How a Partnership with ChildCare Education Institute Helped Us Change the Game

By Victoria Miller, Early Learning Academies Quality Program Manager

There is an inaccurate stereotype out there that early childhood education (ECE) is not a “real” career—that it’s more of a placeholder job for people on their way to some other professional destination. This couldn’t be further from the truth! At Early Learning Academies (ELA), we’re doing our best to change that perception by empowering our teams in early learning centers across the country to build meaningful careers in ECE.

Debunking Stereotypes

Since most of the ELA operations team started in the classroom at childcare centers, we know that it is possible to build rich, sustainable careers in our field. Still, we knew that in order to debunk the stereotypes around ECE, we’d have to empower our team by providing the support and tools to build their careers.

It’s for this reason that we struck up a partnership with ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI) to help relieve some of the burden of continued education and make it easier to build a career in ECE.

Empowering through Education & Training

ELA’s partnership with the CCEI is an ongoing investment in the education and training of our team across the country. CCEI provides the opportunity for educators to take professional development and training courses to strengthen their careers in early childhood education and give them pathways to leadership positions.

CCEI coursework is designed for general professional development, licensing regulation training requirements, and to be used towards several different credentials and certificates, including various director credentials and even a Child Development Associate Degree, (CDA). Teacher credentials and training go hand in hand with many states’ quality programs that help ensure the children in our care receive the best education for them.

Improving Quality of Childcare Through Professional Development

Childcare has lifelong benefits for young children; our participation with CCEI is an ongoing investment in our educators to provide high quality care and education to our families. Keeping teachers consistent allows for continuity of care for children, allowing them to form strong and trusting relationships with their caregivers, thus offering more in-depth opportunities to safely explore and learn while in our care. When companies invest in their team, it shows that they value each team member. For ELA, this has led to strong morale and improved retention.

Our continued investment in our educators also helps to counter that inaccurate stereotype and the current childcare staffing crisis we’ve seen in our country since the pandemic. Historically, ECE professionals are severely underappreciated and underpaid throughout the United States. ELA’s investment in staff education and training allows teachers to continue to grow in both their education as well as in their careers. ELA would not be what it is without our wonderful teachers, and our partnership with CCEI is one way we show our educators how much we value them.