Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The three state or local organizations that I found within Ohio are the Ohio Association for the Education for Young Children, Action for Children, and Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association. These three organizations specialize in the growth and well-being of young children. I have an affiliation of each one for the past twenty years.

Ohio association for the Education for Young Children is a web site and organization that childcare workers are to be a member. This organization gives you professional trainings, new trends and updates in quality care for young children. In addition, it provides an opportunity to meet and socialize with other early childhood professionals.

Action for Children is a non-profit organization that brings high quality care to all childcare centers. They focus on a program called Step-Up-To-Quality. The program allows childcare centers to move in steps to achieve high quality care while providing assistants to the centers to achieve the highest level of a Star 3 rating. My center is a Star 2 rating. The ratings look at the classroom environment, agency protocols to maintain high quality, and the professional development of Staff. It is an honor to be in this program from the state licensing.

Then there is Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral association. This association is a professional development association. All early childhood educators can maintain their trainings in a permanent file and use it as they increase their education levels and carry it from one agency to another without having paper files. It also, provides access to enrolling in trainings throughout local counties within a twenty-five mile area to meet the needs of the step-Up-to-Quality requirements for high quality childcare. In addition, it links to the State licensing board for child Care centers.

If you are interested in these programs visit their websites:

http://www.oaeyc.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3313 (Ohio Association for the Education for Young Children)

http://www.actionforchildren.org/  (Action for Children)

http://www.occrra.org/ (Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association)

Job opportunities that interest me are at Columbus State Community College in Early Childhood Development as a Professor, Department of Education as Preschool Program Coordinator, and an Early Childhood Trainer in quality childcare requirements through the Ohio State Childcare Licensing Agency. The reason I focus my career toward these aspects is to make a change in the quality of care for young children.

In order for me fulfill these roles the requirements are to have experience in the field of early childhood and to have a masters degree in Early Childhood. In addition, have well-written and verbal communication, child development knowledge, and able to manage group successfully. I have the skills and experience to fulfill all of the needed requirements to make the career change.