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The Child Care Partnership Project Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialists Training Program, West Virginia |
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Description
In West Virginia, child care professionals are learning their trade on-the-job, thanks to the Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialists (ACDS) program. Since the early 1990s, staff in child care centers, Head Start, and school-age care programs have benefited from a training program that combines time in the classroom and time with children to increase the supply of well-trained early care and education practitioners. With support from government, private foundations, and public and private early childhood programs, participants receive a high-quality, cost-effective training experience that leads to a nationally recognized credential. Partners Partners in the project include:
History and Development In 1989, Dana Daugherty, the West Virginia state director of the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, had a vision of using the apprenticeship model to train practitioners in the child care field. To propel the idea forward, he contacted leaders in the Department of Health and Human Resources, the Department of Education, and vocational schools to build support and funding for the program. One by one, he built a core group of supporters who together transformed the idea into the successful ACDS program. ACDS has continued to operate for 10 years without state legislation or a formal agreement among its partners. ACDS is based on the USDOL’s apprenticeship model and requires a total of 420 hours of coursework and 4,000 hours of on-the-job experience during a 2-year period. Apprentices must be of a legal working age and have a high school diploma or equivalent. They must also maintain a minimum of 20 hours per week of on-the-job training in an early childhood program that is registered with the West Virginia Office of the Apprenticeship and Training. Apprentices receive training at little or no personal cost, a probable wage increase upon completion, an opportunity to receive college credit for nontraditional training, and encouragement to continue college-level training. Graduates receive national certification (equivalent to the Child Development Associate credential) through USDOL. Apprentices learn from their employers, who supervise their work and support their laboratory experiences, as well as classroom instructors who have at least a 4-year degree in education or a related field. To teach in the program, instructors complete a 5-day instructors’ academy, and attend a refresher seminar every other year. At the academy, they review successful methods to teach adults and review the components of the ACDS curriculum. River Valley Child Development Services, a local early care and education agency, manages the program statewide. Vocational-technical schools provide space and in-kind support. The West Virginia Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training (BAT) certifies the program and provides ACDS certificates for all apprentices who complete the course. Current Activities The state executive council, local councils, and the instructors’ academy provide leadership and direction for the ACDS program. Local councils exist to oversee the implementation of the program and to maintain the quality and consistency of the program across the state. The state executive council is responsible for policymaking, planning, and developing funding options, subject to BAT guidelines. This entity also mediates problems not resolved by local councils and selects the trainers to serve as ACDS instructors. Membership in the state and local councils includes representatives from Head Start, vocational-technical schools, state Departments of Health and Human Resources and Education, child care practitioners, and the BAT. In the 1998 fall semester, 547 apprentices were enrolled in 32 ACDS classes in 21 counties in West Virginia. In addition, a 1998 grant from Head Start to the Governor’s Cabinet on Children and Families allowed the ACDS program to target areas where families receiving cash assistance are looking for jobs. The grant expanded the ACDS program into six unserved counties and included training for family child care providers. A collaborative agreement with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) led to another pre-employment training project for welfare recipients who are looking for work. Resources The ACDS program operates on an annual budget of approximately $80,000 with funding from the Child Care and Development Fund, the Head Start–State Collaboration grant, and private sources such as the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. Statewide coordination of the program consumes about one-third of the annual budget, and another third is dedicated to ACDS classes. The remaining third goes to the instructors’ academy and special projects that target areas with high levels of welfare families. Counties receive funding based on the demand for classes, but during years of high enrollment, available funds have been inadequate. During these times, additional funds are raised from local sources, and/or apprentices and their child care centers pay a small fee. For example, some employers pay between $50 and $75 per semester per student, and apprentices may be charged a $50 fee that will be returned to them upon completion of the apprenticeship. Many West Virginia vocational and higher educational institutions provide classroom space for ACDS classes at no cost to the program. Results Since the creation of the ACDS program, over 150 employers have benefited from the 600 apprentices who completed their coursework and on-the-job training. The apprentices who participate in the program benefit from:
The graduating apprentices transfer the knowledge they gained through the ACDS program to their individual early childhood programs. There is no formal evaluation of ACDS, but anecdotal feedback from early childhood program directors credits the effectiveness of the program for the increase in the quality of education and care. They report observing a high level of self-esteem among those who are in the training program. Apprentices benefit as they learn to relate theory to practice. Sustaining and Replicating The ACDS program embraces flexibility as part of its design. The state executive council and local councils form a structure that allows the program to grow and adapt to changing needs. As a result, the program was able to reach beyond its initial target audience to train welfare recipients as potential apprentices. A Partners in Change: Creating Career Development Systems in the States grant from the Center for Early Care and Education at Wheelock College in Boston provided invaluable technical assistance in the growth of the ACDS program. Through the grant, the ACDS program developed a registration form for new applicants that provides the framework for a new database system to track participation in the ACDS program. The grant also funded the development of resource guides and manuals for instructors and ACDS program directors. The ACDS program is one of three state child care apprenticeship models highlighted for replication under the "Quality Child Care Initiative" by the U.S. Department of Labor. In March 1999, the federal government published a notice that funds were available to replicate programs like ACDS. River Valley Child Development Services offers consultant and training services to states interested in replicating the ACDS as developed for West Virginia. Copies of instructors’ manuals and core curriculum can be purchased through River Valley Child Development Services. Lessons Learned Pick partners who share your passion. The ACDS program was created by the remarkable efforts of a few people. Partners should reach out to others who are passionate about the work and will share the responsibility and the rewards of successful efforts. Create a program of shared ownership. The ACDS program benefits from the involvement of multiple local, state, and federal agencies. The leadership core should reach out to involve several state agencies and practitioners. Shared ownership helps instill pride in the program and encourages future success. Document the process and track progress. A database system provides a tracking mechanism for the ACDS program. It enables the state executive council to accurately count how many participants fully complete the ACDS classroom instruction and on-the-job training. Tracking systems can help signal areas for improvement and improve the overall performance of the program. Establish local support. The ACDS program has built strong local councils to ensure continuity of the program across the state. Local councils work well when a key person in the county coordinates efforts necessary for program implementation and follow-through. Because the local councils rely on volunteers, it is essential that these individuals be dedicated to improving the program. Create a smooth funding stream. The ACDS program has operated for 10 years without guaranteed funding from the state; this lack of security places undue burden on the local councils operating the classes. The waiting period to transfer funds from state departments to the instructors is lengthy and cumbersome. Strive to streamline the funding processes. Contact Information Cynthia Beal Ken Milnes Kimberly Veraas |
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