Abstract
Experienced child care directors (N=217) were asked to prioritize the skills that would be essential for a novice director to have. The duties were arranged into categories that included fiscal responsibility, personnel management, physical space management, overseeing the children's program, monitoring health and safety, supervising meals and meeting nutritional needs, working with parents, marketing the program, and program evaluation. The directors who responded were all from Minnesota. They felt it was essential to meet state licensing requirements as the first priority. They offered suggestions to beginning directors in each category. They found on-the-job training and having a mentor were helpful in learning the director's role. The author recommended that licensing requirements for directors be examined since many states' minimum standards do not reflect the administrative skills those in the field consider essential for this responsible position.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bloom, P. J. (1988).The training and qualifications of child care directors. Paper presented at the National Conference on Early Childhood Issues: Policy Options in Support of Children and Families, Washington, DC.
Bloom, P. J. & Sheerer, M. (1992). The effect of leadership training on child care program quality.Early Childhood Research Quarterly,7, 579–594.
Bloom, P. J., Sheerer, M., & Britz, J. (1991).Blueprint for action: Achieving center-based change through staff development. Lake Forest, IL: New Horizons.
Bredekamp, S. (1989).Regulating child care quality: Evidence from NAEYC's accreditation system. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Jorde-Bloom, P. (1989).The Illinois Directors' Study: A report to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Evanston IL: National College of Education, Early Childhood Professional Development Project.
Kagan, S. L. (1994). Leadership: Rethinking it—Making it happen.Young Children, 49(5), 50–54.
Kuykendall, J. (1990). Child development: Directors shouldn't leave home without it.Young Children, 45(5), 47–50.
Morgan, G., Azer, S. L., Costley, I. B., Genser, A., Goodman, I. F., Lombardi, J. & McGimsey, B. (1994).Making a career of it: The state of the states report on career development in early care and education. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Morgan, G., Azer, S. L., Costley, J. B., Elliott, K., Genser, A., Goodman, I. F., & McGimsey, B. (1994). Future pursuits: Building early care and education careers.Young Children, 49(3), 80–83.
Powell, D., & Stremmel, A. (1989). The relation of early childhood training and experiences to the professional development of child care workers.Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 43(3), 339–356.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (1987). NAEYC position statement on licensing and other forms of regulation of early childhood programs in centers and family day care homes.Young Children, 42(5), 64–68.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Billman, J. Child care program directors: What skills do they need? Results of a statewide survey. Early Childhood Educ J 23, 63–70 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02353395
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02353395