Summary:
Staff working in early childhood infrastructure organizations play critical roles in the design and implementation of the early care and education system. They represent the field to the public and policy makers, provide education and professional development to those working directly with children, and serve as the liaisons between families and the many services and programs upon which they depend. Yet, until now, only minimal attention has been focused on those who work in these organizations in such roles as adult trainer or educator, referral counselor for families, program developer, and/or advocate or policy analyst.
The staff in infrastructure organizations demands our attention, particularly at a time when the organizations in which they work are looked to as leaders in efforts to improve the quality of early childhood services. Many questions arise: what are the characteristics and backgrounds of those who fill these positions, do they have access to professional preparation and development appropriate to the skills and knowledge needed for their jobs, and how similar or different are they from those working directly with young children?
In 2009, we surveyed a population of 1,588 persons who work in three types of early childhood infrastructure organizations in California -- child care resource and referral programs, local First 5 commissions and as child care coordinators. All of these infrastructure organizations receive public dollars and at least one of each type is found in every county of the state.