Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

This week’s blog post consists of three local, state organizations or communities of practice that appeal to me. I have also included the Job opportunities that interest me along with the skills and experience needed to competently fulfill each of the roles.

           Texas Association of Education of Young Children (TAEYC) mission is to provide opportunities for professional growth and to broaden public awareness on early care and education issues affecting the lives of children and families.Texas AEYC is a bridge of collaboration and communication and between early care and education and the communities we serve.(http://www.texasaeyc.org/?page_id=506#more-506)

              Houston Area Association for the Education of Young Children (HAAEYC) is one of the largest chapter affiliates of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a national organization comprised of early care and education professionals.  Their mission is to promote and support high quality care and education for young children through improved professional practice and broadened public awareness (http://www.haaeyc.org/about).

These two organizations (TAEYC and HAAEYC) would allow me to join a community of practice that I could learn from and share information with in my local area. I could meet with this group regularly and contribute to their efforts to bring community and public awareness to issues regarding the early education of young children.

                       The Neighborhood Centers Inc. Choices In Education division provides an integrated, holistic education system for families with children in pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade. The Choices in Education division oversees the Agency’s early childhood education programs and the Promise Community Schools, including 10 pre-Kindergarten centers, two community-based elementary schools, one middle school, and a “New Neighbor” school for refugee children, serving a total of 1,900 students and their families (http://iamforgood.org/choices-in-education)

I chose NCI because this would allow me to work with parents as well as their children by providing them access to community resources that will to prepare the parents and children for continuing educational achievement as well as a successful career.

                        Early Childhood Intervention Services (ECI) ECI is a statewide program in Texas through the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services for families with children, birth to three, with disabilities and developmental delays. ECI supports families to help their children reach their potential through developmental services (http://www.dars.state.tx.us/ecis).

ECI would allow me to help support parents and their children who have developmental delays.

Job Opportunities:

Early Intervention Specialist – Skills needed include ability to develop evaluations and conduct assessments, Ability to develop a plan of car and experience working with infants and children.

Family Development Worker- Skills needed include problem solving, ability to handle crisis, experience working with families of diverse ethnic, language and cultural backgrounds.