Standards for Professional Practice
for Education Consultants
Ethical standards and best practices are the core of professionalism in consultation.
The Connecticut Early Education Consultation Network offers
standards of professional and ethical practice to guide its memberstoward successful conduct of early childhood education consultation.
Guiding Principles
Consultation requires the exchange of information, collaboration, and mutual understanding between all parties involved in a philosophical and cultural context and when done properly, results in an open and trusting relationship.
All stakeholders should be included throughout the consultative process and all decisions should be made in the best interests of children and families.
Commitment to business integrity, clients, families, and to the profession should be demonstrated through specific ethical and effective practices.
Commitment to the Profession
We will:
- practice and uphold the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct.
- seek professional development on established standards of practice, regulations, accreditation and national and state initiatives in early care and education.
know
curriculum development across all domains of development, within a variety of curricular systems, to meet the needs of children with a wide range of needs and abilities.
- hold a minimum of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education in early childhood education or a related field with a full breadth of coursework in child development, early childhood education, administration and supervision in addition to substantial experience in teaching and administration of an early care/education program.
- attend continuing education to the degree necessary to keep current with research, development, and best practice in the fields of early childhood education and consultation.
- define our own limits of expertise, as well as philosophical and cultural orientations.
- seek supervision or peer consultation as necessary to practice consultation objectively and ethically when we encounter challenges.
- implement the andragogy of adult learning and change management theory.
· respect that making and implementing changes is a process requiring a flexible time frame that is reasonable and comfortable.
- incorporate evidence-based practices in all interactions and support services.
- respect differences in perspective and expectations and allow for reflection and discussion to reach appropriate compromise.
Commitment to Children, Families, and Communities
We will:
- uphold and educate families and communities on developmentally appropriate practice within the field of early childhood education.
- respect diverse family and community cultures.
- collaborate with community agencies.
- advocate for children’s rights and needs, including protection from neglect and abuse by acting within the requirements of mandated reporting.
- work with other consultants in order to provide comprehensive and coordinated services to children, families, and clients. Whenever possible us an interdisciplinary approach to services.
Commitment to Business Integrity
We will:
· develop written contracts to clients that specify terms of service, roles and responsibilities, definition of scope of work, fees, termination of agreement, limits of liability, expectations for communication, and insurance coverage and is signed and dated by both parties. Work with the client in developing a contract and plan of services specific to the setting.
- carry adequate liability insurance.
- disclose all possible conflicts of interest to the client.
- keep confidential all matters of the client, staff, families, and children as well as follow HIPPA regulations regarding disclosure.
- record all consultative services offered and provide to the client summary reports of discussions, recommendations, and action plans.
- expect clients to inform consultant of program needs and outcomes regarding licensing investigations and violations requiring corrective action.
- provide the opportunity for both clients and consultants to evaluate the effectiveness of consultation services either periodically or at the close of a project.
Commitment to Clients
We will:
- base consultation on regulation and established standards as issued by national and state professional organizations and agencies as well as program philosophy.
- implement a consultation process that includes relationship development, assessment, action planning, plans for sustainability, training, and resources at a pace that is comfortable for the client.
- educate clients about education and consultative practices including limits of authority and client choice.
- inform clients to funding sources for consultation and education as applicable.
- be available by phone, email, and in person to provide needed consultation services.
- establish a client-consultant relationship based on common philosophical and cultural beliefs and disclose limits of abilities and expertise.
- facilitate the quality enhancement process based on agreed upon goals, and build on what the client already knows.
- refer client to outside resources when expertise is needed in a subject area in which we have limited knowledge.
The development of these Standards of Professional Practice is credited to participants from the CT Early Education Consultation Network and remain open to revision. Comments and suggestions are invited. Please see contact page.