Planning and Administering Early Childhood Programs

For courses covering Administration in Early Childhood Education Here's the practical, hands-on information current and future educators need in order to become successful administrators of childcare centres and child development centres. With a focus on what centre directors need to know and what they need to be able to do, the book guides readers through the process of identifying a program's core values and drafting mission and vision statements. Included is coverage of current issues such as the factors affecting supply and demand for childcare as well as the initiatives to enhance program quality, ensure affordability, and provide access to all children and families. The ideal teaching and learning guide for pre- and in-service educators, Planning and Administering Early Childhood Programs addresses the latest trends affecting the childcare workforce and provides specific guidance for recruiting, hiring, and retaining quality personnel, including job descriptions and hiring practices. The role of the program administrator as mentor, coach, and instructional leader are covered, along with important business issues within the administrator's responsibilities such as financial planning, budget development and management, how to use social media effectively, program evaluation, facility planning and management, and much more.

Table of Contents:
1 Overview of Early Care and Education and Program Administration PART I CREATING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM'S FRAMEWORK 2 Identifying the Program's Core Values, Developing its Vision and Mission Statements, and Planning for Program Evaluation 3 Understanding Regulations, Accreditation Criteria, and Other Standards of Practice 4 Policies and Procedures: Tools to Ensure Your Program's Smooth Operation PART II OPERATIONALIZING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM 5 Recruiting, Hiring, Leading, and Managing Personnel 6 Creating Quality Learning Environments 7 Managing Your Program's Finances 8 Marketing Your Program of Early Care and Education PART III IMPLEMENTING THE CHILDREN'S PROGRAM 9 Teaching and Learning in the Children's Program 10 Providing Quality Nutrition and Creating a Healthy and Safe Environment 11 Child Assessment: An Essential Component of Quality Early Childhood Programming 12 Working with Families and Communities 13 Contributing to the Profession APPENDICES 1 Suppliers of Materials and Equipment for Early Childhood Programs 2 NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment 3 NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct Supplement for Early Childhood Program Administrators 4 Professional Organizations of Interest to Early Childhood Educators References Name Index Subject Index

About the Author :
Nancy K. Freeman is a Professor Emerita at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. She was a member of the Early Childhood faculty and the Director of the Child Development and Research Centre. She is a former preschool teacher and child care centre director and worked closely with the campus child care development centre while at the University. Nancy has authored scholarly publications and made conference presentations on topics such as professional ethics, service learning, and the preparation of the child care workforce. She served as chair of South Carolina's State Advisory Committee on the Regulation of Child Care Facilities for many years and is a past president of the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE). She is a coauthor of 2 books on professional ethics published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as well as a regular column on professional ethics published in NAEYC's widely circulated journal Young Children. In 2012 she was recognised as the NAECTE/Pearson Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher Educator of the Year. Celia A. Decker retired after 38 years of service in early childhood education. At the time of her retirement, she held the position of professor of early childhood education at Northwestern State University and served as the program coordinator of graduate studies in early childhood education. In addition to coauthoring this text, she is the author of Children: The Early Years and its supplements and coauthor of Parents and Their Children, both published by Goodheart-Willcox Company. She has presented papers at national, regional, and state annual meetings of many professional early childhood associations.  John R. Decker retired after an elementary teaching and administrative career of 37 years. Before entering the field of education, he served as a district scout executive for Kaw Council, Boy Scouts of America, Kansas City, Kansas. His educational career included elementary teaching positions in inner-city schools, in an open education program, and in rural public schools. He also served as assistant professor of education and taught college courses in education and supervised pre-service teachers in a federally supported college-based program. He has frequently given speeches and workshops for professional organisations.