| October 12, 2011:
 On October 8, 2011, Delia Allen’s life was taken too soon in a senseless, random act of violence.
A male was told to leave a Durham restaurant after arguing about where he wanted to be seated by two sheriff’s deputies who were working off-duty at the business. The male returned a few minutes later and fired shots into the restaurant. Delia, an innocent bystander, was killed by one of the shots the male took before he fled from the parking lot on foot. She passed away later that morning after being taken to Duke University Hospital.
This is such a loss for the early childhood community and a tragic irony because Delia worked to teach young children non-violent solutions to their problems, so they wouldn't grow up to become violent adults. Delia spent her time at Child Care Services Association (CCSA) as a Healthy Social Behaviors Specialist, helping early childhood teachers help young children with challenging behaviors. “Delia's hope was that all young children could learn the skills to solve problems peacefully, so that they could grow up to be adults who would contribute positively to their families and their communities,” CCSA President Sue Russell said.
Research shows that behavior problems that begin in early childhood are the single best predictor for many future negative outcomes and that interventions that target self-control are most effective in the early years. When systems of support are not in place for these children, many behavior problems follow a predictable pathway toward adolescent delinquency, incarceration, substance abuse, gang involvement and violent behavior. Findings show that when aggressive and antisocial behaviors persist to age nine, further intervention has a poor chance of success. Additionally, longitudinal studies indicate that a high quality preschool experience can benefit children at risk of developing behavior problems, especially a preschool experience that includes a focus on the social and emotional health of young children. Research suggests that supporting preschool interventions that address self-control would likely reduce many societal costs associated with criminal and violent behavior.
In honor of Delia’s life and hard work, CCSA will be creating the Delia Allen Early Childhood Education Fund on Teaching Non-Violence. This fund will support teachers as they facilitate non-violent solutions to conflict in the classroom and help young children develop conflict resolution skills that will last a lifetime. Family, friends and early childhood colleagues from around the state who share her work and passion will be helping to create materials that will be produced and disseminated to classroom teachers through this fund.
You can support the continuation of Delia's hope by donating to her fund. Checks with a special notation that the donation is to support Delia's Fund can be made out to CCSA and sent to:
Child Care Services Association
PO Box 901
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
To donate online, click here, and please enter “Delia's Fund” in the designation box. |
