Introducing New Jersey’s Professional Development

System:Professional Impact NJ

NJ Instructor Approval OrientationLesson #1

Welcome to Lesson #1!• Before you start Lesson #1, please download and print:

Instructor Orientation Quiz at Instructor Approval Orientation Quiz #1

NJ Registry Career Lattice at NJ Registry Career Lattice Core Knowledge and Competencies, Professional Standards for

Working With Children Birth Through Age Eight and in Afterschool Programs at http://www.pinj.org/index.php?cat=core

• You may want to have the Lesson #1 Quiz in front of you as you complete this lesson

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Introducing the Profession• There are more than 300,000 children being cared for

by someone other than a parent in New Jersey The High Price of Child Care: The Cost of Care Within Licensed Centers in NJ. NJACCRRA. 2009: www.njaccrra.org.

• Early Care and Education professionals in New Jersey provide child care and educational activities for young children in child care centers, Head Start programs, family child care homes, or in the child’s home, and in before/after-school and summer camp programs for school-age children

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The Early Childhood and Afterschool Care and Education field contributes to

New Jersey’s economy by:

• Providing more than 65,300 full-time equivalent jobs and employing productive workers

• Generating $2.55 billion in gross receipts annually, contributing to New Jersey’s tax base

• Purchasing goods and services

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Contributing to the economy (cont.)…• Enabling parents to work and/or pursue education

and training to obtain skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in the workplace and therefore provide better lives for their children

• Enabling employers to attract and retain employees and increase their productivity

• Preparing tomorrow’s workforce Benefits for All: The Economic Impact of the New Jersey Child Care Industry--Infant/toddler, preschool and out-of-school time programs. NJ Child Care Economic Impact Council. 2006: http://www.tesc.edu/files/NJChildcareImpact.pdf.

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The Division of Family Development of the New Jersey Department of Human Services provides support for the Early Childhood and Afterschool Care and Education Profession:

• Establishes state-level policy

• Funds programs promoting quality child care and increasing standards

• Promotes long-term cross-sector planning

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Impacting Program Quality

One way to set standards for quality is the development and

operation of a Professional Development System for early

childhood and afterschool care and education

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The mission of Professional Impact NJ, New Jersey’s Professional Development System, is to:

• Promote and coordinate systems for the educational development of early care and education, primary education, family child care, and afterschool program professionals

• Set policies and standards that result in high quality care and education for the children and families of New Jersey

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Professional Impact NJ’s Vision

• To cultivate an integrated and holistic system of specialized professional development for New Jersey Early Childhood Educators

• This system will transform how professionals view themselves and how the larger community values our work on behalf of children and families

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Professional Impact NJ provides many programs and services for professionals:

• NJ Registry for Childhood Professionals Serving Children Birth Through Age Thirteen

• NJ Registry Career Lattice NJ Registry Career Lattice

• Core Knowledge and Competencies: Professional Standards for Working with Children Birth Through Age Eight and in Afterschool Programs in English and Spanish

• Instructor Approval System

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Professional Impact NJ Programs and Services (cont.)…• Directory of Instructional Resources

• NJ Directors’ Academy and NJ Administrators’ Credential

• NJ Infant/Toddler Credential

• Accreditation assistance for child care centers and family child care homes

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Acknowledgements

• Many thanks to the Oregon Registry for sharing their online orientation:Oregon Registry. 2010: www.centerline.pdx.edu/trainer/trainer-orientation.php.

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This is the end of Lesson #1.

• Please download and completethe Lesson #1 quiz at Instructor Approval Orientation Quiz#1before going on to Lesson # 2. You may submit the quiz electronically or by fax at 973-926-3897.

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