Kayla Carlin
EMT1 Task One

10 Interview Questions

1. What strengths does your community hold?
2. What weaknesses does your community hold?
3. What does your community do to strengthen the weaknesses?
4. What head start/early childhood programs are available in your area?
5. Are their resources for children with special needs?
6. Are their non-profits around the area for those families with low income? If so, where are the closest available and what kind?
7. What kind of recreation is available for children in your community?
8. How does the community support the schools in the area?
9. How are the schools rated in your community?
10. Is your community recommended for growing and raising a family and why?

Kayla Carlin
EMT1- Task One

Summary

For this task, I chose two different members of the community who are involved in the early childhood community. My first interviewee was a preschool director from a local preschool in Sammamish, Washington. She has been working in early childhood for over twenty years, serving as a teacher, program director, then a director of a preschool. She also has one child of her own that attends school in the same community that she works in.
My second interviewee is a nanny in the area. She has been working for families in the area for the last five years. She has worked for families of different cultures and different family types. Being a nanny, she has experienced many of the community’s recreational events and facilities for young children.
When working with young children it is important to know about your community and the education your community provides for children. Whether you have grown up in your community or you are moving into a new community it is important to know the strengths and weaknesses so you can prepare your family for any problems or situations you may endure. I have only lived in Sammamish, WA for a little under a year so when conducting this interview, I was eager to hear about the community for a stand point of people who have lived here for years.
Throughout both interviews I got a lot of the same answers for the two of them. Both agreed that Sammamish is one of the best places to raise a family. It was actually named one of the best cities to live in. However, I did discover some weaknesses throughout the community that I was not previously aware of. The family dynamic in Sammamish is different that a lot from what you normally see in the Seattle outskirts. The average income for a family is roughly around $150,000 per household. This is a lot higher than a lot of communities.
With higher incomes, family dynamics change. Most families have two working parents, leaving children to be raised by nannies or daycares. This can lead to many issues when they begin to mature. Also, being high income there becomes a lot of pressures for kids to fit in and have the coolest things. These pressures lead to high suicide rates. Because of these weaknesses, the city of Sammamish has put forth many efforts to help lower rates and help educate parents on what to be aware of and how to prevent it. They encourage the community to do many family events through their community centers and commons.
When starting to talk more about the young children in the community. We started by discussing the head start programs in the area. I was informed that there are many different kinds that are available. From daycare centers, Montessori schools, religious and non religious preschools, YMCA centers, and more. Also, there are many different schools that focus on special needs children. There are many different both non-profit and state funded organizations that offer help with nutrition, physical and mental disabilities, and cognitive delays. There are many resources for both families that can pay for special services and those families that cannot afford any extras.
Overall, Sammamish has great involved community. They support the schools by involving members of the community by inviting and sponsoring school events. There are tons of parks and lakes up on the Sammamish Plateau that offer a family friendly environment. If you go over one city to Bellevue, your selection of recreational places and events broadens a ton. They have children’s museums and many educational recreational places for families. I am excited to work with the families in this community due to all of the support of the community.