Sharing Web Resources

The website I chose was the National Black Child Development Institute.  https://www.nbcdi.org. They work to engage leaders, policymakers, other professionals and parents around the issues that impact the lives and of young African American children.  They help pair families with very important and necessary resources such as healthcare, education, literacy, child welfare and family engagement.  With the support of our Affiliate network in communities across the country, we are committed to our mission to improve and advance the quality of life for Black children and their families through education and advocacy"(NBCDI, 2018).

The aspect of the NBCDI that resonates is that they are one of few entities that exclusively dedicate themselves to the development of young black children.  So many websites and foundations are available to the multitude of children.  However, there is a great need of support for many black children.  Many African American children are overlooked due to the systemic racial oppression of the African American community.  With a specific and relentless focus on the strengths and needs of our communities, and a lens of cultural competence, we serve as a national resource agency providing programs, publications, advocacy and trainings related to early childhood care and education; health and wellness; literacy and family engagement.

One of the issues that caught my attention was their work to to fight for racial equity.  "On November 19, 2014, President Barack Obama signed the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 into law. This Law reauthorizes the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and makes significant advances to support early learning and financial security for families and children. New regulations, released in September 2016, include provisions designed to 1) strengthen requirements to protect the health and safety of children in child care; 2) help parents make informed consumer choices and access information to support child development; 3) provide equal access to stable, high-quality child care for low-income children; and 4) enhance the quality of child care and the early childhood workforce"(James & Matthews, 2017).  The NBCDI presents information to combat against the violations of civil rights in Mississippi.  Shedding light to the unfair practices of governing agencies against African American children and their families.  Asking that the state support AA families that enrol in childcare assistance programs.  They NBCDI also presented initiative that states ensure that African American children have equal opportunity and access to high quality early learning programs.  s. Increases in quality improvement resources should benefit providers across a diverse range of communities to make high-quality early learning programs accessible where participating families live and work.

The work f NBCDI is invaluable.  It is unfortunate that their services are necessary.  However, in 2018 there is substantial evidence that the African American children have been treated unfairly and suffer from lack of opportunity and access to important resources.  I support the NBCDI and recently joined in their initiative in order to bring about change and additional support in the my community. There are going to be some people who read this blog and think, maybe it is not just African American children but all children need support and resources.  I would agree that in some areas that would be true.  I would like to ask each of you to read the News portion of the website and shuffle through the articles to get a feel for what really happens in the lives of young African American children. 

James, C., & Matthews, H. (2017, March). Childcare and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Racial Equity. Retrieved from National Black Child Development Institute: https://www.nbcdi.org/sites/default/files/resource-files/NBCDI_CLASP%20Policy%20Brief%20CCDBG%20and%20Racial%20Equity.pdf

NBCDI. (2018). News. Retrieved from https://www.nbcdi.org/news