Early childhood education (ECE) is a broad term for any educational program that serves children before they are old enough to enter kindergarten.
Early Childhood Program (ECP) (center or preschool) attends to the needs of infants, toddlers, preschool children (birth – five), and school children outside of school hours (before or after care) by persons other than their parents.
An Early Childhood Educator is a person who works with young children and their families – birth through five – in childcare centers and preschool programs.
The ECP Director is responsible for the program’s daily operations. They ensure a safe and educational environment for young children, manage teaching staff, implement curricula in coordination with teachers, communicate with parents, and uphold the ECP’s reputation.
Staff is classified as employees charged with working at an ECP. (i.e., teacher assistant, secretary, food service, bus driver, janitor, etc.)
ECP Opening Reports are used to collect important information about each program across the division for preschools or centers that serve children four years old and under and operate a program in a school or church setting. All children in these programs must be counted in the ECP Opening Report. All information must be entered accurately on the electronic dashboard. The opening report includes the following areas:
- Program information
- Contact information
- Teacher/Staff Information
- Enrollment Information
- Special Needs Information
- Family Information
Who is counted in the ECP Opening Report?
- Preschool with children ages 2½ – 4 years old operating in school or church buildings.
- Centers with a combination of children from birth to 5 years old operating in school or church buildings.
Note: Stand-alone PK or PK/K classrooms are part of a school and are counted under the PK-12 regular Opening Report. Due to state guidelines, 3-year-old children are NOT to be in a PK or PK/K classroom.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact your Union Early Childhood Associate Director.