Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/creating-a-substitute-bank-for-child-care-centers/5015430/
For years early childhood professionals working in child care facilities have faced a significant dilemma. When they are sick, need personal time off, or want to attend an educational opportunity during work time, there may not be anyone available to substitute for them. All too often, they come to work sick, forego time off, and neglect professional development. If an absence is unavoidable and a substitute is unavailable, child care facility directors begin a shuffling game with the remaining teachers and children. While child care professionals agree that moving young children and teachers around creates a chaotic and disruptive environment that diminishes the quality of care, there is often no other option.The solution to this problem seemed simple to a group of education and child care professionals in central Illinois: create a pool of qualified substitutes for child care centers similar to the pool of substitutes created by school districts for schools. This team of professionals, The Early Childhood Care and Education Partnership (ECCEP), decided to explore the issue and try to solve the problem.
ECCEP was initially formed in 1999 to enhance, expand, and collaborate on early childhood teacher recruitment, preparation, and on-going professional development ...