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

An organization that appeals to me as an early childhood professional is Highscope. It has conducted very important studies and has influenced early childhood curricula, research, standards, and policies nationally and worldwide. I am very thankful when an organization support early childhood teachers and offers them materials and ideas for their curriculum and activities that will be engaging for the children. I also like the major extent that it's mission aims to reach. 

The YMCA is an organization that offers licensed, age-appropriate care to children who would otherwise be unsupervised after-school while their parents work. Engaging, safe After-school care are hard to come by for certain communities in America. This organization solves common issue for many families. 

I admire Community Early Head Start because it was initially designed for impoverished children to have a more positive, confident attitude towards education. That is something that children should receive from their parents but often times their families need support in motivating their child's desire to achieve academic success. Observing a child's passion for learning is my favorite thing about my experience in the early childhood field. 

A job listing that I have observed is a position for Education Coordinator at The Children's Home Society. An Education Coordinator Coordinates all academic, educational, and vocational services for residential program as well as acts as liaison with local schools. 

The job candidate must have  

• Bachelor degree in Education or related field 
• One to three years experience in classroom teaching or exceptional education program  
• For Unaccompanied Alien Child/Minor Program, bilingual required 

(English/Spanish) 

• Florida Driver’s License within 30 days from hire 
• Preffered: Current teaching certificate from any state 

Another Job listing that appeals to me involves allocating funds for the Boys and Girls Club. This position appeals to me because it involves supporting an organization that helps children realize their highest potential. 

Director of Individual Giving & Fundraising 

For Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast  

• Expand and grow the Club’s base of individual donors and expand community relationships throughout the cities we serve to grow revenue, identify and execute targeted grant writing, all while building a stronger personal relationships and connections between donors and the kids we serve. Areas of support contain but are not limited to: individual giving, annual giving, grants, and event support. 
• Support strategic planning of donor engagement, moves management, and increasing fundraising capacity. 
• Identify key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges with regards to Individual Giving & Community Relations in the Development Plan 
• Build a fundraising plan for outreach and donor acquisition in both individual and community partnerships 

This job requires:  

• Bachelor’s degree and have relevant work experience in relationship building, business development, growing revenue or sales, and a proven track record of successful business development and/or fundraising. 
• Must have good communication skills, be self-motivated, build relationships, have a strong work ethic and be accountable.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The Florida Office of Early Learning is an organization that appealed to me as an early childhood professional because it seems to support my passion for quality early learning in order to prepare children for academic success and contributing to their community in their future. Part of a statement from the Executive Director of the FOEL reads: 

"Our office focuses on access to high-quality early education, accountability and transparency, and assisting and maintaining the vital network of early learning providers who nurture the developing mind".  

This motivations resonates with me. 

The local Early Learning Coalition is also an organization that has my respect. I have witnessed agents working collaboratively with Directors in order to maintain quality curriculum for early learners. I have attended training conducted by my county's ELC. The strategies and detailed efforts that the ELC engages in are exactly what I think are appropriate ways to support and train early learning staff members. 

FamiliesFirst Network is an organization that serves abused, neglected or abandoned children in my city. It offers foster care services ,social worker and guardian ad litem representation for the children. I, as a staff member have worked collaboratively at times with guardian ad litems ,social workers and foster parents as the children they are caring for or representing attend the center. FamiliesFirst Network does the difficult work of managing and supporting families during times of trauma. 

Early Learning Florida states on it's about us page "our professional learning courses, resources, and supports are created with early learning practitioners in mind". The organization also describes itself as champions of early leaning professionals. This organization appeals to me because it aims to develop the skills of the teachers in order to improve the quality of the children learning experience. 

Roles that I would consider filling in the Early Childhood field, are of course Director of an Early Childhood program. I would need organization and management skills in order to be an effective leader. I would also need collaborative skills and understand how to allocate and manage funding. I would also need to be culturally responsive. I would need child care experience which of course I do have. 

The Early Learning coalition in my city is seeking to hire a program integrity unit specialist. The job description is " A member of a three person team that shares the duties of oversight, direction, and documentation of the Coalition’s Program Integrity efforts, to include monitoring of provider contracts, reimbursements and other payments, eligibility determinations and clients for program compliance. For this position I must have knowledge of child care operations and regulations. I must have at least an associates degree or at least 2 years experience in related field in order to qualify for this position. Also, it is a requirement to complete a Department of Children and Families course on Child Care rules and regulations.