When designing an early childhood program, the first step would be to assess the need in your community. You need to determine what is missing in your community and then offer a solution. The next step would be to develop your program philosophy.
This will let people know how you plan on addressing the need and what values you will be instilling in the children you serve. The last step in establishing a program in your community is to decide the type of program or curriculum that will fit the need that you plan on filling.This will let parents and community members know how you will fill the need of the children you plan to serve (Scalars, peg. 45, 2001). One of the important roles that must be filled in order to run a program is that of administrator, another being director.
The administrator is the person responsible for the management of the group child care center. The director is responsible for the supervision of the center's program for children and of the center's staff (WI Admit. Code, 2005). They both answer to the holder of the license for the program.In addition to the administrator and director, another important element of running a center is the board of directors.
The board of directors is responsible for determining the bylaws for the center as well as making policy decisions and provisions for the operation of the center (Cascara, peg. 87, 2001). The licensee, the administrator, director and board all can take part in the making of the program philosophy. Each center has Its own philosophy based on the need In their community, but should Include the vision, values, and operating principles.The Sino of the center should be clear and concise and will let everyone know how the center expects to look in the future. The values that will be taught will stem from beliefs about people, the conclusions about life in general, and what the owner believes makes companies successful.
This will show the community how the center will conduct day to day business and how It will nurture the children In their care. The operating principles are the traits you want your employees to have and will let the public know what manner of people will be caring for their children (Collarbone, 2013).Once you have established your center, you must market it. First you have to determine where would be the best place to reach your target audience. Depending on that, you could advertise on radio, television, direct mailings, a church bulletin, or door to door solicitation.
Inviting the local television station to do a cover of your center or presenting at PTA meetings are also effective ways to market your center. Regardless of how you decide to market, don't forget that despite the best marketing techniques, if you have a quality program then referrals from current clients will be ere to come in (Cascara, peg. 00, 2001). Once you have advertised you will start to receive clients.
There is a developmentally appropriate Intake policy that must be adhered to when accepting children Into a program. The first step would be to have an Minimal Interview with the of the facility, let them know their responsibilities to the center and go over information about the child that the center staff should know. Any teacher or office staff could conduct this interview, but the director should monitor it as well. The second step would be a home visit with the family.
This is not to evaluate the child's house, but rather to understand the family lifestyle and their attitudes toward their child. The third step would be an initial visit to the center. This should last from 30 to 45 minutes and is intended to allow the child to see where they will be going and meet the teacher, students, and staff that they will be spending time with. The last step is phasing-in the children and allows parents, grandparents, or other well- known adult to stay with the child for parts of the day so that they can become acclimated to the new environment with someone that they know and trust.This will help them to see that the teacher and staff can also become someone that they can trust (strata, peg.
315-317, 2001). In order for the center to be compliant to state and federal regulations, certain records must be in place in order to run the program. This includes the license, fire drill, tornado drill, code Adam procedures and accreditation if it was applied for. Other records would be staff records to include a background check, health history, accumulation of continuing education and shaken baby syndrome training, work history, and education history.
Children's records must also be on file to include first day of attendance, enrollment information such as name and birthday, written consent for emergency medical care, health history, and authorizations to transport the child, and for the child to participate in field trips (WI Admit. Code, 2001). One last important component of opening and running an early childhood center is a program assessment plan. Assessments are an integral part of instruction, and determine whether or not the goals of education are being met.Assessment affects decisions about advancement, instructional needs, curriculum, and, in some cases, funding.
Assessments inspire us to ask these hard questions: "Are we teaching what we think we are teaching? " "Are students learning what they are supposed to be learning? " "Is there a way to teach the subject better, thereby promoting better learning? " (Utopia, 2013). By using assessments, the board of directors, administrator, and director can see if the way the center is operating is indeed living p to the philosophy statement they have previously instituted.Having an administrator, director, board of directors, all paperwork in place, a great marketing strategy and a wonderful sounding philosophy statement are all well and good, but without quality staff implementing a quality program to the children, you will not have a lasting center. Anyone can come up with fancy words and a fancy center, but without follow through with a great program and staff who connects to the children and that the children trust then you will not get the word of mouth publicity that is important.When the children and parents believe in your program then you know what you are doing is valuable.
