Welcome to the Early Childhood Iowa Professional Development Web site

The Early Childhood Iowa Professional Development Web site serves as a site to promote Iowa's professional development system of systems in the areas of early care, health and education.

Professional Development

“Professional development is facilitated teaching and learning experiences that are designed to support the acquisition of professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions, as well as the application of this knowledge in practice.”

Vision:

All system development activities shall be aligned around the following vision statement for the children of Iowa: “Every child, beginning at birth, will be healthy and successful.”

Early Childhood Iowa Professional Development

Professional Development consists of the formal education and training for early childhood professionals that supports and empowers them to improve the quality of services provided to young children and their families. Iowa’s Early Childhood Professional Development System unites the early childhood sectors of early learning, special needs/early intervention, family support, and health, mental health and nutrition. ECI is working towards a comprehensive system that integrates professional standards, career pathways, articulation, leadership, evaluation and financing.

Professional Development Component Group

Purpose:

To determine the professional development system that is needed for the early care, health,
and education system in order to support the ECI strategic plan.
To promote the integration of a professional development system with current initiatives that support the delivery of quality services to children and families. The component work group advises the system in areas such as Early Learning Standards and Quality Rating System.
To advise ECI regarding a statewide infrastructure that systematically supports quality professional development.

Professional Development Steering Committee

Purpose:

The Professional Development Steering Committee acts on behalf of the ECI Professional Development System Component Group to provide LEADERSHIP and to SUPPORT the development of a comprehensive, INTEGRATED early care, health, and education professional development system that addresses the needs of children ages zero through five and their families.