Environmental, Social & Economic Sustainability Strategies For Child Services Industry Context

Sustainability in Early Childhood Education Curriculum

Sustainability in the early childhood activity is an important part of the curriculum and should be incorporated in each childcare setting. Creation of the natural environment and the providing the natural material is an important way for the sustainability to occur. There is a greater need of a sustainable environment in child carecenter because within a short span of time, the climate change and the global warming are hitting the radar at all the levels.

The climatic change has surfaced mainly due to the global warming, which is caused due the rise of the average temperature of the earth due to the indiscriminate burning of the fossil fuels and the release of the harmful gases and rampant deforestation. The main rationale behind this discussion is that, a contribution can also be made from our part by reducing the CO₂ emission by switching off the appliances when not in use and energy efficient models like insulating the whole center by cavity wall insulation or loft insulation.

Ozone layer effect- Depletion of the ozone layers is exposing the humankind to the harmful cosmic rays of the sun, which can lead to skin cancer. Chlorine and chlorofluocarbon(CFCs) are the most harmful agents of the ozone layer depletion. Hence, the sustainable development plan should definitely include the plantation of the trees, using the refrigerators and the ACs that are ozone friendly and the do not use the HCFC and the CFC as the propellants². Another important factor behind the urgent need of a sustainable environment is the greenhouse effect. Mainly, the human activities, such as the burning of the fossil fuels, clearing of the forests are responsible for the greenhouse effects. Some of the activities that can easily be initiated from a household level involve-

Reduce-reuse-recycle, using less heat and the air conditioning system, replacing the light bulbs with CFLs, buying the energy efficient products, using less hot water, by setting the heater at a lesser degree, switching of the light of the center, planting trees and encouraging the community to do the same. 

Some of the important strategies involve involvement of the children in the discussion about the different sustainable practices, like noticing how the garbage bin is full, Encouraging the students to participate in the recycle programming and the development of the new strategies for recycling of the materials or the solid waste management. Again, for the older children, some of the environmental issues like the daily weather report, drought including the air quality index can be discussed with during the morning group time. They might also be educated about the different strategies that can be implemented for their peers having any disability.  Some can be allocated to record the findings to a chart. The preschoolers can be assigned to notice fans, the lights, and the other appliances left when not in use⁵.

The Urgent Need for Sustainable Environment in Child Care Centers

The center encourages awareness of the environmental responsibilities and implements practices that contribute to a sustainable future. Children are assisted to become environment friendly and to show respect to the environment.

The policy has been made taking in to consideration- the quality area 3: physical environment (National quality standards).

Aim- The aim of the policy is to ensure a safe and a sustainable environment. Sustainable practice will be encouraged within the day care center assisting the children and their parents for becoming the advocates for a sustainable future.

Although the energy consumption has been controlled to a certain level but, certain the waste disposal system of the center requires urgent attention. Keeping in mind the role of the center in proper waste management, the number of the containers for storing the rubbish form the center has to be increased. The kitchen wastes from the center can be used in composting or a soil enhancer.  The parents should be encouraged to bring reusable bottles and containers for the snacks and the lunch items. Again, the concept of worm farms has to be finally implemented in to practice. Notably, there are no recycling signs in the bin rooms, stock rooms, which has to be installed. Again, there is an increased need of awareness among the student themselves, parents and the staffs regarding the recycling of the wastes and about the importance of energy consumption. Although this childcare center is continuously thriving for a sustainable environment, these modifications are still required to be implemented.

Substances like the egg cartons, unused boxes, the empty containers, the bottle, the old calendars, staples are used for making crafts. Unused beads and the pipe cleaners can be used for creating new shapes. Bottle tops comes handy in all kinds of creative materials. Bottle tops can be used for the preparation of the magnetic robots. 

Recycled materials also cater to the preparation of interesting things for outdoor play. The unused tires can be used as swings; they are also used as tubs for the plants and sitting tools. The unused bottles can be used to facilitate water play for the children. Natural materials like rocks, sucks, pebbles or the tree bark and twig to the sand playing areas. Musical instruments can be made from the discarded tins and the cans. These activities are also suitable for the disabled children.

Again connecting the children to the nature through art and play and allowing the children to experience the natural environment by the natural environment like stone , wood and recycles materials, native vegetation , nesting boxes, trickle pons or the streams , potting bench with various gardening tools and cans for watering the plants.

Sustainable Practices for Child Care Centers

Implementation of the goals involves 1) consultation with the policies and the procedures. During the development of the policies and the procedures, it is necessary to consult all the relevant stakeholders such as the parents, the executive board and the administrator of the childcare center. 

2) Tailoring the policy to the needs of the childcare center- The policy for the sustainable development has to feasible as per the convenience of the childcare institute. For example, immediate initiatives can be taken about the energy consumption, waste management and vermicomposting.

3) A clear definition of the obligations- all the procedural steps has to be mentioned in clear English and obligation should be clearly defined

4) Making a realistic policy- The sustainable policy should be made in such a way such that every person residing in the center can follow it.

 5) Publicizing the policy and the procedures- Online forums or newsletters can be made mentioning the about the policy such that it can be disseminated to the parents and well as to others who are willing to admit their children in this center.

5) Training all the students, educators and the parents in the policy and the procedures- The educators, parents and the children can be educated about the different ways of making a different sustainable environment  

6) Being consistent in the implementation of the policies 7) regular reviewing the policies and the procedures. 

Adoption of the environmental sustainable practices can provide the children with varied range of valuable experiences. However, there are several challenges that that can come in the way of making a sustainable environment. One of the main challenge is that such sustainable development programs can lose focus and directions due to lack of the proper leadership. Funding is another big issue as most of the sustainability campaigns fall short of money and hence cannot be continued. Another key challenge that has been identified is to ensure a consistency between the home and the childcare settings. Hence, it is important for the childcare professionals to emphasize to the families about the educational values in adopting sustainable behaviors. Some of the other considerations that can be made is that the policies implemented for sustainable practices might be suitable for children with disability and the might not cater to the needs of the other children¹³. For example, the sustainable activities that will be chosen will support an inclusive classroom, which might not be age appropriate or too easy for those children without any special needs. This might give rise to a conflict of interest among the parents of the respective group.  

The outcome of the strategies can be evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively. Quantitative methods like structured interviews, questionnaires and tests can be used for obtaining the feedback from stakeholders. The quantitative survey can be used to measure the engagement of the students and the parents in the development of a sustainable environment in the center and their self-reported gains in different outcomes of the sustainability policy.

A qualitative methodology on the other hand is focuses more on the naturalistic approach to the subject matter. It can focus on the understanding how the people make meaning of and experience in their environment. An observational study and a field work has to be conducted. The data for the evaluation arises from the fieldwork and findings like interviews, documents and observations have to be made. Hence, the fieldwork would help us to assess whether any sustainable change had really taken place. 

References

ACECQA. Sustainability in children’s education and care. 2018.Access date: 24.2.2019. Retrieved from:https://wehearyou.acecqa.gov.au/2016/01/28/sustainability-in-childrens-education-and-care/

Davis, Julie M., ed. Young children and the environment. Cambridge University Press, 2014.

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Glasson, John, and Riki Therivel. Introduction to environmental impact assessment. Routledge, 2013.

Griggs, David, et al. “Policy: Sustainable development goals for people and planet.” Nature 495.7441 (2013): 305.

Hart, Roger A. Children’s participation: The theory and practice of involving young citizens in community development and environmental care. Routledge, 2013.

Hedefalk, Maria, Jonas Almqvist, and Leif Östman. “Education for sustainable development in early childhood education: A review of the research literature.” Environmental Education Research 21.7 (2015): 975-990.

Mohan, Sathish, et al. “Sustainable practices within a school?based intervention: a report from Project Healthy Schools.” World Medical & Health Policy 4.3-4 (2012): 80-89.

Reed, David. Structural adjustment, the environment and sustainable development. Routledge, 2013.

Richter, Linda M., et al. “Investing in the foundation of sustainable development: pathways to scale up for early childhood development.” The lancet 389.10064 (2017): 103-118.

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Shove, Elizabeth, and Nicola Spurling, eds. Sustainable practices: Social theory and climate change. Routledge, 2013.

Torres?Antonini, Maruja, and Zuzana Vatralova. “Greener Child Care: Parents’ Pro?environmental Values, Beliefs, Behaviors, and Knowledge and Their Child Care Preferences.” Journal of Interior Design 37.2 (2012): 1-18.

Xu, Zhiwei, et al. “Climate change and children’s health—A call for research on what works to protect children.” International journal of environmental research and public health 9.9 (2012): 3298-3316.

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