Ethics in Education

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Council for Execeptional Children (CEC) both have mission statements that define their code of ethics. I was assigned the task to read these ethics and choose three that are meaningful to me and consider how each are a part of my professional life. Sounds easy enough, right. NOT EVEN! As I was reading each list of ethical behavior in early childhood education I realized that much of what I believe aligns with these statements. Choosing three to focus on was very difficult so I decided to focus on three important areas of ethics: respect of the child, responsibility to the family and dedication to professional growth.

Respect of the Child
The most important part of an early childhood education program is the children. It is crucial that we value the individuality and uniqueness of each child. Building an environment where children can learn, grow and trust is imperative to their positive development. It is an important part of a caregivers job to advocate for those children who cannot speak for themselves.

Responsibility to the Family
Having healthy relationships within a family is crucial to the successful development of all children. It is the responsibility of the program to foster healthy relationships through educating parents and keeping them informed on child's progress. It is important for families to trust and feel secure that the environment that they are leaving their child is safe and caring. This will help create a working relationship between family and caregiver.

Dedication to professional growth
It is important that all members of the program stay up-to-date on best practices and strategies to use at each stage of development.