1. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR. Career Plan A BY: JAYDE DAHLBECK

2. Job overview For daycare owners the day starts off early usually around 5 a.m. Depending on the services you offer your clients you may go around and pick up the children if not then you wait for them to be dropped off. Your day must be fully prepared with crafts, games, and fun enriching games that all the children can enjoy. Each day must include a nap and snack time. You will usually have the children from 6a.m. – around 5 p.m. So its crucial to make sure they do not get bored or restless. When you have these children for so many hours and days a week you learn how to take care of each one to their specific needs. You will be required to know about allergies, and any medical conditions that a child might have. You will also be required to change their diapers (if they still need diapers), assist them with brushing their teeth, and any other hygiene that they need through out the day. Parents need child care all year around, so a daycare owner will be in demand every day of the year. This means you must be prepared to go outside in the winter through to the summer. At the end of the day the children will either be picked up, or dropped off (again depending on the services you offer) If any children are left after closing you can charge the parents more money for every half hour that they are late. Once every child is gone you need to clean up from the days mess. This includes sanitizing all toys, table tops, anywhere the children could have wiped their hands or chewed on. (sanitizing is important to stop the spread of germs to young children)

3. Working conditions Working conditions are not bad. As long as you make sure to keep the environment clean and well kept. There is a risk of catching lice, which can be quite common in children. May catch anything contagious that children bring in with them. (sickness) You will be expected to bring the children outside everyday (given that the weather isn't too bad) but light snow is perfectly suitable (making sure each child is dress appropriately)

4. Salary Like any other business the first few years of salary will be considerately lower than later on when you become more established. In the first year I should be making just about 40,000$ a year. Keeping in mind that I decide how much to charge per child. The younger the child the more you can charge (given that younger children require more attention) The price of childcare varies by age, where you live, and what your daycare offers. Since I plan on running an extremely prestige, well maintained facility. I’d like to charge 800$ monthly per child. My services will offer morning pick-up’s and many field trips. I do not just want the children to come and be absent minded for the day I want them to come and get the most out of their young days by learning and experiencing.

5. Future Outlook The beauty in a field that involves children is that there will always be children. So for a future outlook there will always be a job for me.

6. Post-secondary education and training To enter the field of Early Childhood Education I will need to receive my Early Childhood Educator Diploma Okanagan College offers this as a 16 month program that will cost $7,439 all together. (this includes all mandatory fees: Activity fee, Health & Dental, Student Association fee, Education Technology fee, Development fee) The course begins in September and continues for 16 months. The Okanagan college I will be attending is located in Kelowna, on K.L.O rd. This school appeals to me because its in Kelowna. I want to stay close to home for a few years after graduation. I know the area very well and will feel 100% comfortable going there. In order to qualify for this course I will need a B.C. secondary school graduation, or equivalent, or 19 years of age and out of secondary school for one year as of the first day of classes. I will also need a minimum grade of 67% in English 12, English 12 First Peoples or TPC 12, or an equivalent Provincial Level ABE English course, a minimum score of 26/40 on the LPI, or a minimum 50% grade in an English university studies course at the 100-level or higher.

7. Related Careers If I don’t for some reason end up perusing this career for whatever reason (deciding its just not for me) 3 other careers I’d be more than interested in would be Social Worker, A Licensed Practical Nurse, or Counselor. I would choose any of these three careers because I genuinely want to spend my live helping, supporting and nourishing children. I feel any of these careers would help me achieve my goals of taking care of people and would help me live a full and rewarding life. Why did I choose Early Childhood educator? I have been interested in taking care of people for my entire life. Even when I was in grade 6 I told my mom I wanted to be a nurse to I could help people. All through middle school I knew I’d pursue something along the lines of nurse/childcare provider. It wasn’t until the end of grade 10 that I decided 100% that it was children I wanted to look after. But once I was sure I was positive, I love children with my heart and soul. I believe they are the innocence in this world and should be protected. One day all these children will be the ones running the world and I believe that if they are shown kindness and love they will put that back into the world. It would be an honor for me to be able to look after and care for children, I want to be apart of the kindness and love that they feel everyday.