Position Statement on Inclusion from DEC/NAEYC …The defining features of inclusion that can be used to identify high quality early childhood programs and services include (1) access, (2) participation, (3) supports. History of SpecialQuest “Be ever watchful for the opportunity to shelter little children with the umbrella of your charity. . . . For, as they must bear the burdens of our mistakes, so are they in their innocence the repositories of our hopes for the upward progress of humanity.” — Conrad Nicholson Hilton National SpecialQuest Birth–Five Vision “States and local communities, including Early Head Start and Head Start programs and their community partners, collaborate to provide high quality inclusive services for young children with disabilities and their families.” NM State Leadership Team Partners • • • • • • • • • • • • • • NM Head Start Collaboration Office NM Public Education Department , Special Education Bureau NM Department of Health, Family Infant Toddler Program NM Children, Youth and Families Department, Office of Child Development NM Early Childhood Higher Education Task Force UNM/Center for Development and Disability Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs (EPICS) NM SpecialQuest Community Graduates: Alamo Navajo Early Childhood Center and La Clinica de Familia Early Head Start Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) NM Association for the Education of Young Children NM Governor's Commission on Disability NM School for the Blind and Visually Impaired NM School for the Deaf Major components of SpecialQuest Birth–Five Vision: 1. SpecialQuest Birth–Five Vision State Leadership Teams 2. Ambassador Program and Graduate Activities 3. 4. 5. 6. Family Leadership SpecialQuest Community of Practice Materials Dissemination Continuous Improvement and Evaluation SpecialQuest Approach • Head, Heart, and Hands • Relationship and Team Based • Parallel Process and Continuous Improvement • Coaching, Facilitation and Follow-up • Built on solid foundation Benefits • • • • • More children with disabilities included Support for Families Increased Collaboration Training Opportunities Coordinated Efforts I Wanna Be… www.nichcy.org SpecialQuest Birth to Five Resources – Website at www.specialquest.org (resource bank, discussions, communications kit) – SpecialQuest Multimedia Training Library – Ambassadors and graduate teams Wrap-up –Continuous Improvement Feedback –What worked well? –Suggestions for improvement? What can you do to support inclusive practices? Together we’re better! Join the quest!