Jobs and Roles in the Early Childhood Education Community at the National/Federal Level

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/