This document provides guidance and resources for two application assignments in an early childhood course. The first assignment involves creating an action plan to address the needs of young children and families affected by a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina. Students are asked to discuss what early childhood professionals need to know about the impact of such events, ideas from expert resources on assisting children and families, and specific ways the student could help in their role. The second assignment involves creating an action plan for supporting young children experiencing a family loss like the death of a grandparent. Students are asked to discuss child development considerations, ideas from resources on how children of different ages grieve, and specific suggestions for helping families support infants, toddlers and preschoolers coping with loss

1. 2 Application Assignments
Week1 ApplicationLearning ResourcesRequired ResourcesNote: To open PDF documents,
you will need the Adobe® Reader® software (available as a
freedownload at: http://get.adobe.com/reader/).Course Text: Berns, R. M. (2013). Child,
family, school, community: Socialization and (9th ed.). Belmont, CA:
Thomson/Wadsworth.Chapter 1, “Ecology of the Child” (pp. 3–31)Chapter 2, “Ecology of
Socialization” (pp. 33–69)Resources for Action Plan 1Web Article: Children as Victimes of
Hurrican
Katrinahttp://www.extension.purdue.edu/cfs/topics/HD/ChildrenVictimsHurrKatrina.pdf
Article: Callebs, S. (2008). Divorce Stalks Katrina survivors. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/08/29/broken.homes.katrina/Article: L
oney, J. (2008). Nearly 40,000 Katrina Families still in mobile homes. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.reuters.com/article/2008/04/02/us-storm-hurricanes-katrina-
idUSN0239834420080402?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0Article: Shriver, M.
(2008). How to help kids cope with disaster: Ten tips. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_S
ite.htmArticle: Lazarus, P. J., Jimerson, S. R., & Brock, S. E. (2003). Helping children after a
natural disaster: Information for parents and teachers. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/naturaldisaster_ho.aspxOptional
ResourcesWeb Article: After a Disaster: Helping Young Children
Healhttp://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/NCTSN_Disaster_Guidelines.pdf?docID=2
162&AddInterest=1142Web Article: Helping Children After a
Disasterhttp://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Helping+Children+After+a+Disaster§ion=Facts+f
or+FamiliesApplication: Action PlansThe information and knowledge that you gain from
this course will help you develop five Action Plans (one for each week of the course) focused
on responding to contemporary issues and events that impact young children. For each
Action Plan, you will ask yourself a form of the following questions:What do I need to know
to understand the situation and needs of children and families?What ideas and advice from
experts may be useful in assisting children and families?What will I, as an early childhood
professional, be able to do to help young children and their families?Besides helping you
synthesize your learning each week, each of the Action Plans you create may be useful to
your future work with children and families and a resource that you can share with other
early childhood professionals.The focus of each Action Plan is as follows:Action Plan 1: ing
Children’s Needs Following a DisasterAction Plan 2: ing Young Children Through a Family

2. LossAction Plan 3: Addressing Maltreatment—The Role of Early Childhood
ProfessionalsAction Plan 4: ing Families of DivorceAction Plan 5: Advocating for Children
and Families in Your CommunityNote: The Action Plans may or may not be directly tied to
the content covered in each week.Action Plan 1: ing Children’s Needs Following a
DisasterThis week, you have been learning about the ways that children are continually
influenced by the world in which they live, particularly the microsystem of the family. You
have also learned that microsystems are not the only source of influence on children’s
development. Sometimes changes in the larger world—t he chronosystem—also impact the
microsystems of family, school, and community.As the world entered the 21st century, a
number of events and tragedies have greatly affected the lives of children and families. In
the United States, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and
greater economic uncertainty have brought about dramatic changes. The increased
presence of the mass media in everyday life brings traumatic events into nearly every home,
often in real time, potentially increasing their impact on every microsystem. ing young
children and advising families in how to meet children’s needs in the face of these
challenges is often part of the work of early childhood professionals.For your first Action
Plan, you will think about the ramifications of such events by exploring the effects of
Hurricane Katrina, which impacted the lives of young children in New Orleans, Mississippi,
and Alabama through physical and emotional distress. This distress was further
exacerbated by Katrina-related challenges faced by their families, such as finding housing
and jobs. For some families, these challenges have continued over a period of years. Lessons
learned from Katrina about how we can young children and their families can be applied to
many situations.Action Plan Professional Scenario: Imagine you are an early childhood
professional working with young children and families in the Gulf region who are still
struggling with the effects of Hurricane Katrina.Before you create your Action Plan,
consider:What does an early childhood professional need to know in order to understand
the situation and needs of these children and families?What ideas and advice from experts
may be useful in assisting children and families?What can early childhood professionals do
to help, either directly, by suggesting activities and advice, or by referring the family to
other community resources and professionals?The following steps will help you address the
above points and, in turn, create an Action Plan that may be useful in your future work.1.
What You Need to Know: Learning About the Impact of KatrinaReview and reflect on the
following four resources. The first article was written immediately after Hurricane Katrina.
The other articles provide updates on the current situation for some victims of
Katrina.Children as Victims of Hurricane
Katrinahttp://www.ces.purdue.edu/cfs/topics/HD/ChildrenVictimsHurrKatrina.pdfDivorc
e Stalks Katrina Survivors (PDF)Nearly 40,000 Katrina Families Still in Mobile
Homes (PDF)Helping Katrina-affected Children
Recoverhttp://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6150569/apps/s/conte
nt.asp?ct=86482872. Ideas and Advice: Checking ResourcesReview the following links
which offer resources for helping young children, including those affected by Katrina and
disasters that have occurred since. Take notes on ideas that you think would be valuable for
children coping with the kinds of Katrina-related issues that you have read about.How to

3. Help Kids Cope with Disaster: Ten Tips (PDF)Helping Children Cope with Natural
Disastershttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occHelping Children after a Natural Disaster:
Information for Parents and Teachers (PDF)3. Taking Action: ing Children and Families in
NeedConsider what you have learned about the components of microsystems, in this case,
children’s needs with respect to their family life and routines and their sense of security.
For Action Plan 1, write:Five bullet points covering essential information with regard to
what early childhood professionals need to know in order to understand the needs of young
children and their families who have been affected by a natural disaster such as Hurricane
KatrinaFive bullet points covering useful information and/or suggestions from expertsTwo
problems related to the impact of Katrina with regard to disruption of children’s family life
and routines and sense of security, and specific ways you, as an early childhood
professional, could the child and family that would help to address these problemsA
summary of how what you have learned about the effects of Hurricane Katrina will help you
and other early childhood professionals children’s needs following this type of
disasterAssignment length: 2–3 pagesWK2 ApplicLearning ResourcesRequired
ResourcesCourse Text: Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Chapter 3,
“Ecology of the Family” (pp. 77–104, read up to “Religious Orientation”; pp. 109–110, read
from “Meeting the Challenge of Change: Family Empowerment”)Chapter 4, “Ecology of
Parenting” (pp. 115–126, read up to “Chronosystem Influences on Parenting”; pp. 135–150,
read from “Parenting Styles”)Article: Scott, J., & Leonhardt, D. (2005, May 15). Class matters:
Shadowy lines that still divide.The New York Times. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/15/national/class/OVERVIEW-
FINAL.html?scp=1&sq=%20Class%20matters:%20Shadowy%20lines%20that%20still%20
divide&st=cse&_r=0Resources for Action Plan 2Article: KidsAid. (n.d.). Young children and
grief. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from
http://kidsaid.com/dougypage.htmlArticle: Hecker, B. (2005). Magical thinking: Children
may blame themselves for a parent’s illness and death. Retrieved from
http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/viewer/Pages/index.aspx?p=413Article: The National
Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children. (n.d.). Infant and toddler grief.Retrieved February
13, 2009, from http://www.tlcinst.org/toddlergrief.htmlArticle: Kids Health. (n.d.). Helping
your child deal with death. Retrieved June 23, 2011,
fromhttp://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/death.htmlArticle: American
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (n.d.). Facts for families: Children and
grief [Fact sheet]. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from
http://aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_and_griefOptional ResourcesWeb
Article: Social Classhttp://www.healthline.com/galecontent/social-classWeb Article: Social
Class – Categories, Measurement, Effects –
Conclusionhttp://social.jrank.org/pages/595/Social-Class.htmlWeb Article: Building
Family Strengths:
Overviewhttp://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/psapublishing/PAGES/FYD/FL520.pdfWeb
Article: Helping Children When a Family Member Has Cancer: Dealing with a Parent’s
Terminal
Illnesshttp://www.cancer.org/Treatment/ChildrenandCancer/HelpingChildrenWhenaFami

4. lyMemberHasCancer/DealingWithaParentsTerminalIllness/indexWeb Article: Children and
Death: A Guide for Caring
Adultshttp://web2.msue.msu.edu/Bulletins/Bulletin/PDF/Historical/finished_pubs/e1944
/e1944-1986.pdfApplication: Action Plan 2: ing Young Children Through a Family LossThis
week, you have been learning about the vital role of the family in the socialization of
children. The course text highlighted many changes in the composition and functioning of
families over time, notably the influence of divorce, single parenting, and step-parenting.
This week, for your second Action Plan, you will focus on ways to children through an event
that was not covered in your text but one that, as an early childhood professional, you may
face while working with young children and their families: the death of a close family
member. You may already be aware that children respond to and have a different
understanding of death than adults. Use the knowledge of child development that you have
gained so far, your perception of family ecology from the readings this week, and the
specific articles provided below in developing your Action Plan.Action Plan Professional
Scenario: Imagine you are working in an early childhood setting that cares for and teaches
children ages 0–5. Two families in your program share a grandmother who has been an
active and loving caregiver for their children—an infant, a toddler, and a preschooler. The
grandmother has recently passed away and you want to these families by helping them
understand how infants, toddlers, and preschoolers grieve in order to help the children with
this loss.Before you create your Action Plan, consider:What does an early childhood
professional need to know in order to understand the situation and needs of these children
and families?What ideas and advice from experts may be useful in assisting children and
families?What can early childhood professionals do to help, either directly, by suggesting
activities and advice, or by referring the family to other community resources and
professionals?As you prepare this Action Plan, keep the focus on gathering and identifying
the knowledge and ideas that you can best share with parents and other key adults.
Remember that working directly with children as a grief counselor is an area of expertise
that you may choose to pursue. However, as an early childhood professional, you are most
qualified to help young children in this area by ing the significant adults in their lives and
remaining consistent, sensitive, and caring.Follow these steps to create your Action Plan:1.
What You Need to Know: Learning About How Children at Different Ages Respond to
DeathNaturally, children respond to situations in their own ways often based on where they
are developmentally; sometimes based on temperament. Keep this uniqueness in mind as
you read the following articles on children and grief. Although there is some overlap, you
will find that all three help to clarify how young children of different ages respond to death.
As you read, take notes on important developmental information and ideas that you think
are important to share with parents/family members:Infant and Toddler
Grief (PDF)Helping Your Child Deal with Death and Loss (PDF)Facts for Families: Children
and Grief3. Taking Action: ing the Whole Family in Responding to LossWith knowledge and
ideas in hand, you’re ready to suggest ways to young children in dealing with a family loss.
Use the information and advice from the articles to make your plan. Think of it as preparing
a script for meeting with the parents or other significant family adults. Include the following
in your plan:Part I: ing an InfantExplain in your own words:Developmental information

5. about what an infant may feel or understand about a family deathPossible ways that an
infant may respond to a family deathSpecific advice from experts on how to help an infant
through a family lossPart II: ing a ToddlerExplain in your own words:Developmental
information about what a toddler may feel, believe, or understand about a family
deathPossible ways that a toddler may respond to a family deathSpecific advice from
experts on how to help a toddler through a family lossPart III: ing a PreschoolerExplain in
your own words:Developmental information about what a preschooler may feel, believe, or
understand about a family deathPossible ways that a preschooler may respond to a family
deathThree specific ideas or activities the family can do at home to help a preschooler
through a family lossAs you write your plan, remember the following:Your goal is to help
parents/family members understand how infants, toddlers, and preschoolers may respond
to the family loss.Parents/family members are most likely grieving, too. Consider their
feelings in explaining their children’s needs.Choose language that you would feel
comfortable using—language that is respectful and sensitive—to create a model
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