Community Advisory Team

Our Mission:

To build a strong, collaborative, ECE initiative that will address and increase our quality workforce for positive economic gains within the San Luis Valley

      There are 7 key areas of focus:

Funding
  1. Increase the knowledge about all the funding opportunities
  2. Stack/Blend funding opportunities
Passion
  1. Ask our workforce what they need. How can we support them? What topic areas do they need to learn more about
  2. Reignite the passion and excitement of our current workforce
  3. Have a year-end celebration for EC workforce
  4. Reestablish and strengthen relationships with and across EC workforce.
Recruitment
  1. Locate & re-recruit our workforce that has left the field
  2. Recruitment Plan for new EC workforce
  3. Expand recruitment networks by building solid relationships with potential recruits
  4. Get into the high schools and educate school counselors on the importance of EC. Change the perception.
Publicity & Marketing
  1. Share our stories to excite people
  2. Share accomplishments; students/providers/educators gain
  3. PR campaigns to tell the stories to increase the status of the profession and recruit individuals
  4. Sell the field as the profession it is
  5. Develop a marketing campaign
  6. Develop excitement about working in this field (videos, EC conference, etc.)
  7. Advertising
Best Practices
  1. Develop ECE lab classrooms and environments for potential ECE providers to come “try the ECE profession on for size” and that serve as an ECE embassy for community members to visit and learn about the profession
  2. Train directors to be leaders and not just managers. Research shows more staff leave due to leadership then they do because of pay
  3. Quality training, coaching and education
  4. Parner with employers to support the operation of child care (to meet adequate salaries/benefits)
Pathways
  1. Create a pathway to the field for high school students who are interested 
  2. Provide a clear roadmap of programs, plans of study, and financial resources to help providers progress academically and professionally
  3. Develop clear pathways/options to move through education to meet qualifications
  4. Share the different pathways to becoming a lead or degreed teacher
Employer Support
  1. Employer sponsorship

For Providers