Are you confused by the various systems for professional development? Do you have a distinct and clear career path or lattice? You may want to scaffold your knowledge by linking your own professional development pieces to one another. Taking this step will help you understand how best to advance in your field and what systems are available to support your progress.

The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), a service of the Child Care Bureau, has developed a resource that allows you to plan your own professional development. Referred to as the State Professional Development Systems and Initiatives for the Early Childhood Workforce, this resource chronicles professional development information from each state. It is available at http://nccic.org/pubs/goodstart/state-ece.html [no longer available]...

The NCCIC tool includes information such as the names of state professional development systems or initiatives, contact information, links to and highlights of other information, such as professional associations, and funding sources. State registries (see the article on page 10) also are listed. Take a glance at this document and make it work for you. An example from the state of Florida is included in the box on page 13. In addition, the NCCIC framework for professional development is included as another resource and is illustrated by the tree graphic in the box above.

You may want to work with an advisor in your city, county or state who can answer your questions and guide you through the process of defining your personal path. Many professionals will be pleased to advise or mentor you; networking and mentoring can provide an invaluable boost to success.

The rewards of earning a degree or degrees are boundless. The State Professional Development Systems and Initiatives for the Early Childhood Workforce are available to provide information that can help you achieve your dream!

Comprehensive professional development systems for early care and education personnel define paths tied to licenses, lead to qualifications and credentials, address the needs of individual adult learners, and support life-long learning. The tree graphic illustrates the interconnected components within professional development systems under five broad elements: 1) Funding; 2) Core Knowledge; 3) Qualifications and Credentials; 4) Quality Assurances; and 5) Access and Outreach. (NCCIC)

A one-page document that outlines and defines this framework is available on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/goodstart/pdsystem.html [no longer available]... 

The framework for Comprehensive Professional Development Systems for Early Care and Educational Personnel from the National Child Care Information Center

Many states have long histories of professional development systems, having responded to the various changes in laws, regulations and training requirements that have evolved over the years. In Florida, for instance, laws, regulations and training requirements came about because of serious allegations of sexual abuse in a child care setting. In the mid-1980s, Florida lawmakers provided guidelines to a heretofore unregulated industry.

Today, the director must possess a renewable Director Credential and the training hours for providers have been increased to 45. Below is the information on Florida that appears on the NCCIC Web site as part of the State Professional Development Systems and Initiatives for the Early Childhood Workforce resource.

Julie Alli Palmer-Blackwell is a Senior Program Advisor for the Bounce Learning Network, a division of the Ounce of Prevention Fund in Chicago, IL. T: 312-922-3863 x. 3555; E: jpalmer@ounceofprevention.org