Stepping into the Perfect Job

Stepping into the Perfect Job
by Sandra Griffin

When there is light in the child, there will be beauty in the soul.
When there is beauty in the soul, there will be harmony in the home.
When there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation.
When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.
— Old Chinese proverb

A new millennium suggests the dawn of a new age. Yet the question for many of us is: does the growing light of a new dawn include support for the light in the child? After over 25 years in the field of early childhood care and education, I am filled with optimism that indeed, we are seeing the dawning of a new age—one in which the early years of childhood are truly recognized as the very foundation on which the health and well-being of our society rests.

This recognition begins to uncover what has been the self-evident truth for the child care community for many years: that the quality of care children receive in the early years is the critical factor supporting their healthy growth and development. When I speak of quality of care, I mean the quality of care children receive from their parents and from all of us in the community who are and must be partners with parents in the most important work that any society has—caring for and about our future generations.

This is why I was so pleased to accept the appointment of executive director of the Canadian Child Care Federation—an important partner in supporting and promoting quality care. Stories about early brain development have made the cover of both Maclean’s and Time magazine; governments are announcing new programs such as healthy children, headstart, healthy start, new beginnings, better beginnings and building blocks. Funding for Centres of Excellence on early childhood, for research and development in the field and for education on the importance of the early years, is fuelling unprecedented partnerships, networking and collaboration across all sectors of the child care community and among many important partners in academia, labour, business, and government and non-government organizations.

Opportunities for the CCCF to contribute to this rising tide of interest and concern for the well-being of children are growing exponentially. Capitalizing on these opportunities requires passion and commitment to remain active proponents of nurturing and protecting the “light in each child.” I am happy to join a staff, national board and provincial/territorial member council who evidence just such passion and commitment.

In the past few years, projects focusing on such things as partnerships in quality care, linking research to practice, supporting leaders for tomorrow, promoting improved wages and working conditions in the field, supporting education and training, and promoting professional development reflect the tip of the iceberg of work that the organization has accomplished on behalf of the child care community. And now we head into the new millennium with even more projects, either planned or underway, each with a host of partners, in such areas as: linking research on early brain development to best practice; exploring accessibility and portability of training and career advancement in the field of early childhood care and education; researching the important connection of child care services with school districts and municipalities; developing a work and family parenting tips website; enhancing the knowledge and increasing the partnership between child care practitioners and child protection workers in their shared areas of concern; and developing international partnerships.

In joining the work of the Federation at this time, I feel like I have stepped into the perfect job. My career has included work as a family child care provider, as a teacher in a parent-participation preschool, as director of community-based child care centre, as instructor and researcher at the University of Victoria and, most recently, as director of child care for the province of British Columbia. Now I have the opportunity to use everything I have learned to date and to learn even more from the rich diversity of partnerships I will enjoy in this new role. I am looking forward to working with all the Federation members, staff and partners to nurture and protect “the light in the child.”

...It is a tide that soon enough will begin to lift all boats. All of us who work for children need to capitalize on this gathering force (Richard Reid, UNICEF, June 1994).

Sandra Griffin is a certified early childhood educator and special needs educator in BC. She has a diploma in ECE and undergraduate and graduate degrees in child and youth care. She has been awarded the National Award for Excellence in Child Care and a Canada Volunteer Award for her work in the child care field. Sandra was the founding president of the CCCF and the past president of ECEBC. She served two terms as an elected trustee on the Greater Victoria School Board.

Interaction, Vol. 14, No. 1, Spring 2000, p. 4.