Self-Assessment for Administrators of Child Care Programs

1 Self-Assessment for Administrators ofChild care ProgramsNCSU Directors man. 12/7/01 10:35 AM Page 1 Self-Assessment forAdministrators ofChild care ProgramsAchild care program director must manage manythings at once and still be able to prioritize all tasksin a day s time. While remaining calm and collected, thechild care director must also be aware that changes mayaffect the staff and the enrolled families. Whether thedirector directs a small family Child care home business ora large center, the skills are basically the same.

2 The sizeand number affected just may management is important. But you also need astrong personal philosophy about children and families, along range plan, and set of defined goals developed alongwith staff and you are interested in learning more about yourself andthe skills needed to be an excellent program administrator ,then please work through this care Director s and administrator s self -assessmentNorth Carolina Institute for Early ChildhoodProfessional DevelopmentName _____Current Position _____I feel my personal strengths are.

3 To be a more effective Child care administrator , I think I need to improve:My career goals are:1 NCSU Directors man. 12/7/01 10:35 AM Page 2 self -AssessmentThere are 76 items covering 11 different competencyareas in this Self-Assessment . For each item, think aboutyour abilities and skills. Then give yourself an honestrating between one and five. 5= I have mastered this area and could teach I am strong in this area but could I am average in this I am below average in this area and could learn more about I really need help with this to be more Knowledge and understand developmentally appropriate practicesand assure that they are used in every aspect of understand the particular needs and characteristicsof children at each stage of development ( , infan-cy, toddlers, etc.)

4 Understand how important theories (such as thoseby Piaget, Erickson, & Vygotsky) can be in guidingpractice in the make special adaptations to include children withspecial needs in the educational assure that staff serve on IEP teams and incorporateappropriate activities from the IEP in the know the warning signs of abuse and neglect andknow how to make appropriate referrals to supportive Educational Knowledge and SkillsOrganizational understand the legal standing and status of the program, its history, philosophy.

5 & mission of the program is based on parentaladvice and work with the Program Advisory Board andother advisory groups is use effective short-term problem-solving program has a long-range plan and I refer to understand and promote the use of an educationalaccreditation system available through the earlychildhood or school-age Organizational SkillsStaff Management__1. I use management strategies to build teamwork insuch ways as regular staff meetings that promoteactive involvement of all am able to create a sense of community betweenchildren, families, staff, and the advisory feel knowledgeable about interviewing and hiring have an orientation program that completely prepares new staff.

6 And make their transition into the classroom have developed staffing patterns that reflect andmeet program enrollment have procedures in place that provide for adequatestaff supervision, effective feedback, evaluation ofstaff and mentoring where can motivate people to work toward a high reward strong performers and terminate poor can communicate clearly with staff to ensure goalsare see my staff modeling my actions with staff, children and .Each staff member has a professional Staff Management can use word processing with graphics to createeffective newsletters and to prepare other writtenmaterials to staff and families.

7 Use spreadsheets to construct a budget or summarize communicate effectively by e-mail and can accesschild development and care resources via know how to access information needed to purchase hardware and Technology32 NCSU Directors man. 12/7/01 10:35 AM Page 4 Educational set the tone for teaching that meets all aspects ofdevelopment for each Child , appropriate to their age,culture, and level of know how to plan effective Child -centered indoorand outdoor learning staff properly assesses each Child to understandtheir developmental know how to refer families for special (social, special needs)

8 Include children with special needs in all staff, parents, and I have established Child guid-ance procedures that encourage Child self - disciplineand acceptable expression of Child guidance plan incorporates multipleteacher techniques to encourage Child self - disciplinesuch as redirection, positive reinforcement, modeling,conflict resolution, encouragement, natural conse-quences as appropriate, caring Educational ProgrammingSafety and monitor compliance with codes (zoning, health,safety, sanitation, building) and licensing know and comply with all legal standards thataffect Child care , including licensure, custody issues,confidentiality laws, labor laws, anti-discriminationlaws, liability, health rules, and basic contract know how to ensure healthy nutrition and managefood take appropriate measures to prevent disease transmission through proper hygiene, universal precautions, screenings, and know how to ensure safety within the building (orhouse).

9 Know how to apply the wage and hour laws tostaff Safety and ComplianceCommunication and can gather information from many people andmake a decision based on diverse opinions that will meet the needs of most while being best for use effective interpersonal skills (listening, empathy,reflection) one-on-one and with groups and knowhow to keep channels of communication open withstaff and can speak publicly with confidence and persuasive-ness (including board meetings and public hearings). use effective teaching techniques when trainingstaff and say I write effectively, including letters, business plans, newsletters.

10 And communicationwith am good at writing grants and getting fundingfrom outside maintain confidentiality and high ethical standardsin all situations with staff and with Communication and Managing RelationshipsParental and Family have asked families to evaluate the program offers family and Child educationalexperiences to meet the needs of diverse use multiple strategies to enhance family-schoolrelations, including parental use effective strategies to connect parents tocommunity know how to talk to families about their children I create open communication with parents thatrespects their values and culture and appropriatelyinvolves them in the Parental and Family Support54 NCSU Directors man.