Article Link: http://stage.exchangepress.com/article/doing-what-is-right-ethical-perspectives-on-child-abuse/5019154/
Families trust early childhood educators to care for their young children. They expect us to keep children safe, meet their physical and psychological needs, support their development and help them learn. In other words, what they want is for us to care for their children as if they were our own. And what every one of us would want first and foremost for a child who was placed in the care of another, is that he or she be kept safe from harm. Every profession has a covenant with society that spells out its mission and promises that it will conduct itself with acceptable moral standards.Early childhood educators have committed ourselves to the care and education of young children, and though it is not enforced, we have a code of ethics that communicates our ethical responsibilities. The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, first adopted in l989 after a long process of consultation with NAEYC members, is based on the distinctive values of the field of early childhood education and care. It spells out our responsibilities to children, families, colleagues and community and society, and provides guidance for dealing with ethical issues that arise in early childhood programs. The Code has ...