Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

NAEYC
The first organization which would appeal to me is the NAEYC. This was a very obvious choice to me because of their reputation in the early childhood field. The school I currently work in is NAEYC accredited. NAEYC's mission is based on three major goals: Bettering well-qualified practitioners and improving the conditions these professionals work in, improving early childhood education by working to deliver a high-quality system of supporting early childhood programs, and encouraging excellence in childhood education for all children by constructing an extraordinary, all-around organization of groups and individuals who are committed to promoting excellence in early childhood education for all young children. They have so many dimensions to their organization from advocacy to publications their work benefits our field as a whole.

Position
I would like to work for NAEYC and accredit preschools. I think this would be an interesting job because you would get to see the variation in preschools and also feel as if you were helping them get their seal of approval.

Skills
The skills you would need are knowledge of early childhood developmentally appropriate practice, understanding of good teaching practice, and safe environment.

ZERO TO THREE
I am also very interested in ZERO TO THREE. ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization that provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and the know-how to nurture early development. Their mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers. The website appeals to me because of the trainings and publications on the website along with terrific information related to early childhood education.

Position
Senior Writing/Training Specialist
The Senior Writer/Training Specialist position is responsible for project activities including but not limited to content development, training and facilitation pertaining to The Prenatal Through Age Five Workforce Development Project. This involves incorporating existing content such as The Prenatal Through Age Three Workforce Development into the development of curriculum and resource materials. This position will require presentations and active participation in local, state, and national meetings. Much of the work takes place throughout the county of Los Angeles, at times requiring travel.

Skills
Strong knowledge and experience in training adults, extensive knowledge of
infants’ and toddlers’ development and behavior. Expertise in a strengths-based and family-centered approach to working with infants, toddlers and their families. Excellent writing skills with a proven ability to write articles, develop materials, and communicate in writing with multi-disciplinary professionals on infant-family. Experience organizing, developing and providing in person and on-line training for a multi-disciplinary audiences serving infants, toddlers and their families. Ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary team. Excellent conceptual, written and oral skills. Proficiency in using Word. Proficiency in use of World Wide Web to gather information. Experience with distance learning. Ability to manage multiple tasks.

Office of Head Start
Head Start is a federal program that promotes the school readiness of children ages birth to 5 from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social and emotional development. I am interested in Head Start because I worked there for six years and I believe in the program whole heartedly. One of the aspects about Head Start is how the whole child is addressed. Head Start programs provide comprehensive services to enrolled children and their families, which include health, nutrition, social services and other services determined to be necessary by family needs assessments, in addition to education and cognitive development services. Head Start services are designed to be responsive to each child and family’s ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage.

Position
Program Area Supervisor- Head Start
In support of the agencies mission, this position requires the Program Area Supervisor to manage and monitor Child Development programs serving 60 – 120 children. Responsibilities of this position include overseeing and ensuring the delivery of high quality, culturally appropriate, comprehensive child and family services in compliance with Head Start Performance Standards, Head Start program policies and Community Action policies. This position supervises staff in Pre-Kindergarten classrooms or in Child Development Centers. The work requires establishing
collaborative relationships with a diverse client population, as well as community partners, to ensure progress towards preparing low-income pre-school and special needs children for educational success.

Skills
Intermediate level computer proficiency with current Microsoft Office tools, including Word, Outlook, Powerpoint and Excel. Experience working with complex regulations and guidelines requiring implementation, documentation and monitoring for quality control. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Proven ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of community members including professional organizations, service providers, and client advocates. Excellent time management skills with ability to complete projects on schedule with high quality outcomes. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment requiring frequent problem solving and decision making.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Community Action Organization is a local agency in Hillsboro, Oregon. The agency has been functioning for over 47 years. Community Action programs promote the birth of healthy babies, reduce the potential for child abuse and neglect, increase children's chances for success in school, and improve the quality and accessibility of child care. We also offer energy assistance and help to prevent homelessness. I worked for Community Action for over six years as a Head Start teacher. I chose Community Action because of all the different services they offer to help families and children in the community.

Adelante Mujeres (Forward Women) is an organization based in Forest Grove, Oregon. They work to educate and empower low-income Latina women and families. Adelante Mujeres provides Latina women and their families the tools to achieve self-determination in the areas of education and enterprise. I chose this organization because I have heard of the good work they do in the community and the programs they have to offer Latina women. They have a preschool as well as classes for adults. They also have groups in the local schools for girls to participate in after school.

Oregon Child Development Coalition (OCDC) is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families by providing early childhood education, care and advocacy with unique and supportive services to enhance family growth and community success. OCDC has many programs to offer, such as, migrant Head Start, migrant education, pre-kindergarten, and literacy programs. I chose this agency because I believe in their mission. The line which stood out on their website was, “We practice inclusiveness. We do so by embracing children and families’ cultural uniqueness for the richness that it brings to services and communities.”

Job opportunities:
Early Childhood Specialist at Community Action Organization.
This position is responsible for increasing community access to quality child care. Duties include providing support to child care providers through individual and group training, referrals, and technical assistance on issues related to child care. Requires working with a culturally diverse population of providers, families and employers to achieve maximum service using collaborative skills. Also responsible for answering questions received through the Child Care Resource & Referral phone line, understanding and answering questions related to child care subsidies or other areas pertinent to the work of the CCR&R Department.

Skills needed:
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, Group presentation work, knowledge of childcare and education issues, Ability to work independently and collaborate with others.

Experience needed:
BA/BS in Early Childhood Education and minimum one year experience.