I am interested in various careers through out the system of social services. I am particulary interested in working for Child Protective Services (CPS). I had to be cleared with a state and federal background check and be approved for a fingerprint clearance card in order to do the work I do now for my internship. I applied for the clearance card that satisfies both my internship as well as for my career with Child Protective Services, and now I have it already thanks to my internship. It was expensive, took over two months to be cleared, and it's good for six years, so now I feel like I have my foot in the door with CPS.
Working with a child with disabilities inside the home right now helps gain family perspective from a different angle. I am learning and understanding what it's like to have a child with disabilities compared to the average child with no disabilities.Working for CPS will require me to understand the basic knowledge of parenting, children of all needs, abused, and every other sort of situation you can think of. I think interning as a habilitation provider helps gives me some insight to the needs of a child with disabilities in and outside the job. My previous job as an Instructional Aide at the high school level also benefited my knowledge in the field of special education. I feel more well rounded now seeing the at home aspect of a child with disabilities as well as a different age range. My child I do hab for now is six years old, and I would say more work when compared to the students of the age range of sixteen to twenty-two.
I do plan on staying with this site for the immediate future, but not as a long term career. This job helps me get my foot in the door with my future career with CPS. I enjoy learning the different areas of the child development, and I feel that working with children with disabilities will help make me more well rounded in the whole spectrum of the development of the child. I wouldn't mind working at a child day care center to gain more perspective on younger children without disabilities. I feel that I am learning some good parenting skills at my current job as well as the previous job working in a classroom. I am learning how to know only work with children with disabilties but I am better understanding their needs as well as legal rights. I also feel that working with the parent really helps my future job with CPS because that will be who I will be dealing with the most, the parents of children.
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Wow! Once again, I am very impressed with how big your heart is! It sounds like it was quite the process to earn the position with CPS and I admire the fact that you've already got a foot in the door! You're way ahead of the ballgame- that's too awesome! I know for a fact that what you are doing is helping to enhance the lives of children. It takes so much energy to be able to do something like that. Kudos to you! Also, the materials that you provided proved to be very helpful in getting to know you. Very credible information as well! Working with children will definately make you more well-rounded...no doubt. But, as you pointed out, its the parents of these children who you may find yourself working with on a more personal and professional level. You're merits are substantial and pertinent to your career goals. You're future looks bright!!
ReplyDeleteKristen,
ReplyDeleteNot very many people are able to do the type of work that you are so interested in! It takes a special kind of person to dedicate their entire career on account of someone else (i.e. the children and their families). It sounds like you are very committed to working for CPS and you have come a long way in your educational development pertaining to this field of study. Interdisciplinary studies goes hand in hand with the line of work that you are aiming towards. I think that a lot of the concepts that we have learned over the past few years, will definitely aid you in your journey! It also seems like this type of work is something that you have been interested in for a long time. The "hoops" that you have had to jump through did not sounds very easy and you had to stay focused on the prize in order to achieve your goal. Fingerprint clearance cards and backgrounds checks are the worst! They are way too expensive.