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“We must question standards if they result in limiting our ability to help children grow to their fullest potential. Part of our role as leaders in the field is to interpret, to inquire, and to help shape standards and regulations through engagement and advocacy,”

With this provocation in Illuminating Care, Carol Garboden Murray continues:

One example that comes to mind is the regulation in many states which mandates a naptime for children in full day childcare…This regulation rightly speaks to the child’s need for a balanced schedule, which includes planning for active and restful periods. Unfortunately, some childcare programs interpreted this regulation as a mandate to force naps and set in place practices where teachers required all children to lay on their cots every day for 2 hours in the afternoon without any alternative activities…After years of misinterpretation, …updated regulations in many states require that child care programs must create a developmental nap policy to make provisions for children who do not fall asleep.

These examples demonstrate the healthy and necessary tension between regulations, best practices for child wellness, and interpretation, and the importance of ongoing dialogue as we work together with government agencies as friends, protectors and advocates of children. Unfortunately, too often regulation agencies and child care programs who enter into these important and necessary engagements are bated against one another because of a climate of violation, fines and penalties. I believe that as we develop a strong rationale about the inseparability of education and care, and demonstrate excellent care practices as core values, it will help us navigate the many pressures and expectations that ultimately shape program design for young children in our country. Regulations are in place to support children and support us, but they cannot be confused with the values which guide our pedagogy.

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