Chapter 7 Scenario: Protecting Children’s Safety

Objective and scenario

To develop and evaluate an action plan that addresses the safety of children’s environments.

You are a stay-at-home mother of a 3-year old. You recently decided to open a child care program in your home to earn some extra income while caring for your own child. The program will be available 3 days a week and accommodate up to five children, between the ages of 3 and 5 years, in addition to your own. You have done extensive reading about high-quality early childhood programs and want to incorporate these features into your program. The first two children who plan to enroll are typically developing 4-year-olds. The third child to enroll has special mobility needs and she uses a wheelchair.

Focus assignment

1. List at least six general safety factors that must be addressed in high-quality programs. Identify and describe at least four additional factors that you must consider in order to accommodate a child who uses a wheelchair.
2. Be sure to read the REFLECTION section below to guide your thinking. Write your reflection response after you have completed your plan.

Self-evaluation

1. For each item in your action plan:
a. Explain how this item addresses the issues in the scenario.

2. Describe and justify how your action plan would improve teaching and learning in the scenario.