Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

1.  North Carolina Early Childhood Association (www.ncearlychildhoodassoc.com)

The reason I chose this organization is because they have a good reputation for working toward improving the quality of care in NC.  In addition to working on behalf of the children in NC, the NCECA also advocates to enhance the early childhood field for educators.  Benefits of being a member include:

• “updates through Facebook and the website about information relevant to all areas of early childhood
• Advance notice of training opportunities offered by NCECA
• Reduced rates at NCECA training opportunities
• Official membership card
• Email alerts about early childhood issues
• Annual membership in a professional association
• Ability to support and collaborate with other early childhood professionals” (http://www.ncearlychildhoodassoc.com/_files/NCECA_recruit_2012full.pdf)

There are currently no job opportunities available with this association as this group is made up of members, including parents, educators, directors, and other early childhood advocates.  There are advocacy opportunities available for members, which get e-mailed to them.  While there are no set skills or experience required, I think it would be important to be a part of the early childhood field on some level, whether it is as a parent, educator, or other support for the early childhood community.  Basic education and additional education related to early childhood issues and trends would be beneficial for any advocacy opportunities.

2.       Rowan Smart Start (www.rowan-smartstart.org)

While researching the NCECA, I found that they support our local Smart Start agency.  This agency connects families to high quality care in my county.  This agency has been a wonderful asset throughout my years in the early childhood field.  They provide trainings and workshops for early childhood educators including SIDS training, CPR and First Aid, Playground Safety, NC Pre-K training and support, just to name a few. They also provide support to parents by providing referrals to for local agencies and early childhood programs, providing an in house early resource center which has materials available for parents to use with their children, assistance in being better parents, and providing a healthy start for their children.   

I would love to work for this agency.  Currently there are no job opportunities available however there are two positions I would love to be a part of.  The first is the role of the Parent Educator.  A few years ago, I fostered a pregnant teenager who was assigned a Parent Educator after she had the baby.  The Parent Educator came to our home twice a week and worked with my foster teenager on how to be a good mother to her baby from things like breast feeding/ bottle feeding to play time to early assessments.  I admired the Parent Educator for her role in helping my teenager become a better mom.  The other position I would like to have would be the Child Development Consultant.  This individual comes out to centers and works with them on getting ready for assessments, licensing questions, behavior issues, etc.  Both opportunities would allow me to step out of my comfort zone and move away from the classroom aspect to work in different areas in the early childhood field.

No skills or experience were noted for the role as a Parent Educator or Child Development Consultant because neither position are available at this time but I believe it would be safe to say that early childhood education would be necessary as well as some experience in the early childhood field.  Parent Educators would need good people skills and have to be organized as they go from home to home on a regular basis.  The Child Development Consultant would have to be familiar with classroom procedures, classroom management, and licensing laws.

3.       North Carolina Infant Toddler Program (NC ITP) (http://www.beearly.nc.gov/index.php/)

The North Carolina Infant Toddler Program (NC ITP) “provides supports for families and their children, birth to three who have special needs” (http://www.beearly.nc.gov/index.php/).  A variety of services are provided including service coordination, physical, occupational and speech-language therapies, family support, special instruction, assistive technology, and other services.  I have had several of my students receive services from the Infant Toddler Program and I have been pleased with the results.  The therapists have been wonderful to work with and have really made a difference in the lives of the children and families they serve.

 I would love to have the opportunity to make a difference in children’s lives while also supporting the family during these formative years.  There are several different branches throughout the state.  There are no job opportunities in my county or neighboring counties.  With my education and experience, I would like to be a part of service coordination or family support.  I could also see myself as a therapist, although this would require more training.