Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/including-children-with-challenging-behavior-in-your-child-care-community/5016432/
The director of a child care center is not only an advocate for high quality, affordable, and accessible early care and education, but also an advocate for the children in her center, their families, and the center’s staff. During the 21 years I served as the director of a community-based child care center, I found that balancing everyone’s needs was one of the most rewarding �" and difficult �" parts of my job. It was never harder than when Andrew attended the center.A child with challenging behavior, Andrew raised the question, “Whose needs take priority?”. Those of the child with challenging behavior, who doesn’t have the skills to cope with the circumstances of his life? Those of the other children, who no longer feel safe and can’t enjoy themselves in child care? Those of the parents of the child with challenging behavior, who are at their wits’ end dealing with their child at home? Those of the parents of the other children, who
are afraid to send their child to the center because of the stories they’re hearing? Or those of the staff, who are burned out from caring for a child who is endangering the safety of others and ...