Working in early childhood education is a deeply meaningful career path. The work is rewarding, exciting, playful, and spontaneous – no two days are ever alike in a classroom, on a playground, or at summer day camp.
5 Reasons Why Early Childhood Education Work is So Enriching
- Every day spent with children is extraordinary. Early Childhood Education (ECE) professionals watch children grow up before their eyes and can see the fruits of their lessons and care by observing how children play, socialize, and build appropriate skill sets over time.
- Childcare work changes lives. ECE professionals are uniquely positioned to make a real difference in children's lives. During early childhood development, children form their foundational cognitive skills and lay the groundwork for their ability to solve problems, think critically, engage in positive relationships, and succeed in school and in life. ECE professionals have the special privilege of supporting healthy development and creating the best possible conditions for children to thrive. Think of this type of work's impact on individuals and on the dozens of children who come through a program or classroom each year. In the grand scheme, childcare workers are shaping future generations.
- Early childhood education is playful and super fun! What other job gives you the opportunity to be creative all day long? Arts and crafts, storytime, and outdoor playtime are all part of a childcare worker's routine. Children say the strangest, most imaginative things while learning and growing together. ECE professionals get to delight in children's whimsical, silly impulses while helping children learn how to behave and moderate their reactions.
- The community adores ECE professionals. New parents are some of the most hard-working people in our society. Spending time with infants and toddlers is magical – and supporting new parents brings indescribable joy. Parents and families appreciate ECE professionals beyond measure and can go forth and thrive knowing that their little one is in safe, caring hands.
- The work stays at work. ECE professionals enjoy a healthy work/life balance and are not burdened by heavy administrative responsibilities outside of the time spent with children.
Maryvale's Special Commitment to Early Childhood Education
Maryvale has honored families' needs in caring for and nurturing young children throughout our storied history. HiMama, an education center management app, created a recent report shedding light on the state of early childhood education in 2022 to provide "a much-needed snapshot of the sector from the providers' point of view." Some of their findings are particularly interesting to us and shed light on the unique position Maryvale occupies in early childhood education. For instance, 53% of centers faced some sort of temporary closure in the past two years due to COVID-19. Maryvale, on the other hand, has remained open with all services up and running throughout the pandemic. To honor our staff and patients' safety, programs like our Community-Based Mental Health services were conducted via telephone or video conferencing when necessary. For children who were unable to attend preschool for personal or family reasons, we created a special video library focused on learning and wellness that they could access at home. Most importantly, any family in our community who needed access to ECE received it. Our childhood education programs have remained open and have been an essential resource for parents who are essential workers, including doctors, nurses, and researchers from the City of Hope.
Learn more about Maryvale's Early Childhood Education programs, offered at both our Duarte and Rosemead centers. If our mission and commitment to providing holistic, supportive early childhood education for our community aligns with your values, consider joining our team.
