Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

The Early Childhood organizations in my area that appeal to me are the Mesa District Group which is a branch of the Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC) and is affiliated with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Becoming a member of these has appealed to me because of their continued advocacy of high quality early childhood education programs in a range of settings, including child care centers, family child care homes, and schools. If you are a member of NAEYC you automatically can be a member of the state groups (National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2014)

 

Mesa County Family Partnership is an early childhood organization whose mission is to create, coordinate and sustain a resource rich community for all families so that children reach their full potential in safe and optimally nurturing environments (Mesa County Family Partnership, 2014).

The partnership helps in four domains:     

              1.) Early Learning 

              2.) Family Support & Parent Education

              3.) Social, Emotional & Mental Health

              4.) Health

The third community of practice that appeals to me is the Director’s of the Round Table group. This is a group of Early Childhood Directors and educators that meet monthly to collaborate about early childhood topics. In Colorado the rules and regulations for childcare facilities is ever changing. This group is able to discuss the changes and support each other as needed. It is a good place to come and brainstorm how to make their programs better. They are a collaborative voice that stands together to support change but also to voice their opinion of disdain when they are not in favor of the change. 

My wish is to become a Director of a Head Start Program. The minimum education and experience is a Bachelor’s degree in management, education, or the social sciences field and a minimum of 3 years’ administrative experience, including supervision of management of all levels of employees. A Master’s degree in one of the above fields is preferred with at least 2 years of experience. The salary is $52,000 – $65,000 per year. The knowledge and skills required are to understand: Principles of management, functions of community agencies and systems, financial management, Federal and State rules and regulations, Early Childhood Practices, and problem solving, group facilitation and the ability to work well with others.

The second employment position that interests me is a Licensing Specialist. They inspect, monitor and evaluate facilities and authorize the issuance of a license for facilities to ensure compliance with federal and state rules and regulations.  Licensing specialists investigate complaints of inadequate supervision, inappropriate discipline or noncompliance of rules and regulations. The salary range in Colorado is $46,740 - $67,404 per year. A bachelor's degree in human services, social work, behavioral sciences, child development, early childhood education, psychology, or sociology, or a closely related field is required (Colorado Department of Education, 2014).

The third employment position is an Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant/Specialist
The Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant wants to improve the ability of staff, families, programs, and systems to prevent, identify, treat, and reduce the impact of mental health problems among children from birth to age 8 and their families. The median salary is $44,000 yearly. An Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant should have knowledge of child development, family dynamics, responsive supports and practices, risk and resilience, cultural competence, professionalism and interdisciplinary collaboration. A Colorado Early Childhood Social and Emotional Health Credential is recommended along with a bachelor's degree in human services, social work, behavioral sciences, child development, early childhood education, psychology, or sociology, or a closely related field is required (Colorado Department of Education, 2014)

References

Colorado Department of Education. (2014). Retrieved September 9, 2014, from Career Paths: http://coloradoofficeofprofessionaldevelopment.org

Mesa County Family Partnership. (2014). Retrieved September 9, 2014, from http://www.mesacountypcf.org

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2014). Retrieved September 9, 2014, from http://www.naeyc.org/