Listen to thisSo here we are once again at the time of year, the first week in May, when we celebrate International Child and Youth Care Workers' Day. (Of course, none of us are sure exactly what day it is but that just seems so much like our field: to not pay close attention to celebrating ourselves). And while there may not be, in your community or program, a specific celebration of this day, it offers us all the time for a little reflection about our field.
Thom reflects: I was driving down the road the other day with a friend and we were talking about how sad it is that so many people in our field are unaware of our own history. Now it may not be reasonable to expect Child and Youth Care workers to know the history of caring for troubled children over the past few hundred years (see, for example, Charles and Gabor, 1990 or Beukes and Gannon, 1996, both available on this site.) But it does seem to me that it would be reasonable to hope that every Child and Youth Care worker might know the history of their field over the past 50 years or so. And it is not just because it is our history, but because of what it means to know your history.
When you know your history, you know more about how you evolved, where you came from, how your values and beliefs developed. When you know your history, you have a greater sense of how you are connected to a particular continuum of human experience and are able to situate yourself inside that continuum. When you are know these things, you have a greater sense of your own worth and value. In the end, you have a greater sense of who you are and a greater appreciation of yourself. And we all know this is an issue for Child and Youth Care workers worldwide.
This special week might also stimulate you to reflect on the variety of environments in which Child and Youth Care workers practice – schools, hospitals, recreational programs, group living environments, family homes, shelters for street children, community parks, long-term care facilities, colleges, and many others. And when you reflect like this, you might realize that you are a part of a large and diverse community with members in every corner of the world. You may come to realize that you are a part of a large professional family, addressing the same issues as you. The end result is that you might feel less alone or isolated, which is a common feeling for Child and Youth Care workers.
As a Child and Youth Care worker, you are not alone. You are a member of an important professional community spanning the globe, situated in a long and valuable history of caring for troubled children and their families. If you know about some of these things, you might take a few minutes in your team meeting this week to talk about our history, our variety and diversity, as a simple way of celebrating this occasion of ours.
We here at CYC-Net appreciate the work that you do, and on behalf of many, we thank you for your efforts, sometimes given at great cost, we know. This week is your week. Please take a moment to appreciate yourself and your colleagues. You deserve it.
Thom and Brian
