AC #1: Administration & Supervision in Early Childhood Programs

Knowledge of how to develop policies and mission statements to maintain and improve
program quality

Overview of the basic principles and practices involved in formulating personnel policies,
recruiting and working with teaching and non-teaching staff

LifeWays Early Childhood Center is a non-profit organization that provides child care, preschool, and parent-child enrichment activities for families with children ages infant to six years.
LifeWays focuses on mixed-age, relationship-based care, providing young children with the best
elements of care found within a healthy family.
Our centers mission, as stated above, alludes to our belief that children thrive in a loving,
home-like environment where they are able to form strong bonds with their caregivers and peers.
Our mission and our policies reflect our reverence for family life. Over the years we have
offered a variety of family enrichment activities, including family festivals, parent-evenings,
work-shops and parent-child playgroups. We no longer offer parent-child playgroups and our
parent evenings and workshops are sporadic. We can further support our families by offering
regular, seasonal music workshops.
Music workshops that are open to the community and staff members will enhance the
work environment for teaching staff. Not only will it be a valuable source of continuing
education hours, but it will also familiarize part-time staff members with the songs that the
children know and love. Music is an excellent educational tool for speech development, socialdevelopment and classroom management (like singing to mark a transition). In her book, The
Genius of Natural Childhood, the International Director of The Institute for Neuro-Physiological
Psychology, Sally Goddard Blythe MSc. asserts that early music experiences are fundamental for
childrens healthy development. By teaching the staff songs, we are giving them tools to work
with the children in their care on a variety of levels. Offering the workshop to community
members, staff and parents will strengthen community bonds and provide a network for
recruiting teaching staff in the future.