Early Childhood Education Professionals

Who are early childhood education (ECE) professionals, and what do they do? ECE professionals understand how children develop from birth through age eight. They have the knowledge, skills, and energy to work effectively with children.

You may be surprised by the diverse job opportunities in this field. The level of education attained affects job options in most careers, and ECE is no different. Different roles in the ECE field have varying educational expectations. ECE professionals have a wide variety of settings where they can serve children in the education field.

After completing this resource, Learners will be able to:

• Explain the mission and purpose of the early childhood professional
• Describe the various roles of professionals in the field of early childhood education
• Explain education expectations for those working in various roles in the field of ECE
• Describe the unique characteristics of various early childhood settings including family child care, center-based child care and education (public and private), infant/toddler care, Head Start, public pre-kindergarten, primary grades, and after-school care