Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: State and Local

There is an organization called Bright from the Start which is a state agency.  They are responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of Georgia’s children and their families.  They oversee a wide range of programs focused primarily on children ages birth to school age and their families.  They administer the Georgia Pre-K program.  They license and monitor all center-based and home based child care facilities. They oversee the federal child and adult care food program and the summer food service program.  They provide technical assistance, training and support to families and child care providers who care for children with special needs.  When I checked for employment opportunities they had a few positions open nothing that I might be interested in except the infant/toddler specialist position.  This position provides technical assistance to centers as well as Bright from the start approved training.  If I were to pursue this position I would need to work on my presentation skills.   There website is http://decal.ga.gov/Default.aspx

Smart Start, the Early Childhood Division of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, was created in May 1999 to address the needs of Georgia's youngest children and their families. “With innovative state and local programs and outreach initiatives, Smart Start has developed and maintains commitments and partnerships with state agencies, child care providers, parents, training and technical assistance organizations, and government and business leaders to improve the quality of early care and education for all children ages birth through five”. “Through its programs and initiatives, Smart Start works to increase school readiness, with the aim of having every child ready to succeed in school by the time they enter kindergarten”.  There website is http://www.smartstartga.org/default.aspx.  This site did not have an employment section.

“The Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) is the part of DHS that investigates child abuse; finds foster homes for abused and neglected children; helps low income, out-of-work parents get back on their feet; assists with childcare costs for low income parents who are working or in job training; and provides numerous support services and innovative programs to help troubled families.”   There website is http://dfcs.dhs.georgia.gov/.  This website posted some job positions many of them were not directly associated with early childhood education, I did find one position that services young children and it is Immunization Field Service Manager.  This position is responsible for the day-to-day supervision of 18 immunization program consultants located throughout the state of Georgia.  This position serves as a consultant on immunization and vaccines for children (VFC) issues to the health districts and county health offices, VFC Providers and the general public.  Qualifications for this position require experience in managing staff in public health or human services, experience in the area interagency collaboration and partnership building and experience in planning and goal management based on data and statistical information. 

The Georgia Head Start Association, Inc. (GHSA) is a statewide non-profit organization whose mission is “to enhance the capability of local Head Start programs to deliver quality services to children and their families”. GHSA represents the 30 Head Start and Early Head Start agencies in the state of Georgia that provide these services to over 24,000 low-income preschool children birth through five-years-old and their families.   The website is http://www.georgiaheadstart.org/about/organization.php.  This site posted a position for an Executive Officer of Head Start.  This position is a high level position with the candidate having experience in general management as well as public relations, professional development, advocacy and fund raising.  I would need to acquire management skills and public relations knowledge to qualify for this position.