Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The first organization that applies to me is CNIC, Commander Navy Installations Command. For CNIC I would want to be an inspector for Child and Youth Programs on different military bases around the world. I chose this organization because they go out into the different military communities and better them. They are constantly thinking of new ideas to better military Child and Youth programs. 

After completing my masters and finishing up my first three years for working for the Department of Defense (which will be in February) I will be qualified to apply for one of these positions. 

The second organization that I am interested in working for is NAEYC. “NAEYC's mission is to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources (NAEYC Bylaws, Article I., Section 1.1).”

A job that I found under NAEYC that interests me is “The Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) Administrator will manage the design and implementation of the Alameda County Quality Rating and Improvement System. The QRIS Administrator will coordinate multiple stakeholders and programs to ensure that the QRIS system conforms to the requirements of California’s Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) Grant. The QRIS Administrator also represents Alameda County QRIS at the regional and state level” (NAEYC, 2012). For this job I will need some extra experience in “Experience Minimum five years of full-time progressively responsible experience in a public or private organization or community development agency serving at-risk families with young children including the responsibility for program management, planning and/or evaluation” (NAEYC, 2012). All of my experience is through the Department of Defense and working with military families. 

The last organization I chose is the Children’s Defense Fund. “The Children's Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities” (Children’s Defense Fund, 2012).  In my undergraduate degree I studied political science and working for the Children’s Defense Fund and trying to work with the government and make sure that every child has a voice would be bringing both things I love together. 

A job that I found of interest is a Healthcare Organizer. “Mobilizing the Texas business community is critical to improving overall health care access for Texas children. The Healthcare Organizer will work with Small Business Majority (SBM), a national advocacy organization, other CDF-TX staff and partners of the Texas Well and Healthy Campaign (TWAH) to develop and lead CDF’s small business public education campaign. The Texas business community is predominantly composed of small businesses. Thus, businesses have a role to play in shaping health care access for children and families in our state through their employment and benefits practices as well as political influence. The Healthcare Organizer will travel throughout Texas to educate and engage small business leaders in supporting ACA and protecting children’s health coverage through Medicaid and CHIP. In addition to coordinating and hosting public education presentations, the Healthcare Organizer will cultivate business leaders to serve as spokespeople for the ACA, Medicaid and children’s healthcare coverage, participate in public events, testify at public hearings, and partner with CDF-TX, SBM and TWAH on outreach to traditional and social media.  The Healthcare Organizer will also help in collecting and documenting stories for publication and advocacy purposes” (Children’s Defense Fund, 2012). I have all of the qualifications for this job. My passion does not relate to healthcare while I know it is very important and I fully support it, my ideal job would be similar to this however it would relate to the educators and their education and providing them with trainings to enable them to better help a child in their development process. 

Resources:

Children’s Defense Fund. (2012). www.childrensdefense.org

Commander Navy Installations Command. (2012). http://www.cnic.navy.mil/CNIC_HQ_Site/WhatWeDo/FleetandFamilyReadiness/FamilyReadiness/ChildAndYouthPrograms/index.htm

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2012). Career Forum. http://careerforum.naeyc.org/jobs#/detail/4833241

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2012). www.naecy.org