EDUC 6990 Capstone: Explorin roles in the ECE community: Local and State levels

    This week I found two local agencies and one state agency that I would be interested in and I am going to contact about volunteering at once I am done with my course.

    The two local agencies are: Hearts to Nourish Hope, this is a non profit organization that caters to teens and families, it caught my attention because of the services that it provides to te community, by helping teens that are in trouble or need that extra hand. They provide a GED program, TABE testing for students that are trying to go into military school and they have a second chance program for teen  males who have been incarcerated, on probation or expelled from any of our county high schools.  Even though this program doesn't cater to the ECE community, it gives our teens a second chance and a place to go to in the time of need. They also provide a food pantry, they help with finances for families and they help teens find jobs during the summer, to help them have somewhere to go and spend time instead of being on the street. With researching this agency I am thinking about trying to had something to my background to have an opportunity to help teens within my community.The other
 local agency that I found was the Rainbow House they help children with special needs, families who children may have been removed from the home, they provide clothing, food and they offer educational assessments and a tutoring program. They are not hiring now, but do suggest that anyone interested fill out an application and submit it along with a resume. They also have a volunteer program and it seems that, that is the way alot of individuals get their foot in the door. I do meet the requirements for employment, I have had more than 8 years of experience with young children and families, a B.S. in Human Services, and I will have a M.S. ECS in a few weeks and I could definitely pass a background check.

     The state agency that I looked into is the Department of Family and Children Services. I meet the requirements for that as well and I even got an email back, stating that there is a freeze for employment, but if something comes available I would be contacted either by phone or email. They provide services for young children and their families. I would be interested in becoming a Social Work or a Child's Advocate. They are also the overseer for helping individuals apply for medicaid, food stamps, TANF and Peach care, a service for individuals that work at least 30 hours a week recive help with their child care. They also remove children from homes due to neglect, abuse,etc. I would like to say this would be a great place for me, but I do believe that my heart would get in the way, for some of the issues that young children and their families go through.

      All three of these agencies caught my eye and when I explained to my husband what we had to do and the opportunities that I found, he looked at me and said, "You leaving the classroom, no way" and walked out of the room.