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

The first national organization that I would like to join is the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  They inform anyone who is interested about the latest trends, trainings, and journal articles that pertain to young children.  Grandparents can look up advice on how to get their grandson to sleep on the same site that teachers may utilize to find additional resources for helping with English language learners.  This organization appealed to me because they have information regarding every aspect of young childhood education.  They do not only focus on one component such as behavior or English language learners.  They have up to date articles and journals that are geared towards helping everyone, not just educators.  They do not have any job opportunities currently available but they do offer membership into the organization.  That would be a useful tool to help me get all the current information they have to offer.

Another organization that I would like to join is called Child Care Aware.  It is designed for individuals who are looking to work in the early childcare field or parents who have young children.  They put people in contact with each other with regards of how to recognize high quality programs and what to look for in schools.  This appealed to me because many parents are not aware of what to look for when placing their children in preschools or day cares.  This site informs them of what to spot and what to ask.  One job that would interest me from this site is something that is not currently listed.  I would like to go into the programs they have listed and see what classifies them as high quality programs.  One skill that I would need to fulfill this role would be  understanding of what sets high quality programs apart from the rest that simply open up to make money.

The final group that I would join is the National Head Start Association.  The organization offers various articles about the Head Start program as well as professional development programs.  The site also offers current research that is being done in the field of early childhood education. This site appealed to me because I understand the important of Head Starts in low income programs.  Many families need the additional support and resources that this program has to offer in order to help their children.  There are no current job openings listed but I would like to be a program director for one of my local Head Start programs.  This would allow me to stay current in the field of early childcare education and help those who need it the most. The skill that I would need is the desire and drive to help.  Without that, the families would not be receiving the services and would not be benefiting from their experience at the Head Start.  My experience as a teacher in my town’s Head Start allows me to fully understand how the program works and how much it can impact families in a positive way.