Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community:  National/Federal Level

         I reviewed many Federal websites as well as state and local sites to determine the scope of early childhood programs that include home visiting, parenting classes, and working with teen parents.  As I reflect, progress, and discover along the final trek of our Master’s program I am becoming more focused on combining my many years of experience in the social work field with my years of experience and education in the early childhood field.  A website I found most interesting was: www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2011/03/teen_mothers_get_help_staying that featured an article about an innovative program for teen parents. The article described a program at the Cohen Senior High School in Louisiana that is supported by an Early Head Start grant with the goal of assisting teen parents to complete high school.  The program makes use of a social worker that makes home visits, provides monetary assistance for child care, and conducts parenting classes. The website did not feature any job openings.

         The second website I reviewed based on my interest to incorporate my social work skills with ECE was Nurse Family Partnership – NFP found at:  http://www.nursefamilypartnership.org/about/careers.  This is a National website that had two job openings posted; one with a home base at the NFP National Service Office in Denver, Colorado with travel to Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Kansas.  This position is a Program Developer that cultivates political and fiscal support for the program.  It involves work on the state, county, and city level.  Requirements include a Master’s Degree in Public Health and two to four years of experience in franchising organizations as well as an understanding of how state and local governments and funding agencies work.  Although this job sounds challenging, I do not possess the necessary qualifications.  The second position is for a Chief Operating Officer, Denver, CO.  Requirements for this position include experience as a senior manager with experience in sales, marketing, and IT.  Other positions posted were for nurses.  I believe the NFP program is a vitally needed program to support teen parents and ensure their babies receive the best parenting necessary to ensure their development.  I believe beginning work on a local level and aspiring to advance to employment on a National level is more realistic for me to consider.

         While I was researching NAEYC’s website at:  www.naeyc.org I discovered that a program within my home state of Pennsylvania holds the designation of an exemplary program.  The Montgomery County Community College Children’s Center in Blue Bell, PA provides child care and family support to a diverse clientele and maintains an anti-bias approach.  I find this program exciting because of the affiliation to a community college.  My original goal for pursuing a Master’s Degree was to teach at a community college and this type of child care center lends itself to blending teaching adults with providing child care.  The website did not post vacant positions.

        The Health and Human Services website at:  www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ecd/programs/home-visiting, explored the Affordable Care Act Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) and Tribal MIECHV.  This program allows for partnership at the federal, state, tribal, and community levels.  The goals for this program include improving parenting skills and encourage home visiting.  Home visitors are nurses or social workers with the goal of helping families with all aspects of health, child development, and nutrition.  I am encouraged that social workers are included in this program and foresee the need to include more professionals from the early childhood field.

References

National Association for the Education of Young Children, (2013). Retrieved from www.naeyc.org

Nola.com, (2013).  Retrieved from www.nola.com/education

Nurse Family Partnership, (2013). Retrieved from http://www.nursefamilypartnership.org/about/careers

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (2013). Retrieved from www.acf.hhs.gov