I started out in this field sort of unwillingly. I didn't really want to do this but "had" to since I had my own child that was not thriving in any other care situation.
I did plan along the way though and although I came into this profession with nothing other than my babysitting experience and a few years of organized/structured classroom experience as a Head Start teacher, I paid attention to the movement of the profession in general.
I remember the first time I heard about QRIS (years before it became well known in this field and was still a pilot program in only one state) and I thought to myself that child care is like any other career choice. You HAVE to grow with it if you want to stay with it.
I started taking classes and on-line trainings to bolster the "provider education" portion of my portfolio. I earned my CDA, joined professional organizations and became knowledgeable about the non-hands on part of this job.
Eventually I went back to college to earn a degree in ECE. Not necessarily because I loved the field, but because I knew it would eventually be mandatory to remain competitive and steadfast if I was going to do this for the long haul.
Now with all the changes we are seeing and provider education requirements being a major focus, I am relieved that I already did that part. It makes me feel less stressed, more organized and not so lost as we see this entire profession get scrutinized and picked apart.
So, although I didn't jump into this wholeheartedly or with big dreams of impacting children and changing lives, I did look far enough ahead to plan for change.
For that, I am grateful. It makes me sad to read about all the good providers that are looking for a way out because of the changes happening.
