Early
Childhood Advocacy
Early
childhood advocates work to increase the public’s awareness of important
early childhood issues and the services their organizations provide;
to secure public and private funding; and to encourage favorable legislation.
To convey their message and influence public opinion, advocates may
write media articles and press releases, speak at public and private
forums, monitor legislative activities, and/or actively participate
in the legislative process. An advocate needs to be knowledgeable
about the issues that he/she represents, and should have strong written
and oral communication skills.
Only
a few Wisconsin organizations that deal with issues related to young
children and their families have paid advocacy positions. The Wisconsin
Council on Children and Families (http://www.wccf.org ) is an example
of a state organization that advocates for multiple child and family
issues. It is common for administrators, program employees, and
others in the profession to advocate for children, families, and
high quality comprehensive services. Professional or membership
organizations may also have a staff person who does advocacy along
with other responsibilities.
While
any informed and caring person can be an advocate, several state
organizations have positions that include professional advocacy.
Membership
and Professional Organizations
Professional
and membership organizations help professionals stay current as
to the latest information and resources in the early childhood field.
They also offer networks of colleagues who can offer professional
support to each other.
There
are many membership and professional organizations. Some have a
broad, inclusive focus and a diverse membership. Others are more
narrowly focused on the people who have a particular type of job
or who live in a particular geographical area. The Wisconsin Early
Childhood Association, Wisconsin Child Care Administrators Association,
Wisconsin School Age Care Alliance, and Wisconsin Family Child Care
Association are examples of the former, while Day Care Advocates
of Milwaukee and Sheboygan Area Early Childhood Educators are examples
of the latter. Each organization has a set of guidelines about
who may join, a set of benefits or services members receive, and
often dues or fees for services.
The
organizations listed in this career guide are some of those currently
available in Wisconsin. New organizations may be established at
any time to meet the needs of a particular group of professionals.
The statewide organizations listed here can help with contacts to
local organizations.
Professional
and membership organizations often operate with volunteers who are
members of the board of directors or steering committee. Volunteers
may also help to plan and implement programs, conferences, workshops,
public education events, fundraisers, and community projects.
Career
Opportunities in Membership and Professional Organizations
Professional
associations with the financial resources to do so often hire staff
to carry out their work. The skills and experience of staff will
vary greatly, depending on the particular projects for which funding
is available and the services offered. Some jobs, such as writing
the organization’s newsletter, coordinating conferences or counseling
people about careers, require training and experience in the early
childhood field. Other positions require clerical, accounting, or
computer skills and experience. The links below connect to national
organizations; many of these organizations have state chapters.
Refer to the links in the Supporting Materials section for detailed
listings of early childhood professional organizations; the following
list highlights national organizations that support the early childhood
profession.
Professional
Associations
National Association for the Education
of Young Children
National Association
of Elementary School Principals
Institute for Educational
Leadership
National Association
of Early Childhood Teacher Educators
National Alliance
of Black School Educators
National Black Child
Development Institute
National Head Start
Association
American Occupational
Therapy Association
Council for Exceptional
Children
Council for Exceptional Children
Division for Early Childhood
American Academy of
Pediatrics
National Association
for Bilingual Education
American Physical
Therapy Association
American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association
Association
for Childhood Education International
National Association
of Special Education Teachers
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