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

Three National and Federal Agencies that appealed to me are:

 

National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) - I chose this agency because I hope to one day work in an accredited early childhood program.  The goal of this agency is to encourage the availability of high quality, affordable child care and preschool program for children, families, and communities.   

Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families- I chose this organization because I had a personal connection with this site in one of my previous classes but also because I have a young son and I used this as a resource for his development.  The mission of this organization is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life.  They are a national nonprofit organization that provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and know-how to nurture early development.

The National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) – I chose this organization because I am an educator and I found this to be a great resource.  The purpose of this organization is to promote the professional growth of our membership, to discuss educational issues specific to their membership, to advocate for improvements in early childhood teacher education, provide a forum for consideration of issues and concerns of interest to educators of early childhood teacher educators, provide a communication network for early childhood teacher educators, facilitate the interchange of information and ideas about research and practice, and cooperate with other national and international organizations concerned with the study and education of young children.

 

Job opportunities that interest me and the skills needed to fulfill each role:

 Administrator/ Directors of Center- Based Programs

            Recommended Education- Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education/ Child Development with coursework in child care administration, and Graduate degree in Child Care Administration.

            Salary- $25,340 - $71, 440

 

Professional Development Coordinators

            Recommended Education- Graduate degree in Early Childhood Education/ Child Development or Youth Development

            Salary- $28,000-$99,000

 

Program Manager

            Recommended Education- Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education/ Child Development, Human Services or a related field, Bachelor’s or Graduate degree in Business Administration with a minimum of 18 credits in Early Childhood Education/ Child Development.

            Salary- $39,000-$150,000

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Three state organizations that appealed to me were:

1. Advocates for Children of New Jersey- I chose this organization because it is their mission to be the voice for children, since they are not old enough to vote and will not be heard.  This organization identifies children’s needs through research, policy and legal analysis and to raise awareness of the needs they find as well as to work with government officials to find an effective response to their needs. Their main goal is to help children grow up safe, healthy, and educated in hopes of them growing up to be productive adults. My passion is to inspire children to be all they can and with this driving force I have, it correlates to the mission and vision of this organization.
2. NJAEYC (New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children)-  I chose this association because their main focus is devoted to high quality early childhood programs through improvements in professional practice and improving public understanding as well as support and funding of high quality programs in center, homes, and schools. Their mission is to advance excellence in the field of early childhood education. I want to make a difference in the early childhood field and this association has this focus.
3. Prevent Child Abuse- I chose this organization because I do not think any child should have to be a victim of child abuse. I want to decrease the number of children who are abused and to help those who have already been abused. The mission of this organization is to prevent child abuse. This organization is the only state-wide non-profit organization that is dedicated to preventing child abuse in all of its form.

Job Opportunities

1. Early Childhood Education Director – Requirements for this job are: directors credentials, Core Series Training, Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related fields, Master’s degree in Education, Minimum of three-five years documented supervisory experience, demonstrated customer service communication skills, demonstrated process and organization oriented skills, large scale academy experience, ability to frequently lift or move weight, ability to effectively read, write and communicate the English language.
2. Supervisor of Early Childhood- hold a NJ administrative certificate, master’s degree from an accredited institution, minimum five years teaching/ administrative experience, hold and maintain a valid driver’s license with no serious violations, have excellent administrative and/or teaching experience and work with students, demonstrate excellent organizational skills and the ability to motivate people, have excellent integrity and demonstrate good moral character and initiative, demonstrate knowledge and understanding of early childhood curriculum development and program evaluation, child growth and development, effective instructional strategies, classroom management, learning assessment and diagnosis, and research related learning.  

 

References

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (2014). Our mission and our vision. Retrieved from http://acnj.org/about-us/

NJAEYC (2011). Our mission. Retrieved from http://njaeyc.org/about-us/our-mission/

Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey (2013). Mission. Retrieved from http://preventchildabusenj.org/about-us/mission/