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

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community

The three national/federal organizations that appealed to me are:

1. The Association for Early Learning Leaders, formerly known as the National Association of Child Care Professionals. The Association for Early Learning Leaders is committed to excellence in the field of early childhood care and education by promoting leadership development and enhancing program quality. In addition they are very much committed to strengthening the skills of those such as owners, directors, administrators, as well as those who are devoted to the field of early childhood education. I chose this organization because there mission is very similar to mine. As a director of an early childhood program I think it is extremely important to promote leadership while at the same time enhancing and maintaining a quality program. They offer a great deal of resources that impact the field of early childhood education. In addition I am a member of this organization. The job opportunity that interests me is Executive Director. The skills and experience is a Master’s Degree with 5-10 years experience. 

• Develop and implement CFEC’s strategic vision;

• Lead the development of state-of-the-art programming strategies that position CFEC as a regional leader for achieving community impact;

• Collaborate with the Principals of the member schools and leadership of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, to facilitate their active participation in achieving CFEC’s goals;

• Support the Principals in the planning, coordination and management of the daily operations of the schools. 

• Communicate CFEC’s plans and policies to broad audiences;

• Develop and nurture productive relationships and resources deemed essential for the attainment of CFEC’s goal and objectives.

This is a position I would love to take on. I have the necessary skills and experience for this position but it is located in North Carolina.

2. The Early Care and Education Consortium is a voice for child care providers in Congress. They work to be a provider voice to shape public policy in support of high-quality care and education for young children and families. This organization played a major part in getting the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) signed into law. The purpose of this grant is to improve child care safety and quality. The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) also help low-income families, families receiving public assistance and those families transitioning from public assistance in obtaining child care. (PACCA) The Pennsylvania Child Care Association is a member of ECEC which my center has a membership with.

I chose this organization because of their devotion and willingness to partner with other organizations to be a voice for providers, connecting capitols and classrooms in Pennsylvania and across the country. They offer a great deal of information and resources on the national and federal level. The one job opportunity that interests me very much is the State Policy Senior Associate. The applicant applying for this position must have a positive, upbeat attitude, the ability to handle multiple tasks under time-sensitive deadlines, the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, and to remain flexible and resourceful as part of a small staff while maintaining a high level of professionalism are key requirements of the job. Even though I meet the majority of the skills necessary I have very little experience at the state and or federal level. The position requires that you have the following skills and experience.

• A  Bachelor’s degree ( Master’s preferred) plus five to eight  years of progressive experience at the state and/or federal level in issue advocacy, policy development or analysis, and strong knowledge of early childhood issues

• Excellent written, oral and public presentation skills including the ability to translate technical concepts succinctly to diverse stakeholders and audiences.  Demonstrated ability to prioritize, organize and complete work independently and as part of a team

• Availability for travel within United States

• Ability to use e-advocacy and e-communication tools

• Strong computer skills, including advanced knowledge of MS Word, MS Excel , MS PowerPoint and other office programs

• Effective interpersonal communication skills including the ability to develop relationships and coordinate the work of virtual teams and committees 

• Desire to work with others to strengthen community early care and education  programs and services  thru advocacy in support of independent community providers of high quality early learning programs, children and their families

This position sounds very interesting but I have no experience at the state or federal level.

3. The third organization I chose was the National Child Care Association (NCCA). NCCA has been the voice of the licensed, private early childhood care and education community. Many of their members include individual owners and multi-state companies, who all have the same goal in mind and that is to provide all young children & their families with quality care and education. As the National Voice of Private Early Childhood Care and Education Providers, NCCA is working to make your voice heard on the state and federal level on a wide range of issues impacting your business. Today these issues include State and Federal Funding, Unionization and Labor Issues, Regulatory Issues, and Pre-K and Quality issues.

I chose this organization because I am very much interested in the issues they deal with as it relates to funding, quality and Pre-K and how they advocate for state regulations that make sense and which is of great interest to me. In addition like me, NCCA’s top priority is providing comprehensive quality early education and care to the children and families in our communities. I also agree with the fact the just like NCCA many of its members and licensed child care providers believe in appropriate oversight; however we believe that the focus of inspections should be improvement, not punishment. Licensed providers want to provide the highest quality of care, and many do so without regard for financial gain. This is so true and I firmly believe that. It is very clear to me that the state governments have been and continue to be in the forefront of regulatory compliance and oversight. The federal government’s role should be to assist the states in their implementation of programs and regulations, not create an additional laws and regulation which only serves to create more bureaucracy, confusion, and expense. The NCCA did not have any job opportunities available.

Reference

Association for Early Learning Leaders. (1984). Retrieved on May 22, 2015 from: http://www.earlylearningleaders.org/

Early Care and Education Consortium. (2015). Retrieved on May 24, 2015 from: http://www.ececonsortium.org/

National Child Care Association (NCCA). (n.d.). Retrieved on May 24, 2015 from: http://www.nccanet.org/