There are
many different national and federal organizations geared towards supporting
early childhood education. One we are all familiar with is the National
Association for the Education of Young Children, also known as NAEYC. But how
much do we know about other organizations that exist? Here is some information
about other national organizations and how they are important to the field of
early childhood education.
The Association
for Early Learning Leaders is formerly known as the National Association of
Child Care Professionals. Their goal is to strengthen the leadership in early
care programs, such as directors and owners, by developing their knowledge,
skills and abilities regarding enhancing program quality. This is done through
networking and collaboration, training, education, program quality improvements
and accreditation, and access to a variety of resources. There were no job
postings listed for this organization. This organization interested me because
it would have been very helpful to know of the existence of this organization
when I served as the director of a child care center in my community. It would
have provided me with resources to support my professional development as well
as the professional development of my staff, and would have probably helped
prevent some of the burnout I experienced as it
developed my leadership skills.
Another
organization of note is the Zero to Three National Center for Infants, Toddlers
and Families. This organization provides parents, professionals and
policymakers the knowledge necessary to nurture early development. This organization
funds a variety of projects geared toward supporting each of these groups. Parent
resources are provided in written and video format and are easy to understand
and apply. Their email newsletter is geared specifically to the age of your
child when you sign up for its receipt. Initiatives are also in place to support
early childhood professionals to ensure a quality workforce capable of meeting
the diverse needs of children and families. Information provided to policymakers
is research based and is combined and dispersed to educate policymakers about
the significance of early learning on brain development. Current career
vacancies include Senior Policy Analyst
and Senior Research Analyst, neither of which interest me because they
would be more suited to someone interested in advocacy work rather than in
direct teaching with children and families. Both of these positions require a
Master's degree or above and are located in Washington, DC. This organization
interested me because I am the parent of a toddler and also because I am interested
in working with children under the age of three and their families.
The next
organization I learned about is Child Care Aware of America. This organization
is dedicated to providing families with information about the components of
quality early care and education, and with helping families find quality
programs in their community. This organization also provides child care
providers with access to resources for their child care programs. One interesting
position available that was posted on their website was one for a Child Care
Specialist, whose job it is to provide technical assistance, training and
monitoring to the Maryland Family Network's EHS delegate programs. If a
position like this was available in my home state of Connecticut I would be
very interested in it. I would not apply for this particular position because I
am not willing or able to make the sacrifices necessary in my personal life to
move my family to Maryland. This position requires a master's degree in early
childhood, as well as knowledge of child care with direct child care
experience. This position requires the ability to travel statewide freely and
to communicate well with others in written and verbal form.
Another
organization that interested me was the Division of Early Childhood. According
to their website, their mission is to promote "policies and advances
evidence-based practices that support and enhance the optimal development of
young children (0-8) who have or at risk for developmental delays and
disabilities." This organization interested me because of my interests in
early childhood special education.
References
Association
for Early Learning Leaders. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.earlylearningleaders.org/
Child Care
Aware of America. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.usa.childcareaware.org
Division of
Early Childhood. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dec-sped.org/
Zero to
Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families. (2014). Retrieved
from http://www.zerotothree.org/
