Jobs and Roles in the Early Childhood Field

In researching some of the communities of practice that were recommended to me by a colleague, I came across a job opportunity with the Hand in Hand Parenting organization. This organization works with families to help educate parents on any questions that they might have, about raising their child(ren). "Hand in Hand Parenting
is an organization dedicated to transforming parenting through providing support, resources, and training to parents from all backgrounds and economic circumstances. For 25 years, our cutting edge yet adaptable approach, Parenting by Connection, has given parents practical tools to resolve universal family challenges" (Hand in Hand, 2014). They currently have an Executive Director position available, with the job skills requiring:

• Success in fund raising, totaling over $1 million dollars a year
  
• 7 Years of leadership experience
  
• Strong financial and operations management experience
  

This job was intriguing for me, because of the work that they do with families. This job requires a lot of experience in fundraising, which I am impressed that they put an amount of what they would like to see from their job candidates.

The second organization that I looked into was Amma Parenting Center. It is an organization that partners with the local hospital, March of Dimes, and a local toy store. What this organization does, is offer hospital classes to expectant mothers to ease the transition from pregnancy, to birth. I was very interested in their website, and was excited about what they currently offer to parents. In conducting further investigation they also offer classes to fathers, and a lactation support class (Amma Parenting Center, n.d.).

The only current job opening that they have is for an Infant CPR Instructor. There were no specific qualifications that were listed with the posting, there was just an email to use to contact an individual if you were interested in the position. This company sounds very enlightening to work for, and am curious to see what job openings they will have in the future,

The Office of Women's Health was informative as well. I like the way that the information is presented and offered to women. Not only do they offer information to pregnant women, but also to teenagers, and women that are looking to get pregnant. There is informational resources on everything from an ovulation prediction calendar, to a printout question sheet for your babysitter. I like that there is a broader listing of information that is available to women (Office of Women's Health, 2014).

There are not any job postings that are available through their website, but there are links to opportunities for internships. Participants on different educational journeys are encouraged to apply for an internship with the company. Once they have completed their degree, and have completed their internship, there are opportunities for a permanent placement (Office of Women's Health, 2014).

Researching these different organizations gave me more ideas on how I can expand my current CoP, and what information is currently out there, and what additional resources I feel are necessary that are not out there. I am happy that I have looked outside my current CoP and found other opportunities that are out there, that I can benefit from their current knowledge on my challenge.

References

Amma Parenting Center. (n.d.). Programs. Retrieved from Amma Parenting Center: http://ammaparentingcenter.com

Hand in Hand. (2014). Executive Director of hand in hand parenting. Retrieved from Hand in Hand Nurturing the Parent-Child Connection: http://www.handinhandparenting.org

Office of Women's Health. (2014, January 13). About Us. Retrieved from Office of Women's Health: http://www.womenshealth.gov

 

Local Opportunities

One organization that I found is the Newhouse organization. This is a school that they have started within a domestic violence shelter. They have hired a teacher that is Special Education Certified, and they stick to the local school district requirements. They are actually a part of the Kansas City Public School System and work side-by-side with them, so that the students within the shelter are receiving the best educational opportunities available to them. In order to become a volunteer at Newhouse, you must be at least 18 years of age, pass a background check, and attend an orientation/training.

Project Eagle Community Programs "mission is to nurture the healthy growth and development of the community's most vulnerable young children and families by providing a foundation for school readiness and strengthening family engagement" http://www.projecteagle.org/. They have Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms set up around the Kansas City area. They currently have an opening for a Lead Teacher job requirements are: a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development. Classroom experience with older toddlers and preschoolers. Ability to establish trusting relationships with young children. Ability to communicate effectively and establish partnerships with other classroom teachers, center staff, community partners, and parents. Willingness to work in a highly collaborative environment. Desire for continued professional growth. Ability to lift up to 50 pounds. Basic computer skills. Ability to individualize care based on individual children's needs (medical, educational, family situations). Ability to become CPR and First Aid Certified within 30 days of employment.

The Family Conservancy has different information on how to help families, child care centers, and children that are homeless. Their mission statement is "helping children and families achieve a lifetime of success" http://www.thefamilyconservancy.org/about-us/overview. They have online resources that are available, as well as classes that are offered within their center. They currently have job openings for: Practitioner II, Head Start Fiscal Coordinator, Head Start Mental Health Specialist, Part Time Child Care Teacher, and a Part Time Practitioner II. The requirements for the Practitioner II: Master's degree in Social Work, or related field required. Three years prior relevant working experience and expertise in serving young children and their families required. Written and verbal communication skills required to interact with health professionals, vendors, and agencies in a professional manner, developing rapport and enhancing business relationships required. Working knowledge of community resources required.

www.healthychildren.org is not a local agency but an online resource that has valuable information for parents, regarding their children. They offer news, tips and tricks, medical advice, and so much more.

All of these organizations are looking out for families that could be going through a hardship, and have opportunities available to them. There are a variety of resources that each one offers, that can help a variety of people looking for assistance.