SPOTLIGHT: Resha Washington, Child Care Consultant, DCDEE Regulartory Services Section in Charlotte, NC

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Resha Washington  Resha Washington's career journey has always involved working with children. Now, as Child Care Consultant for DCDEE's Regulatory Services Section, Resha shares what led to her current role, what she enjoys most about it, and what leaves her feeling inspired.

Describe your career journey. What led you to become a DCDEE Consultant?
I began working in the field of Early Childhood Education almost twenty-five years ago, as an afternoon closer for a program in Mecklenburg County. I always knew I wanted to work with children and their families to ensure they had a healthy start, but I wasn’t quite sure how. It was during my sophomore year of college that I realized early childhood was my passion after I began to work full-time as an assistant teacher. By the time I graduated I had become a lead teacher and then I went on to pursue my BK Licensure. While completing that program I worked as a NC Pre-K teacher’s assistant then upon completion I worked as a NC Pre-K Lead teacher for a few years before making the difficult decision to leave the classroom to become a Program Quality/Technical Assistance Specialist with a non-profit organization in Mecklenburg County. I worked in that role for over nine years before moving into my current position as a DCDEE Child Care Consultant on Team 5 in Mecklenburg County. 

What is your typical day like as a Consultant?
I know that it sounds cliché but there is no typical day in this role. I often start each month with my calendar loosely planned out with program visits, meetings, follow-ups and other related appointments, as needed. However, during the course of the month I often find myself shifting appointments or visits to accommodate other needs that may arise. I typically start my day at 8am and end around 5pm but during the course of the day I could be conducting a visit, measuring a classroom, inspecting transportation, completing reports, speaking with a community partner or other local agency, planning a training, attending a training, providing technical assistance or gathering resources for providers in my territory. The activities of my day often depend on the most immediate need of that day. I believe that is one of the things I enjoy most about this work, no two days are exactly alike. 

In your role, you visit many child care centers. What leaves you inspired after a visit?
In my role I am the most inspired by the authentic relationships that I see being built, established and maintained by the educators in the programs with both the children and families that they serve. I have a front row seat to genuine interactions that include sharing positive information about the progress of a child,  discussions about next steps to assist a child in reaching developmental milestones and the sharing of helpful recommendations ranging from new foods to try to specific strategies to incorporate to address challenging behaviors. It is refreshing to see early childhood educators working with families to ensure that a child is consistently receiving equitable high-quality care. 

What advice do you have for someone who may be interested in opening their own child care center?
My advice for someone interested in opening their own child care center would be to start by researching what goes into this process to gain an understanding of what the expectations, requirements and investments will be. I would also recommend reaching out to DCDEE to get information on who both the supervisor and lead consultant is in your area, as they will be able to provide you more insight into the specifications for your area and realistic timelines that this process could take. Lastly, I would advise anyone interested in opening a facility to consider what type of program they would like to open, as there is more than one option and requirements vary depending on the type. 

How do you see apprenticeships in early childhood education benefitting child care centers?
I recently had the opportunity to visit Charlotte Bilingual Preschool and meet some of the apprentices in their apprenticeship program. It was a great experience to speak with the participants and learn about their passion for early childhood. It was during these conversations that I was able to get more insight into their personal goals and plans upon completion of the program. I was able to see the benefits of allowing these students the opportunity to work hands on in this program and experience firsthand the daily routines, interactions, and expectations of a preschool classroom.