Exploring Roles in the EC Community: State and Local

 My Role in the Early Childhood Community

The first state agency I found to be appealing is the State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC).  This agency advises and assists the Department of Health (the lead agency) and provides leadership towards achieving the vision and goals of the New Jersey Early Intervention System (NJEIS).  The SICC provides a forum for families, early intervention service providers and the entire early intervention community to meet and share information and ideas for enhancing and improving coordinated services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.  I chose to take an interest in this state agency because it advises the state intervention services while also taking into account the families that it is helping.  Families and others are able to speak up at meetings that are held every other month and it addresses issue with the NJEIS. 

The next organization that I found is Community Coordinated Child Care (CCCC).  It is a non-profit based in Union County, New Jersey.  The organization is a a resource and referral agency that provides referrals for wrap-around services, CCCC works with parents, community, business, and government. CCCC helps parents find services to help them. The agency helps the early childhood centers and family child care providers by giving training and other help to improve their programs.  I chose this center because it not only is a resource to families but to the providers that they recommend to families.  They also offer teacher training and workshops for centers.

Advocates for the Children of New Jersey is a non-partisan advocate for children.  They work with state and local officials to promote the well-being of all children.  The goal is to influence public policy and implement changes that will benefit New Jersey's youth.  A main advocacy for early learning is that early childhood education is aligned from Pre-k through 3rd grade.  I chose to speak about this organization because it is a community that is not just looking to affect early childhood education on one issue there are other issues of children's health, high-quality care and access to care that high on their priority list.  

Bright Horizons: Associate Director 
This a job opportunity that would help me gain experience as on a leadership team, while also inspiring and helping to train teachers.  

The Associate Director position will provide several months of training throughout the New York City region, shadowing another Director while floating and visiting centers in the area. The position will then settle into one of our current or upcoming new centers as a center Director.  While I know that I have to gain more experience as an educator to become an associate director, I find this listing as motivation!

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education required, Masters preferred. Certification in N-6, B-2, 1-6 or Special Education is required, study plan eligible is considered
• 3-5 years of management/leadership experience
• A combination of infant, toddler or preschool teaching experience
• Well versed in NAEYC accreditation and licensing standards
• Strong leadership, supervisory and customer service skills and ability to create/maintain partnerships with families and staff
• Ability to lead staff in implementing a developmentally appropriate curriculum
• Strong organizational and communication skills and the ability to handle multiple tasks or crisis situations effectively
• Capacity to understand and manage center financial duties
• Computer literacy
• Experience working in an inclusive work environment and managing across differences
• Must meet state educational and licensing requirements for director; additional center/school requirements may apply

 
 
 
  

References

http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/eis/sicc.shtml

http://www.ccccunion.org/page_1_aboutus.html

http://acnj.org/issues/child-health/

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