Lesson 3: NAEYC, Code of Ethical Conduct, & Confidentiality

I my opinion, young children deserve nothing less than our full commitment to their well-being. ~ Gaye Gronlund

Learning Outcomes

• Define important components of the NAEYC
• Explain the importance of confidentiality
• Discuss the significance of NAEYC, The Code of Ethical Conduct and Confidentiality

Teaching

Reading Assignments

1. Professionalism in Early Childhood Education Chapter 4 (pgs. 58-73)

2. Professionalism in Early Childhood Education Chapter 5 (pgs. 74-85)

3. Developmentally Appropriate Practice Forward & NAEYC Position Statement (pgs. vi-24)

Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Ethics and the Code of Conduct

Best practice in early childhood education is supported by policy and research. The leading organization promoting professionalism and superior quality is The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC is a membership organization, setting the standard for quality early childhood education. NAEYC is a resource for educators, families, policy makers, and advocates involved in early childhood education. 

In addition to membership, NAEYC offers accreditation for early childhood programs and conducts research in all areas of the field. By connecting best practice, policy, and research, NAEYC promotes excellence in care for children ages birth through 8 years and supports professionalism in the field of early childhood education.

NAEYC recognizes that those who work with young children face many daily decisions that have moral and ethical implications. The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct provides guidance for the many decisions facing early childhood educators. The Code of Ethical Conduct considers moral and ethical concerns and provides suggestions for resolving any issues. 

Moral and ethical situations in early childhood settings can vary greatly. It is difficult to plan for these situations as each is unique. The code provides a basis for making moral and ethically sound decisions supported by professional judgment. The Code includes a set of core values that are critical to your work in early childhood education.

Standards of ethical behavior in early childhood care and education are based on commitment to the following core values that are deeply rooted in the history of the field of early childhood care and education. We have made a commitment to:

• Appreciate childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle

• Base our work on knowledge of how children develop and learn

• Appreciate and support the bond between the child and family

• Recognize that children are best understood and supported in the context of family, culture, community, and society

• Respect the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of each individual (child, family member, and colleague)

• Respect diversity in children, families, and colleagues

• Recognize that children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust and respect

The code is divided into sections with multiple principles in each section, all based on and connected to the Core Values.

Section I – Ethical Responsibilities to Children
Section II – Ethical Responsibilities to Families
Section III – Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues
Section IV – Ethical Responsibilities to Community and Society

Confidentiality

Confidentiality in early childhood education is essential, having moral and ethical implications. The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct mentions confidentiality several times. Confidentiality in early childhood is essential regarding children, families, work situations, and co-workers. Teachers, children, families, co-workers, and others involved in the day to day functioning of a child care center spend a significant amount of time together and share a lot of experiences, both positive and negative. These experiences are private to all involved and should not be shared. 

In early childhood settings, educators are exposed to a significant amount of private information about children and families. This includes (but is not limited to) the child’s demographic information, contact information, medical history, and educational background.

Educators are also privy to parental expectations and restrictions (who can pick up child), dietary needs, and preferred childcare strategies. Educators also see children on a daily basis and observe certain behaviors or traits. All of these must be kept confidential. In regards to co-workers, an educator may also be privy to personnel records, employment observations, and personal conversations. These are also confidential. All records must be kept in secure locations such as a locked file cabinet. 

Early childhood educators often learn things from children unintentionally because children are not aware that certain things should not be shared. For example, when I was a family childcare provider, a little boy shared that his father slept without any pajamas on! The child thought it was the most amusing situation. It was important for me to maintain confidentiality in this situation by not sharing what the child had told me with anyone else. This is a fairly trivial example but demonstrates the day to day experiences someone in the field may have (especially when talking with young children). 

Often, early childhood educators are employed in the towns they live in or where they grew up. It would be unprofessional and unethical to share stories about your co-worker who you knew from high school or about the parent you knew years ago. It is also unprofessional and unethical to share stories about situations that happen in a child care setting with those not directly involved or on a need to know basis. 

When you work in a child care facility, you find out a lot of information about the children and their families. You may hear about divorces, affairs, illnesses, money problems, drug addictions, abuse, as well as other pieces of personal and sensitive information.  All of this information needs to be handled very carefully. 

Policies in most (if not all) early childhood settings are in place to enforce confidentiality. These policies should be strictly adhered to and enforced. Many states (if not all) have confidentiality information included in their child care regulations. It is your responsibility to be familiar with the policies in your state and setting. It is also your responsibility to act professionally and ethically and respect the rights of the children and families, as well as your co-workers. 

Confidential information should only be shared on a professional need to know basis or as a means of protection (as in abuse situations). If parents choose to permit the sharing of certain information, this permission must be identified in writing.
Permission must also be granted in writing for photographing within the capacity of the educational facility. Staff and volunteers are usually required to sign a confidentiality statement prior to working in a facility. As technology advances, there are greater risks involved with confidentiality (consider cell phones and over-heard conversations or photos taken on phones). 

Scenario –
A family comes in to do an application and has a three year old with an obvious disability.  Two other families come to pick up their children and start asking the staff, “Who is in there?  Is that a new family?  What is wrong with their child?”  The family you are doing the application with notices the other families staring and voices their concern about judgments.

This is a GREAT opportunity to:

• discuss with the new family how your facility respects and values family privacy

• ask the new family about how they want us to handle those questions from children AND parents

• remind current families about the confidentiality policy and how the facility respects and values family privacy

• take advantage of the “teachable moment” and discuss how everyone is unique and the value of inclusion

Sometimes people just want to learn for understanding. Sometimes they are concerned for the safety of their own child. Providing them with knowledge will help them understand and allay some of their fears. The parents of the child in question may be willing to provide information or host a get together to explain the situation and ways others can help. Be sure to keep the lines of communication open with the family of the child and be sure all staff clearly understand the expectations. 

The following list is retrieved from:

MAINTAINING CONFIDENTIALITY: FOUR TIPS TO HELP YOU HANDLE SENSITIVE INFORMATIONhttp://www.childcarecentral.com/Provider-Articles/35/daycare-teacher-maintain-confidentiality.html

1.     Keep yourself informed of all laws and regulations regarding the handling of personal information. 

Make sure you follow the guidelines set by the federal government, state government, the authority that licenses your program, and your employer.  These regulations cover what information must be shared (such as certain medical conditions or allergies) and what should be kept confidential.
 
2.     Don’t share information with people who don’t need it. 

Information should only be given to authorized people who need it to make decisions regarding the care of a specific child.  Some information should be shared with all caregivers who work at the facility the child attends, but most of it should only be shared with the people directly working with the child on a day-to-day basis.
 
3.     Keep written information in a safe place. 

Personal information should not be left lying around for other parents or staff members to see.  Keep information about the children in a safe place out of the way of prying eyes.  Some information (such as social security numbers) should be in a locked file cabinet or office.
 
4.     Don’t Gossip.

Share the information in a concise and informative manner with the people who need to be informed.  For example, say “Billy’s mom wanted me to let you know she is getting a divorce and she would like it if we could give him some extra attention and patience as this will be a difficult time for his family.”  It is unprofessional and inappropriate to gossip about a child or his family.  Don’t say, “Did you hear Billy’s mom is getting a divorce?  What do you think happened?"

Assessment

Lesson 3 Quiz

Answer the following questions based on the information contained in the readings and links for this lesson.  Each question is worth 20 points. 

1. What are the 3 main headings of the NAEYC Position Statements? – In five or more sentences, describe what each section is about.

2. List the Core Values from the Code of Ethical Conduct and, in five or more sentences, describe what they are intended for.

3. In five or more sentences describe why is confidentiality important?

4. List ten things that should be kept confidential in early childhood.

5. In five or more sentences, describe where discussions with families should happen to maintain and respect confidentiality. Why?

Lesson 3 Discussion

NAEYC, The Code of Ethical Conduct and Confidentiality will be revisited in EVERY class.  Why do you believe there is such a large emphasis on these topics?