Date of Award
1-1-1992
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Child and Youth Care Administration
Advisor
June S. Delano
Keywords
Day Care, Preschool, Early Childhood Education and Coaching, Collaboration, Consultation, Systems-Change, Staff Development.
Abstract
This practicum was designed to increase enrollment of preschool children with special needs in seven regular daycare centres. When the practicum was initiated, no children with special needs were enrolled in these centres. Corollary aims were to improve the attitudes of daycare directors and staffs towards integration; to increase parental and community awareness of integration; to keep governmental daycare staff aware of the program in progress; and to introduce concepts of "appreciating differences" to non-handicapped preschool children. Five out-of-centre and two in-centre workshops were held: (wo with directors-only; the others with key staff. As the actual intervention began, it quickly became apparent that issues of "power and control" were paramount, despite earlier indications that issues of programming, training, parental opinion, and concerns about children were preventing pro-active integration decisions. The directors-only workshops focused on policy-level concerns, particularly those regarding probable changes in relationships with the government, were the centres to integrate. The extremely independent directors were very cautious about surrendering their program autonomy for a permissive program that would bring them little funding, prestige, or power. Key staff, as well as line staff, were also primarily concerned about issues of "control and power." Attitude was measured by a pre/post instrument, combining elements from Hanson & Haring (1988) and Denholm (1990). Outcomes of this practicum were very positive. The three children with special needs, who applied during the intervention, are now enrolled in regular daycare programs; staff/director attitudes towards integration have become more positive, in all cases. And although not the major focus of this intervention, parents, community, and non-handicapped children have been exposed to concepts of integration. The outcomes of this practicum clearly support the idea that change within the daycare environment must start by addressing the attitudes of directors and staff, not by introducing new pedagogical elements.