As of March 2020, the President and ECC Council members of the Early Childhood Connections Inc. have approved a Strategic Plan for 2020-2022. There are many goals that need to be met within these two implementation terms. Moreover, there are many strategies and actions which need to be taken in order to meet these goals. However, we collectively highlighted four objectives that drive our strategic plan.
Our Objectives:
Objective One: To provide high quality professional standards to support career planning, and career advancement for early childcare professionals.
Objective Two: Continue to support and advocate for early childcare standards, and high quality learning environments. While using coaching and training models that assist in the application of skills and competencies.
Objective Three: To develop and implement a plan using onsite apprenticeship. This will be used as a career pathway and opportunities to strengthen staff development and provide preparation for the workforce. Therefore individuals can acquire on the job work experiences.
Objective Four:To incorporate the importance of using diversity as a model for equitable social settings; to promote professional ethics and moral development.
In order to learn more about the plan, contact Jennifer Edwards-Saul M.Ed. Executive Owner and Operator
at earlychildcareprofessional@gmail.com or 516 437-3729.
If you would you like to learn more about how you can help Early Childhood Connections meet these goals visit Support at eLearning4edu.com
STRATEGY 1
Objective One: To provide high quality professional standards to support career planning, and career advancement for early childcare professionals.
Develop and implement training models and training methods geared to improve teaching, so that it is applicable to teaching practices. To provide coaching and apprenticeship services to directly work onsite with educators.
ACTIONS
- Compare current training and teaching methods and align practices to the core body of knowledge and professional standards.
- Examine workforce and agency expectations to effectively assist programs with staff orientation and staffing patterns. Explore if any changes can/should be made to better support job performance. .
- Examine leadership strategies aimed at supporting workforce development.
- Develop and implement a plan for existing and future professional standards.
STRATEGY 2
Hire Program Manager and Department Managers, under the supervision of the Executive Director. To assist the program with providing more effective outreach to prospective consultants, and assist with program ability to function toward the desired outcomes.
ACTIONS
- Budget for 2020; consult team formation in the first half of 2020
- Attract and maintain funds to maintain this position.
- Provide the necessary support and resources for this individual to succeed.
STRATEGY 3
Examine other methods of structural and operational support.
ACTIONS
- Enlist the feedback of existing trainees, educators, professionals, consultants, teachers and members of the community, to formulate a prospective consultant group, Create an Action Committee.
- Research methods employed at other early childhood and non-early childhood institutions.
- Enlist the assistance of other experts as appropriate to develop and implement a well-rounded approach.
- Build the necessary data based, directories and contact list.
- Contract with a needed organization to structure the organization’s ability to be visible to the profession.
- Utilize media and technology to enhance program overall structure.
Objective Two: Continue to support and advocate for early childcare standards and high quality learning environments using coaching and training models that assist in the application of skills and competencies. Gain the ability to support individuals and coaches who have made a contribution to the profession.
STRATEGY 1
Improve the infrastructure and communication methods, including personnel, space, materials, and/or computer and software needs, as appropriate, with direct access to networking services to advocacy groups.
STRATEGY 2
Build a stronger culture of development and philanthropy to strengthen relationships with current outreach to attract new opportunities with larger networking potential. Media access to post events and opportunities for joint ventures.
ACTIONS
- Foster additional opportunities for interaction with current and prospective collaborations to create community partnerships, including offering events, outreach and shared contractual agreements.
- Develop relationships with service organizations, development professionals from the academic sector, and current and former early childhood connections attendees for their networking potential and expertise.
- Pursue incentive strategies for philanthropic supports, contributions and scholarship contributions and offering funds or services using in kind or fee waivers.
- Pursue targeted approaches to develop scholarship and donation opportunities for program and events contribution to professionals, and awardees who dedicated their services to the early childhood field.
- Educate internal stakeholders (council-committee, consultants, community members, public donators, volunteers) on fundraising and development to seek the appropriate accountability and achieve broad alignment with organizational fundraising goals.
STRATEGY 3
Examine return on investment of revenue producing special events (current and potential), and align resources accordingly. Increase and maximize revenue potential of selected revenue producing events and activities.
STRATEGY 4
Assess other traditional revenue sources.
ACTIONS
- Examine tuition on an annual basis; increase if appropriate and necessary.
- Maximize other potential funding sources, when appropriate.
- Diversify funding sources, when appropriate.
Objective Three: To develop and implement a plan using onsite apprenticeship-on the Job Training and Coaching services. A tool to be used as a career pathway and opportunities to strengthen staff development; preparation of workforce, so individuals can acquire on the job work experiences.
STRATEGY 1
Continue the process of identifying Early Childhood Connections present and future facility needs and of defining the categories into which these needs fall.
ACTIONS
- Enlist feedback from a variety of constituents including consumers, committee members, consultant partners, volunteers, and community.
STRATEGY 2
Complete the process of determining the proper actions that will help alleviate Early Childhood Connections’ need for additional and more efficient space. Including headquarters and regional annex (Regional and Local)
ACTIONS
- Once actions are determined, develop a plan (including financial plan) and timeline for implementing that plan.
- Secure stakeholder and community buy-in for the plan to facilitate decisive decision making through implementation.
STRATEGY 3
Proactively maintain and, when deemed necessary, improve current internet physical structures and facilities.
ACTIONS
- Develop a maintenance schedule for all major systems.
- Ensure that financial resources are allocated for maintenance tasks.
- Enlist outside assistance/volunteers in identifying and completing tasks (task force-committee members).
Objective Four:To incorporate the importance of using diversity as a model for equalable social setting; to promote professional ethics and moral development.
STRATEGY 1
Regardless of Early Childhood Connections’ current ability to obtain their CDA or Credentials due to awareness of scholarship, GED status, or Language and Literacy deficiency or who can financially afford to lower the current % of individuals who receive equity support (greater than 50%), determine the percentage of individuals in categories of equable need, that would be supported through community referrals and bridge programs. Establish Early Childhood Connections ability to advocate and support social change; an “agency of equitable and economic diversity.”
ACTIONS
- Develop a plan of determination with local agencies and task force committees and consultant teams.
STRATEGY 2
Organize more opportunities for Early Childhood Connections consumers to gain access to community services; get to know to be in the know, gain access to resources.
ACTIONS
- Key community members to develop all- community opportunities.
- Early Childhood Connections Inc task-force to work with professionals and community organizations to develop workforce solutions and other professional development opportunities.
STRATEGY 3
Ensure that the lessons of diversity, understanding, and acceptance are being conveyed in conjunction with the current curriculum.
ACTIONS
- Engage in dialogue and conversations to committee task force, attendees, and post feed-back that is, to see what currently is being done to achieve this strategy.
- Review current resources, attend professional development training, join community based organizations, develop new policies regarding information and select resources that provide concrete methods to achieve this strategy.