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

http://www.aecf.org/MajorInitiatives/KIDSCOUNT.aspx

The first organization I looked up was Kids Count- The Annie E. Casey Foundation. This foundation is a private charitable organization that has a focus on public policies, and providing community supports for children and families who are vulnerable.  States, cities and neighborhoods can get grants from the Foundations to help respond to the needs of the community.

One Job that I found interesting was in Washington DC a Program Associate, Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.  The Program Associate works with the Grade-Level Reading staff and they track the work of the grantees and is a consultant.  They also coordinate communication and outreach activities. The minimum qualifications are to hold a BA in human services, social work or a related field, they also want you to be started in some kind of postgraduate work.  Also, candidates should have 3-5 years of community based experience.

http://www.dec-sped.org/index.aspx

Next, I looked that the Division of Early Childhood (DEC) to see what kinds of jobs you could find through their website.  I found one that looks really interesting, however a lot more schooling would be necessary.  It requires a doctorate degree in one of the following areas: child development, developmental psychology, clinical child psychology, family studies, or a related field. Also, you must have an interest in working in diverse early childhood settings.

The DEC is a division of the CEC-Council for Exceptional Children. The CEC is dedicated to providing the best educational outcomes for people with disabilities.  The division of the DEC focuses on the work with children from birth to age eight.

http://www.nccp.org/

As I was searching through organizations I kept coming across organizations that really focused on families and children living in poverty.  I came across The National Center for children in Poverty (NCCP) it is a public policy center wanting to provide positive outcomes for the following generations.  They focus on economic security, health and the well being of low-income children and their families.

Currently, they have one job posted.  But I would assume that with time they would have more. As of right now they are looking for Research Scientist. They are looking for someone with a Ph. D or equivalent in the following fields: sociology, economics, public health, public policy or a related discipline.  Also, they would like 5 years of experience. Another important qualification is being proficient statistical software. 

I am surprised when I research organization that are working with the wellbeing of children is how many other fields relate back to early childhood.  For example, a lot of these organizations want research scientist or even business people.  It is a great reminder that you need people with all different skill sets to create the most effective organizations.  

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

The first place I went to look is our local ESD office, which is located in the town I live in.  I often use this website for professional development opportunities and to find local organizations to help my families that I work with. For this assignment I looked at the ESD and specifically the Southwest Washington Child Care Consortium (SWCCC).  The consortium is the largest community-run childcare system in the United States; the consortium is made up of our local Educational Service District 112 and local businesses, educators and civic leaders.

http://web3.esd112.org/swccc

Job opportunities are a plenty with this consortium because they sever more than 1,600 children and employ 200 people. There is several teachers’ assistant position where you need to have at least twenty hours of early childhood credits.  There is one position to work for the local ESD as a childcare training specialist. Where the minimum qualification are to have an AA degree or 90 quarter hours and working towards your degree in ECE, elementary education or a related field.  You also need two years experiences working with children AND being the director of a childcare center.  They would prefer a bachelor’s degree, experience in adult training and knowledge of Early Achievers program.




The next organization is DEL (the Department of Early Learning for Washington State).  I often reference this website, especially for their early learning checklist.  The strive to focus on the earliest years in children's communities, which includes childcare, school and homes. They provide a wide range of information to teachers and parents to help create a safe, nurturing and healthy learning environment for all children.

http://www.del.wa.gov/ 

They have a few jobs that are posted; several jobs have to do with technology within the department.  However, there are two postings one for early learning and childcare licensing administrator and one for child care center licensor.

The childcare center licensor requires a bachelors degree, prior licensing or CPS experience, ability to manage a large amount of work, use web-based applications and to type.


The early learning and childcare licensing administrator requires a bachelor’s degree in sociology, education, early learning, or public administration. It requires experience in managerial work preferably in the state government. Experience and knowledge of several policies and project within the Washington state system and ability to manage conflict.


The third organization I found was SELF (Support for Early Learning & Families).  This is a new organization and it looks pretty wonderful.  It is a partnership organization and their mission is to help create a community where all children can thrive.  They have participation from educators, health and mental health, preschool and childhood programs and professionals.

http://www.selfwa.org/

Their career council section has information regarding job training and information to be an occupational therapist, SLP and physical therapist, which links to our local Innovated Service NW.  For any of those positions that are currently listed you would need your degree (Masters) in one of those fields. 


I think that it is important to constantly look up organizations and agencies that are available in your areas.  Often there might be merging of a variety of organizations.  Most importantly it gives you an idea of services that you may be able to hook your parents up with.  Often my parents want to know where they can locate services and sometimes I am at a loss, so doing this simple exercise has allowed me to explore what is out there.

From Passion to Action