Amom of two, Sarah* has ample experience as a “stay at home medical mom.”
For years before, during, and after COVID, she and her husband served as the primary caregivers, teachers, and therapists for her elementary-aged daughter, who has a rare genetic disorder disability and is on the autism spectrum. Her son, now 4, is also on the autism spectrum.
But that experience was harder to translate to professional credentials that would help her gain a job in a field where her heart already lies.
“I wanted to translate my personal experience to paper,” Sarah said. “And I needed a career that suited the times that my daughter and son are in school.”
When she discovered the Teacher Aide role with Community Progress Council, it piqued her interest. Begun in 2022, the entry level in CPC’s Teacher Training Program was created for people just like Sarah: Someone who wants to work with kids, but might not have any professional experience or a degree.
Through CPC’s program, Teacher Aides receive paid time to complete their child development associate credential; paid time in the classroom to gain real-world, hands-on experience and training; and stipends to encourage progress in the program.
Community Progress Council also provides an assigned teacher mentor and additional training opportunities, including “Getting Ahead in the Workplace” and enrollment in CPC’s Self-Sufficiency Program, to address workforce development in an integrated and comprehensive manner.
Sarah says her transition into the program and “finding the teacher way” felt natural.
It’s been working toward her CDA credential through hands-on instruction with Harrisburg Area Community College that came as a “new opportunity.”
“I never thought I would go to college,” Sarah said. “It’s great to get the college credits and the hands-on experience.”
Sarah also has another connection to her role: She’s learning and working now in a Head Start classroom, but she’s also a Head Start parent, with her son enrolled in another classroom through Community Progress Council.
“One of my favorite parts is connecting with families,” she said. “I can relate to many parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. Many of them have a similar story as I do, being at the poverty level and working to reach resources to help them get out of it.”
“If we can help one family in the classroom, maybe we can help more,” Sarah added. “One person can do a whole lot, because one person can impact more than one person.”
The addition of “Getting Ahead in the Workplace” has been another highlight as Sarah works to build her family’s future. An adaptation of the regular “Getting Ahead” program, the weekly sessions invite participants to examine their current situation, build resources and workforce development skills, and begin to develop a vision for their future career.
“Getting Ahead has helped me not just professionally but personally, giving me more resources to use inside and outside of the workplace,” Sarah said.
As her husband transitioned into the “stay at home medical dad” role, their family was living on one income — and Dad enrolled in a separate cohort of Getting Ahead to move forward his own goals for himself and their family. He’s since been approved as a paid caregiver for their daughter.
“Shift work never worked for us,” Sarah said, “Trying to fit in an 8-hour shift in between the whole day of having children. Now I feel like my work-college-personal life is in balance.”
Sarah has several months left before her CDA is complete. Thanks to support from Every Child Has Opportunities, or ECHO, she is receiving bonus stipends at key points in her journey, which help her stay motivated and offset the apprentice wage.
She’s ready for what’s next: Sarah already has her sights on an Assistant Teacher role with Community Progress Council, and a specific interest in the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Inclusion teams that lend support to teachers in the classrooms and families enrolled in the early childhood education programs.
“I want to do more,” Sarah said. “I want to make a difference in their lives.”
As for what Sarah might say to others considering the Teacher Aide program, she’s not mincing words.
“I had to find my own way where there would be an opportunity for me,” she said. “If you have some specific interest, go for it. There’s a lot this program has to offer.”
* Name has been changed.