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• Helped them recognize the support a network of colleagues can offer.

• Validated their choice of profession and their ability to do the job.

• Contributed to greater respect for the field and for themselves as professionals.

• Helped them see themselves more clearly as leaders in their programs and in their communities (Boulton, 2002).

Child Care Action News (2002) describes the strategy of director credentials in the following way:

“It’s not on the radar screen of most advocates. It’s not even on the agenda of most people who now champion credentials for the nation’s early educators. Yet it could be one of the most revolutionary strategies to improve early education. The strategy is director credentials.”

Conclusion

It really is true: Not ‘just anyone’ can do this job well. It takes someone who is dedicated, insightful,committed, and educated. It takes someone like Holly who is not interested in wasting her time, but who is interested in changing her life and the lives of those around her. Holly will tell you that getting her administrator credential was worth the effort; it made a real difference in her program, and in her life:

“I still fondly reflect on the times we were all together, digging deep into our experiences in early care and education, and pushing our thoughts further and further. There was so much that I learned, and am still learning! This was a real turning point in my career, strengthening and empowering. We all pushed ourselves, and came away with so much that words cannot possibly describe.”

References

Bloom, P. J. (1992). The child care center director: A critical component of program quality. Educational Horizons, 139-145.

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