Saturday, May 26, 2012

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

I found one employment position that I could realistically see my self in on the national level.  My interest Mosley are limited to the state level however.

Bright horizons

Bright Horizons manages child care centers for many of the world's leading corporations, hospitals, universities, and government agencies. All of our child care centers are designed to meet the standards of excellence set by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  I like this program because of the partnership with several local and governmental agencies.  I this program I would first be interested in teaching.  After getting some teaching experience I would like to expand in to management.

Teachers: Requires professional experience supervising or educating children, plus completion of early education coursework. (Credentials also available through our own Bright Horizons University.) Responsibilities also include curriculum development and family communication.

Regional Managers: Provide strategic leadership to a geographic region, manage center directors and staff, and ensure that your centers exceed state and local licensing, health and safety standards, and NAEYC criteria. Must have a BA or MA in Early Childhood Education or a related field and multisite management experience.




The Washington State Department of Early Learning

The Department of Early Learning (DEL) strives to help create safe, healthy, nurturing learning experiences for all Washington children. Our work focuses on the earliest years in children’s homes, child care, school programs and communities. DEL offers information and resources for children's first and most important teachers—parents—as well as others who care for and teach young children.

If I worked for this governmental program I would desire to be a Region Administrator. The Region Administrator oversees early learning child care licensing activities in the region of Washington they are assigned.  This leader is responsible for the regional operation of early learning and child care licensing which includes: personnel management, resource management, monitoring of budget and consistent application and implementation of policy, procedure and practice related to Washington Administrative Code and department initiatives.

The Eastern Region Administrator is responsible for fostering positive and collaborative working relationships with internal and community partners. Communicates objective information to and from the region and for coordination at the regional level of department focused initiatives in: policy; IT projects and updates and quality rating improvement.

Desirable Qualifications

Possess a Bachelor’s degree in sociology, education, early learning, public administration or

related field,

Demonstrated supervisory or managerial leadership experience, preferably in Washington

state government,

Excellent written and oral communication skills,

Previous experience working in an agency or organization with a focus on regulatory practices and an understanding of state government operations to include legislative processes, external awareness particularly related to policy or project implementation and interdependence of child care systems.

Ability to positively represent the agency in effective communications with the public, government agencies, and special interest organizations on relevant issues.

Ability to positively influence change, manage conflict and perform both as a team member and in independent judgment situations.




Thrive by Five

As the state’s nonprofit public-private partnership for early learning, Thrive by Five Washington works to mobilize the long-term statewide commitment to early learning, so that families and caregivers have the information and support they need to help their children succeed in school and thrive in life.

They are focused on three areas of work that will make a difference for children and families and significantly advance the state’s early learning efforts. With these areas of work they want to:

·        Deepen parent and caregiver knowledge of child development

·        Build a coordinated home visiting system to serve at-risk families

·        Build partnerships and drive mobilization

They  believe Partnerships at all levels are at the heart of Washington’s early learning work. One of the most valuable partnerships in the state is the Early Learning Partnership between Thrive by Five Washington, the Washington State Department of Early Learning and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Washington is the only state to have these specific groups – and have them formally committed to working together on behalf of families and children birth to 3rd grade.

One of the biggest accomplishments for the Partnership was co-leading the creation of the Early Learning Plan, a 10-year roadmap for the state’s early learning work. The Partnership has aligned its work to the Plan and other statewide, regional and local groups have followed.

Not only is this partnership invaluable to their work, but it is also key to aligning the early learning field and ensuring that state-level decisions and policy are coordinated. Regional partners can more easily see how to connect with their work – and how they can best connect with each other.

I’m not sure what position I would desire in this partnership, however I like the collaborative efforts that are taking place and would like to be a part of it somehow. 

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels


Children’s home society of Washington Link:  http://www.chs-wa.org/

Employment of interest Link, Director:  http://www.chs-wa.org/EmploymentOpportunities. v2-5.aspx?adpurl=https://home.eease.adp.com/recruit/?id=706601&adptitle=Educator I or II-Highline Early Learning Center Des Moines,

In order to qualify for this position I must have education at least a BA in education or a combination of education and experience in the early childhood field.

This organization serves states wide and in many aspects of children and family’s lives.  The areas that are targeted are adoption, early learning, foster care, family support, child and family counseling, and advocacy.  The programs help to prevent or address the unique challenges facing the state's most vulnerable children.  I chose this organization because of the work that is done to help children and families.  I feel that this organization is directly aligned with my passion of serving vulnerable children.





To qualify, I would need experience in management and financial planning.
Easter seals provide parents a quality environment for their children that are safe, nurturing, and fosters their children's educational and physical development. Easter Seals Child Development Centers support families in Washington by providing the highest quality childcare and education for children with and without disabilities.  This program is desirable to me because I have worked with both children and adults with developmental disabilities.  Being that this organization is especially supportive to those with special needs makes me interested in their work. 



Well Spring Family Services Link:  http://www.family-services.org/index.php

Wellspring Family Services, a non-profit organization provides a breadth of services that address the sources of instability for families. As an agency with a foundation in therapy, WSFS have expert staff trained to help vulnerable children stabilize, communicate, and form relationships with other children and their teachers.  They have created the Child Care Consultation program to improve the overall quality of child care in the community and to support the healthy development of all children.  Our infant mental health specialists are available to work with Seattle-area child care providers, teaching them how to identify at-risk children, and ensuring that the children and their families receive the special assistance they need to be successful in school and life.  I feel that this would be an excellent position and one that I would have interest in if there were an opening.  Since I have a back ground in counseling/case management I could utilize my already established while working with teachers and professionals in early education.