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| Stages of Childcare Providers | |||
| STAGE 1 - JUST A MOM AT HOME- Many providers begin taking care of other people's children as an extension of their own parenting role. They usually do not think of this activity as a job, let alone a profession, nor do they feel that they need any kind of training. They are isolated from others in their line of work and seldom realize that family child care is so widespread. Typically they say, "I know how to take care of kids. I don't need any training". | |||
| STAGE 2 - THE NEW PROVIDER- Sooner or later, informal care givers find out about licensing and record keeping requirements. Their first contact with the profession might be through an early childhood conference, a provider neighbor or their local resource and referral agency. Many more respond to such personal, "word-of-mouth" contact than some more impersonal approach such as a newspaper article or brochure. As they enter this professional world, they may feel less confident than they did earlier, occasionally feeling inadequate. Yet this is progress, because they are ready to learn more about caring for children. At this level, providers might typically say "There's a lot to learn (a complex knowledge base) for this work". | |||
| STAGE 3 - THE INTENTIONAL PROVIDER- When providers reach this stage of their work, they begin to identify themselves as child care professionals and small business owners. They start to take responsibility for their own professional development - becoming regulated, reporting their iincome to the IRS, taking training, joining a provider association or their affiliate of the Association for the Education of Young Children, and/or reading about child development and early childhood education. They typically say, "This is a real career choice, and I am learning how to do it so well". | |||
| STAGE 4 - LEADER/MENTOR- When they begin to feel competent in their work, providers often feel ready to take on leadership roles in their field. They may help new providers get started, offer workshops at conferences, join advocacy efforts, or take a job as a trainer, Food Program monitor, or resource and referral agency staff member. Typically they say, "I want to work to improve my profession and to help bring others along". | |||