Why is caring for yourself important?

As an ECE, caring for children is a professional expectation that can lead to compassion fatigue and burnout. (Have you read our resource on compassion fatigue vs. burnout? Click here.) It is important to know what the signs of compassion fatigue and burnout look like, as well as ways to prevent or alleviate these symptoms.

Jane Humphries, Ed.D., a curriculum developer for the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership (interested in learning more about this institution? Click here.), believes that an often overlooked aspect of self-care is seeking community support.

What does community support look like?

• Local businesses were asked (and agreed) to provide discounts to the ELCC workforce as a show of support for the profession. 
• Parents were asked (and agreed) to use their professional background to support the ECEs at the location that their child attended.
• ELCC directors and administrators collaborated with their ECE staff to establish things that could be implemented in their workplaces. This ranged from providing time for meditation breaks to scheduling fun team-building dance breaks throughout the day.

Every ELCC workplace may need something different. The important thing to take away is that communication between leaders and colleagues in the ELCC workplaces is the first step to determining what resources would be the most supportive. The next step is the long forgotten art of asking for help.

Click here to read the full article that reviews the efforts of four specific ELCC leaders.