Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

     Imagining myself employed in different positions locally in the Washington, D.C, Maryland, and Virginia area; where I live, that fosters the well-being of children, families, and the early childhood field as a whole is inspirational, because I have experienced others who hold at least one of these positions during instances of reporting child abuse allegations against staff/parents during my career working with children. For instance, I have learned not to question young children after an allegation, because their story can become confusing to them; therefore, we leave the questioning to the police investigators. It always amazes me when the investigator returns and I can find footage immediately based on information given by the child, especially a when a two year old can communicate what happened to them! The investigator is trained in these matters and this is something that appeals to me. The following 3 local organizations that I found and appeal to me are:

1) Manager, Compliance Investigator
          This position is interesting, because the candidate will be responsible for collaborating with school principals, staff, and children, by ensuring that safety policies are maintained by everyone. Trains other investigators on investigative techniques/trends and ensures that all investigations are handled in a fair and timely manner. The mission of the Child Welfare organization in which this position is offered is as follows: "Connecting child welfare and related professionals to comprehensive resources to help protect children and strengthen families" (Child Welfare). There is one position available in the Washington, D. C. area, and the skills that I will need to fulfill would be to educate my knowledge base as it relates to the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations and a Master's degree is preferred.

2) Action in Community Through service (ACTS) - Behavioral Intervention Program (BIP) Group Facilitator
          This position is interesting, because the candidate will interact with victims of abuse and perpetrators of abuse. you may work individually or with another facilitator during group sessions. This position serves as an educator in prevention of violence and tracks participants status by assigning homework and challenging them to maintain self-control. The mission of the ACTS organization in which this position is offered is as follows: "Provides relief, fosters hopes and promotes self-sufficiency for our Prince William area neighbors in crisis due to hunger, homelessness, and interpersonal violence" (ACTS).This position is no longer available in the Virginia area. The skills that I will need to fulfill would be to complete at least 32 hours of domestic violence training to include the Virginia Standards for Batterer Intervention Programs and at least 3 months of weekly observation of batterer intervention groups under the supervision of a certified staff, and maybe take a Spanish course.

3) NAEYC - Executive Director for Bright Beginnings Child Development Center
          This position is interesting , because it focuses on serving homeless children, infants, toddlers, and preschool aged that live in homeless environments by providing a safe and nurturing environment within the facility to help children develop and grow while parents focus on seeking a safer living environment in the Washington, D.C. area. The candidate will be responsible for maintaining NAEYC Accreditation, training staff, recruiting, overseeing and ensuring to maintain operations within budget, and have the ability to communicate with persons of all levels of life specifically the homeless, and develop partnerships within the community. The mission of Bright Beginnings in which this position is offered is as follows: The mission of Bright Beginnings is to 1) provide children with a safe, nurturing educational environment, 2) prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to learn and 3) support homeless parents to stabilize their home lives and become self-sufficient. This position is available in the Washington, D. C. area. The skills I will need to fulfill would be to educate my knowledge base as it relates to homeless shelters and transitioning environments and the effects these environments have on children and the families, complete my Master's degree, I would have to research and become familiar with the curriculum used by Bright Beginnings, and be confident in researching and maintaining funding resources.

These three positions relate to working with young children and their families and I possess characteristics as well as education and experience needed; however, each position prefers that the candidate has a Master's degree. Amongst the three positions, the NAEYC - Executive Director for Bright Beginnings Child Development Center interests me the most, because I am currently knowledgeable and qualified for this position with the exception of homelessness and its impact on families and young children.

References

http://actspwc.org/careers/

http://careerforum.naeyc.org/jobs/8241804/executive-director

https://www.childwelfare.gov

 

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