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

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

MOPS International, Inc. http://www.mops.org

 MOPS International (Mothers of Preschoolers) is a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging, equipping and developing every mother of preschoolers to realize her potential as a woman, mother and leader in the name of Jesus Christ (MOPS International, Inc., 2012).

MOPS International’s primary tools for encouragement are local meetings where every mother of preschooler is invited to come and experience authentic community, personal growth and practical parenting tips to encourage moms to be the best mom possible. Better moms make a better world (MOPS International, Inc., 2012).

Chartered MOPS groups meet several times a month in more than 3,800 churches, ministries and non-profit groups throughout the U.S. and in 32 other countries. More than 110,000 women are currently registered in MOPS groups (MOPS International, Inc., 2012).

The MOPS organization appeals to me because of their philosophy and values. I see some similarities between MOPS and Early Head Start. The main concept of MOPS that I really enjoy is that it ties in faith and ministries.

The job opportunity that really interests me is the Director of Groups and Leadership.

This job is responsible the development and implementation of all aspects of the leader resources and community through MOPS including field leaders, service, charter renewal, content and training. 

 Parents as Teachers (PAT) http://www.parentsasteachers.org/

 Parents as Teachers helps organizations and professionals work with parents during the critical early years of their children's lives, from conception to kindergarten—and the results are powerful (Parents as Teachers [PAT], 2010).

Grounded in the latest research, Parents as Teachers develops curricula that support a parent’s role in promoting school readiness and healthy development of children. Our approach is intimate and relationship-based. We embrace learning experiences that are relevant and customized for the individual needs of each family and child. As a result, individuals and organizations who use our curricula benefit from our understanding of the evolving needs of today’s families and children (PAT, 2010).

 I have been certified as a PAT parent educator since 2007. I really love how they focus on teaching the parents to become their child’s first and best teacher. The job opportunity that really appeals to me is becoming a Training Specialist. The Training Specialist’s job is to train new participants on how to implement the PAT curriculum. It would be a great opportunity to obtain this position because it would let me utilize my education background. It would also allow me to train new parent educators in this wonderful curriculum.

Zero to Three. http://www.zerotothree.org/  

The following information is from the Zero to Three fact sheet on their website:

Overview
ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.

Our mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers. We achieve this by translating research and knowledge—specifically information about the kinds of early experiences that help children thrive—into a range of practical tools and resources for use by the adults who influence the lives of young children.

We were founded in l977 by top experts in child development, health and mental health. We have evolved into the organization that plays a critical leadership role in promoting understanding around key issues affecting young children and their families, including child care, infant mental health, early language and literacy development, early intervention and the impact of culture on early childhood development.

Our Vision
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.

Organizational Goals:

• Training Professionals and Building Networks of Leaders
• Influencing Policies & Practices
• Raising Public Awareness of Early Childhood Issues

Our Work
ZERO TO THREE is unique in our multidisciplinary approach to child development. Our emphasis on bringing together the perspectives of many fields and many specialists is rooted in the robust research studies showing that all domains of development—social, emotional, intellectual, language and physical—are interdependent and work together to promote a child’s overall health and well-being in the context of his family and culture.

All of our work is:

• Grounded in research and experience
• Multidisciplinary
• Collaborative
• Culturally responsive
• Clinically informed
• Accessible

As a home visitor I went to this site to get information on many different topics that related to the families that I was serving. That has not changed since becoming the program supervisor. I have attended an Annual Zero to Three conference in the past. It was a great experience with a wealth of information.

The job opportunity that I found was for a Senior Writer – Training Specialist EHS NRC External position.

03/19/12 Senior Writer - Training Specialist EHS NRC_External The Senior Writer/Training Specialist position is responsible for contributing to the efforts of the EHS NRC to develop a comprehensive body of knowledge for the EHS community by developing high quality written products; providing comprehensive, up-to-date training; and by leading the efforts towards comprehension and integration of current EHS and infant/toddler and family policy into the overall work of the EHS NRC.

References

MOPS International, Inc. (2012) Retrieved March 16, 2012, from http://www.mops.org

Parents as Teachers (PAT) (2010) Retrieved March 20, 2012, from http://www.parentsasteachers.org/

Zero to Three. (2012) Retrieved March 21, 2012, from http://www.zerotothree.org/