Sunday, September 15, 2013

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The three local/state organizations that contribute to the field of early childhood that I found appealing are California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC), California Head Start Association (CHSA), and First 5 Sacramento.  CAEYC is dedicated to advancing excellence throughout the field of early childhood education in the state of California. I choose CAEYC because of their objectives for the field of early childhood education: (1) focus on providing members with a successful annual conference and other professional development opportunities; (2) improve our public policy and advocacy efforts to become more proactive in addressing the issues affecting the profession; (3) raise the strength, effectiveness and expertise of the leadership at the State and Affiliate levels ("California Association for the Education of Young Children", n.d.).  CAEYC’s objectives  resonated with me because their objectives influenced me to continue to become the best anti-bias early childhood professionals that advocate for children and families on various issues that are affecting the development of children because addressing the various issue in the field of early childhood education can feel like a no win, but to know that  we have an organization like CAEYC in more corner fighting the same battles influences me to keep fighting for the betterment of the field of early childhood education and the children and their families that are being served. 
California Head Start Association (CHSA) is the unified voice providing leadership and advocacy for the Head Start community in California as well as provides the field of early childhood education with up-to-date information from the Capitol in Sacramento and our nation’s Capital in Washington DC.  CHSA is an organization that is contributing to the field of early childhood education by providing a framework for early childhood programs that focus on children reaching their full potential, and the success of every child including at-risk children and their families.  I choose CHSA because of their organization’s values coincide with the values of their partner National Head Start Association (NHSA).  NHSA values are (1) we are determined to play a valued leadership role in this country's efforts to educate and serve its most vulnerable children and families; (2) we are actively committed to being a high-impact organization; (3) we value partnerships and collaboration and are intent on transforming ourselves into a relationship-based organization; (4) we are accountable to our members and funders, practicing the highest standards of governance and financial stewardship, ensuring transparency in our operations and living up to the highest standards of quality ("National Head Start Association - Home", n.d.).  CHSA shared values make me feel like I can do my part as an early childhood professionals to build relationships with other professionals as well as children and their families which will ultimately aid in addressing issue of equity in the field of early childhood education. 
First 5 Sacramento funds program services that give families the needed tools to ensure their children reach their fullest potential due to the fact that children’s first five years effect their brain devolvement dramatically.  For instance, First 5 Sacramento funds like Health Access and Utilization, Oral Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity, Quality Early Care and Education, School Readiness, and Effective Parenting.  I choose First 5Sacramento because the programs they offer are great local resources that I share with the children and their families I serve. 
California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC), California Head Start Association (CHSA), and First 5 Sacramento currently have various job opportunities, but I am not interested in these opportunities because I am focused on operating a family child care home that focuses on accommodating the individual needs of 12 children and their families on a smaller more personal level. However, I am qualified for positions due to having my Bachelor’s of Art in Child Development and 14 years of experience working in the field of early childhood education.  Finally, knowing that I am qualified to work for reputable organizations that impact the lives of children and their families makes me feel compelled to continue to further my education as an attempt to become a more valuable resource for children and their families.
References
California Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://caeyc.org/main/page/navhome
National Head Start Association - Home. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nhsa.org/
National Head Start Association - Home. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nhsa.org/


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