National Organizations that I am interested in are NAEYC, Zero to Three, and Help Me Grow. I chose these three organizations because of their work in being advocates of inclusive classrooms and latest research on the subject. NAEYC has a joint policy statement on what high quality early childhood inclusion programs should look like. They developed this statement in 2009, the US department of education did not issue one until 2015. I love NAEYC and the DEC definition of inclusion.
"Early childhood inclusion embodies the values,
policies, and practices that support the right of
every infant and young child and his or her family,
regardless of ability, to participate in a broad
range of activities and contexts as full members of
families, communities, and society. The desired results
of inclusive experiences for children with and
without disabilities and their families include a
sense of belonging and membership, positive social
relationships and friendships, and development
and learning to reach their full potential. The defining
features of inclusion that can be used to identify
high quality early childhood programs and services
are access, participation, and supports," (NAEYC & DEC, 2009, p.2).
Zero to Three is another great organization. Its' "mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. At ZERO TO THREE, we envision a society that has the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential," (Zero to Three, n.a., para 1). They offer resources and training for several different topics, included inclusion and infants/toddlers with disabilities.
Help Me Grow does similar work to Zero to Three.They provide and do developmental screening to children who are suspected to have a delay or be at risk. The provide IFSP services to infants, toddlers, and their families. When the child turns three they help with the transition to preschool. My youngest was in Help Me Grow and it was a wonderful program that taught me how to advocate for myself and my child.
Possible jobs... I think it would be awesome to be a trainer for Zero to Three. They have a program to to become one. I am not sure how much it pays, but I can image traveling the country and helping centers provide best practice care for all infants and toddlers.
I was once a home visitor for Help Me Grow and I would not mind doing that again. It was great teaching other how to advocate for their child like our home visitor did for me.
Another job that I am interested in would be be helping centers get their NAEYC accreditation.
For each of these jobs I would need at least a bachlor's degree in early childhood. A Master's degree would be better for the trainer and inspector jobs. I would also need experience working in the early childhood field. For the inspector I would need knowledge of the NAEYC criteria for getting NAEYC accreditation. For Zero to Three and Help Me Grow I would need experience working with infants and toddlers and their families.
References
https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/DEC_NAEYC_EC_updatedKS.pdf
https://www.zerotothree.org/about/our-mission-and-vision
Keleena,
ReplyDeleteI love the three organization that you chose. NAEYC seem to be a very popular one. The job as a trainer with zero to three sounds very exciting. Not only do you get to travel but you also would help centers to provide the best care for our youngest learners. How exciting is that and how rewarding that is. I also like the mission of zero to three “to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life”. The home visitor with Help Me Grow also sounds very exciting. I believe any job that allows us to impact the lives of our children is so rewarding.. The Early Childhood years is such an important time in our children's lives and the investment and support that is given during that time will last a lifetime.
Thanks for posting.
Angela.
Reference:
https://www.zerotothree.org/about/our-mission-and-vision
Zero to Three is one of my fa favorite organizations. I believe it gives beneficial information on ways children can grow and learn in a positive environment. It also provides beneficial resources not only for early education professionals but for families as well. Being able to travel and research education as a career would be an awesome job.
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