We have discussed the characteristics of the early childhood workforce, opportunities in early childhood education, and early childhood professional development systems. Now, let’s focus on:

HOW do we continue to professionalize the early childhood education field? Why shouldn’t we be considered “babysitters”?

For your initial post, address the following:

• What is “babysitting”?
• Why are early child care educators professional?
• What do we need to do to increase the professionalism of the early childhood field?
• Why is professionalizing the ECE field so important?

For your reply post, expand on your peer’s ideas by sharing examples from your own experience or readings, suggesting outside resources to support the topic, and/or ask further questions to dig deeper into the topic.