EARLY CHILDHOOD CODES OF ETHICS
As Early Childhood professionals, we need guiding principles
to help us check our conduct in our professional activities. We need these
guidelines in order for us as professionals in the early childhood field to
conduct ourselves properly for the benefit of the children in our care.
NAEYC and DEC have gone a long way at ensuring that these
guiding principles are in place to assist us in putting our best in our work.
NAEYC’s Ethical Responsibility to Children:
1-1.1
To
be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care education and to
stay informed through continuing education and training.
This is very important to me (and any
early childhood professional) because the more educated and informed I am, the
more professionally sound I would be in delivering/exercising my
responsibilities as an early childhood
professional; and the better I would be in advocating for the field.
1-2.2 To develop
relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we
serve.
As professionals in the early childhood field,
there is need for us to establish relationships with the families of the
children in our care; relationships that can bread mutual trust and respect for
each other in the interest of the children, because parents need to be assured
that their children are in good/safe hands.
Responsibility to Employers.
1-3B.1 To assist the program in providing the highest quality
of service.
As an employee, I owe a responsibility to my employer,
to give in my best with regards to my
work. I need to show the highest possible level of
responsibility/responsiveness, and commitment to the welfare of the children in
my care.
SOURCE
NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement
of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf
DEC’s
Code of Ethics:
I Professional
Practices
1. We shall demonstrate in our behavior
and language respect and appreciation for the unique value and human potential
of each child.
The use of appropriate language and
behavior towards children with disabilities and their families can make or mar the children’s zeal to reach their full
potential. There is need for us as early childhood professionals to understand
that there is ability in disability; as such we should use appropriate language
and behavior when handling children with disabilities and their families in
order for us to bring out the best in these children.
II Professional Development and
Preparation
1. We shall engage in ongoing and systematic
reflective inquiry and self-assessment for the purpose of professional
performance and services to young children with disabilities and their families
If we are professionally trained to
handle children with disabilities, our work with them is easier to perform,
because we would then have the capacity to handle them well depending on their
uniqueness. This can easily be done through continuous professional training.
III Responsive
family centered Practices
1. We shall demonstrate our respect and
concern for children, families, colleagues, and others when we work, honouring
their beliefs, values, customs, language, and culture.
2. This is very important to me because
of the nature of my country; multi-lingual, multi-religious, and multi-cultural.
As an early childhood professional I need to be able to strike a balance
between these factors because I would be dealing with children from different
parts of the country( with different taboos and cultural/religious values) with
different forms of disabilities.
I strongly believe that both NAEYC and DEC
are working tirelessly to ensure equity among children of diverse cultures and
abilities. And with the guiding principles they have provided, we as
professionals in the early childhood field have a resource we can always look
on to make our jobs easier and more beneficial to the children of countries and
the world at large.
SOURCE
The Division
for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved
May 26, 2010, from
http://www.dec-sped.org/
http://www.dec-sped.org/
