CHFD 498 A4
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American Military University *
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Course
498
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Communications
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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docx
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Uploaded by ChancellorViperMaster571
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Interview a Professional in the Field
NAME
American Public University
CHFD 498: Senior Seminar in Child and Family Development
Dr. Bethanne Shriner
March 17
th
, 2024
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Interview a Professional in the Field
On March 1
st
, 2024 I conducted a phone interview with Ms. Jessica Brundidge. She has worked at Naval Station Everett Child Development Center for 12 years and as a director for 3 years. I contacted Ms. Brundidge because, after I finish my degree, I want to work at a daycare on a military base. I posed fourteen career-related questions to Ms. Brundidge. 1. What sparked your interest in being a Child Development Center Director?
Ms. Brundidge stated that she went to college to major in athletic training but did not feel the passion for it and was becoming more interested in the child development courses she
was taking. She ended up speaking with her advisor and changing majors to learn more about
children and their development. She stated that she enjoys working with children and learning
how every age group has different milestone achievements. She said, “When I graduated college I did not have any inclining of where my career would take me.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024). She found her way to a hospital working as a Child
Life Specialist. During her time there, she noticed it was not was she expected, but still wanted to work with children. She decided to work at Naval Station Evertt Child Development Center as a flex employee. 2. How long did it take you to become a Child Development Center Director?
Ms. Brundidge worked as a flex employee for four years, then two years as a program youth/teen coordinator, and three years as an assistant director. In total, it took her nine years before becoming the director of the Child Development Center. She stated her nine years is not slow, fast, or common. She also stated,” A lot of things go into play, there is no timeline really…you also have to wait for an opening in the position which can take longer.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024).
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3. What is your educational background? Ms. Brundidge has a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Family Relations. She attended the University of Idaho. She does not have certificates or a minor.
4. What are your main job responsibilities as a Child Development Center Director?
According to Ms. Brundidge, her primary duties at work involve supervising all of the
children in all age groups, managing the staff, checking calendars and schedules, and making sure there is enough staff in the classrooms. The Center on the Everett base has 160 capacity and they are currently at 120. Ms. Brundidge holds parent orientations, meets with her cooks, secretaries, and janitors, and monitors the waitlist. She also stated,” I am doing staff evaluations, meeting with parents if there is an issue or if they have a concern, and since I am
the Installation Program Director as well, I meet with the base triad if we need something from the base.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024).
5. What are the educational requirements and preparations for a Child Development Center Director?
To become a Child Development Director Ms. Brundidge stated a bachelor's degree is
required. The preparation part is to make sure to ask questions, never stop asking, and learn new things about the program. Having a little experience in other departments within the program is also helpful. She stated,” I worked with the infant department then the toddlers department, and then the teen department, I also helped out with the cooks to have a well-
rounded background. I also wanted to get to know base officials like MWR, Fleet and Family
Services, The Liberty Center, and Housing because as directors you'll sometimes need to correlate with them for events or answer questions for families, especially with military families.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024).
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6. What do you like most about being a Child Development Center Director?
What Ms. Brundidge enjoys most as a Child Development Center Director is talking to a variety of people from the kids to their parents and learning about different cultures and families. As a director, you work with such a diverse background. She stated the Center has worked with families who are from Japan, China, Egypt, and Africa. She also stated,” Being able to support the military families letting them know they can go to work and their kids are safe and taken care of. And who doesn’t like to be around a baby every once in a while, to get
those cuddles?” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024).
7. What is the most challenging part of being a Child Development Center Director?
Ms. Brundidge stated every job has its challenges but it’s not something that cannot be solved with a little patience. She said the only challenge she had was things within her control. She gave the example of a staff member calling out sick, an electronic issue, or things that happened unexpectedly. She stated,” Obviously people get sick so I have to either ask someone to come in or move another employee over to cover the shift, I don’t like when things don’t go to plan that’s the challenge.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024).
8. How would you say your job affects your lifestyle?
Ms. Brundidge explained that the work-life balance is really up to the person. She knows directors who would stay late in the evening because they want to make sure everything is done for the next day while others prioritize what needs to be done at the current moment. She stated,” It is a lot of time management so make sure you prioritize. Since I work on a navy base, things can come up towards the end of the day where people above me say this or that needs to be done by 4 pm today so I reprioritize.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024).
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9. What aspects of your training and/or education do you feel you use the most and least?
Ms. Brundidge said she uses her family relations part from her education the most because she needs to be able to connect with families and talk about their child's development
and behaviors. She gave an example of 2-year-olds who are not as verbal and lack communication skills so they end up biting more. Parents will bring that up to her and she has
to explain that biting is a form of communication and age-appropriate. She emphasized that making the family feel heard and understood is extremely important so she is happy her family relations education is beneficial to her. She stated,” I don’t really have a least useful training or education I don’t use because I really use everything. Every week is different with
a problem that needs a different solution.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024). 10. What kind of practical training do you wish you would have received at the beginning of your career?
Ms. Brundidge said she had great mentors and knew if she had a question she could always go and ask. So at the beginning of her career when she was a flex employee there was no practical training she wished she received since it was given. For a director, she stated,” I would say learning how the departments, as in the military side and non-military side, pay goes. For example, if a government shutdown happens, my military side employees (APS), would get a talk from me that there is a shutdown but they still have to come into work and will get back pay once the shutdown is resolved. Compared to my non-military employees (NAS) they will still get paid. It took me a while and I still struggle with it so I think more training and clarification on that part since it changes every few years.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024).
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11. What does a typical day for you look like?
Ms. Brundidge said her day starts with her checking in with her assistant director since she opens the Center and looks at who called in and where they need to make adjustments. She then talks to her front desk clerk and asks if she needs to know anything since they handle payments and communication with the families. She then goes to her office and checks emails that need her attention. She stated,” I go to family meetings every Wednesday and Thursday, answer phone calls, and if a lead teacher needs help with a child I will come in. I will also check our financials and see if our budget is good.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024). She also said she oversees when a child moves into
their next age group and does the required paperwork. She leaves by 4 pm if nothing needs her immediate attention.
12. Was there specific training or an experience that you felt helped you become a better
Child Development Center Director?
Ms. Brundidge reiterated that making sure to put yourself in different experiences will
gain you more knowledge and a better director. She stated,” I had great mentors who were like ‘Hey I am going to show you this’ and then from there I would have the courage and confidence to say ‘Hey I am going to look into this problem’. My mentors are really what helped me, they were constantly supporting me and telling me. It is not the training or experience it’s the people who support you all the way through.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024). She also said to make yourself available, be self-motivated to ask questions, and be willing to go the extra mile. She praised her mentor who was the previous director and said without her she wouldn’t be where she is now.
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13. Do you feel you are appreciated for your work as a Child Development Center Director?
Ms. Brundidge said she does feel appreciated most of the time. She is a dual director and believes not many people know what goes on behind closed doors. She said she would love to have a “seat as a director” day so people can know what she does and how she gets them done. She stated,” I do feel very appreciated by my staff. Families today I feel are appreciated as well, I think because they would tell me that they were paying $2000 a month for a civilian daycare compared to us, we charge between $800-900 a month. So, they say thank you a lot for that.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024). She feels unappreciated when her workload gets tough or too much but said,” …that is more of me putting unnecessary pressure on myself.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024).
14. What advice would you give a person who wants to become a Child Development Center Director?
“ Don’t be afraid of hard work because that is something that comes with the job. Do not turn your back on a job opportunity because you think you won't like it. You can always return to a previous position if you don’t like the new one.” (J. Brundidge, personal communication, March 1, 2024). She went on to say that she did not plan to move past being a flex employee but when she saw an opportunity she took it. She also said that being open-
minded to any situation and trying it out before one turns it down, might lead to the person enjoying the new position. Reflection on Interview
Ms. Brundidge was very informative with her answers and gave me insight into what she does as a Child Development Center Director. What I found interesting is the level of education needed. I had assumed that a master's degree was necessary, so learning that she
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has a bachelor's degree in the same field helped me relate to her better. I was aware of some of the work directors do because I used to work at a daycare center, but after hearing Ms. Brundidge mention that she also manages employees who are connected to the military and that she must learn new policies every few years, I developed a greater appreciation for the work that directors do.
After speaking with Ms. Brundidge there is more to being a Child Development Center Director than just running a department. I learned that she communicates with her bosses about her employee's pay, benefits, and equipment their classrooms need. It was encouraging to hear that Ms. Brundidge was speaking up for those who work beneath her because, similar to other jobs, upper supervisors do not always recognize those who report to them. On top of that, she is a dual director so she oversees other departments like the Navy Child Development Homes department which is a program that employs family daycare businesses to operate a successful childcare to help military families who are on the waitlist and need a daycare immediately. Although her workload seems like a lot I could still hear her
enthusiasm for working with kids and ensuring they receive the best care possible. I also learned that knowing who you work with is important. On a military base especially with families who just moved to an area they don’t know they might ask directors and staff members where to go for help. When Ms. Brundidge said she took the initiative to get to know other departments and organizations made her sound more professional and passionate about her job as a director. Some directors don’t take the step to know what happens in every department because of their workload but Ms. Brundidge made time for it because she knew the benefits it would have for her center and the families. I think the Everett Child Development Center is very fortunate to have Ms. Brundidge as its director.
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References
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