Application: Early Childhood Program Career

Application: Early Childhood Program Career
Professional and Advocacy in the Early Childhood field Lois Wachtel
Early Childhood Program Career Information Sheet
Week 3
Type of early childhood program: Early Head Start
Ages of the children typically served in this program: Birth to the age 3

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1. What are the basic principles, beliefs, or goals of this program?

The basic goals: “provides safe developmentally appropriate care that promotes physical cognitive, social and emotional development to infants/toddlers up to age 3. This will prepare them for continued growth and development.
Teacher help support parents, mom/dad, in their role as the child’s number 1 teacher and nurture of their child.
Teachers help support families to make personal goals and to make efforts to become self-sufficient.
Teachers provide resources of the different services provided in the community to support the family.
The program will ensure a high quality of care and responsive services to the families they service. By having developmentally appropriate trained and caring staff to watch over the children.” (showmeaction.EarlyHeadStart).
“Early Head Start promotes the health of pregnant women by providing a good prenatal outcome.
To promote healthy family functioning.” (Morrison, 2013, p.216).
2. What makes this program unique?

This program is geared to help the families while pregnant, to build a good foundation to educate the parents. Having a baby does not come with instruction manuals. That is why we have qualified teachers to help the parents. If the parents are educated, they can be the first teacher and nurture of their child. In turn they can help the teachers to educate their child. This program goes up to 3 years of age.
3. Describe what makes this program at its best a positive experience for children.

This program is very good to have. It provides early education in and out of the home for the whole family unit. This program offers continued parent education, to help educate their child. The program offers comprehensive health/mental services, to women before, during, and after pregnancy. The program offers health/mental, dental, vision screens for the children. If there is a problem then the program will give the parents a referral paper. The program offers a dietarian for the nutrition education when the families need it. The program offers the family with support services when needed.

4. Does this program require any special training, and if so, what?

At the present time there is no special training requirements. There has been some talk in our local CMCA Early Head Start/Head Start programs that they will require some changes. To be a teacher aid, assistant teacher- you will need to be working towards or have a CDA Certification. To be a lead teacher or higher, will require a Bachelor’s degree in Early childhood or higher.
5. What might be special challenges of working in this program?

There is grant money that comes from the State/Federal levels to pay for the programs. Without that the programs will not be able to run.
There is performance standards that have to be meet, which governs the programs. Every 3 years there is a “Peer review” that comes out to each Early Head-start to make sure they are being followed.
6. Based on what you know, what are the opportunities for career advancement within this type of program?

The role of an Early Childhood Teacher: is someone that is knowledgeable in child development, can nurture young children, educate the parents, and provide developmentally appropriate practices for the children. Provide community services to the families in need, to be confidential about the information you have on a family and only use that information to advocate for the help of the child/family unit. Be able to collect data about the child, to be able to get a blue print of what areas they need help in. Understanding, by teaching the child you may have to educate the parents as well. Also being able to provide services for the disabled.

7. Based on what you have learned, what are your thoughts about this program as a potential career opportunity?

I started out as a parent of two children that went to Head-Start. The head-start was experiencing some needed help. So I started volunteering some time. That later turned into a substitute position. There came a part-time position. I applied and got the job. From there I decided this is the job for me. That is when I asked my boss what the CDA classes were. My boss explained what it was and encouraged me to pursue this. I applied for the upcoming class and was accepted. In the process a full-time position came around. I slid right into that position. I worked hard to get my CDA Certification. I took a year off from studies. I am now working on obtaining my Bachelors of Science in Child Development with a dual degree in both Infant/Toddler and Preschool. After that I could stop or continue on to get a master’s degree. The sky is wide open with the possibilities
8. Identify a Web site or other online resource you recommend for information on this program (can be more than one):
I am currently employed in my field. I love working with the children. I love seeing their eyes light up, when they learn something new. I love being able to advocate for the child and families I work for. I like the challenge each child presences to me. Being able to teach every child no matter of their ability or disability, it is a joy for me. I do not see myself happy doing anything other than this. But I am looking at the realistic side as well. I have a while for working in the field with the children. But there may come a day that I cannot get down on the floor to play with the children. I have given this some thought. I still want to do something in the field. May be a mentor or teach the knowledge to others. This is still in the forming stages. That is open for debate.
9. What additional information would you like to learn about this program?

http://www.showmeaction.org/

Morrison, G.S. (2013.). Early childhood education today (11th custom ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Webarticle: What is Early Head Start?
http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/ehsnrc
10. What additional information would you like to learn about this program?
When I climb to the top of the ladder, how can I still advocate for the field and teach others in the field?

References:
http://www.showmeaction.org/
Morrison, G.S. (2013.). Early childhood education today (11th custom ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Person
Web article: What is Early Head Start? http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/ehsnrc