Protected Under 18 U.S.C. 707

If you continue to be interested in keeping children and in their development, you may want to begin studying about different types of child-related occupations. Careers in this area generally fall in one of five categories: child care, education, recreation, government and private agencies, and mental/physical health.

Occupations in child care:

• Baby-sitter
• Nanny
• Foster parent
• Day-care worker

Occupations in education:

• Preschool aide, teacher, or director
• Elementary, middle school/junior high, or high school teacher, counselor, principal, special education teacher

Occupations in recreation:

• Camp counselor
• Day camp coordinator
• Community park worker
• Coach
• YMCA or YWCA director

Occupations in government and private agencies:

• Halfway house aide, counselor, director
• Pregnancy counselor
• House parent
• Abuse counselor
• Health department caseworker
• Social worker
• Probation officer
• 4-H county Extension agent

Occupations in mental/physical health:

• Pediatrician
• Nurse
• Child psychiatrist
• Physical therapist

Begin to explore all of the child-related occupations. Identify career paths that really interest you. Write in your 4-H journal about careers that you want to explore and rank them according to your interest. Talk to your parents, teachers, 4-H leader, and school guidance counselor about the qualifications necessary for each career. For instance, identify which careers require a high school degree, a college degree, or an advanced degree. Determine the starting salary for each career. Find out if the career you are interested in provides opportunities for advancement. Identify individuals in your community who have jobs you are interested in and invite them to lunch to find out more about what they do. Ask these individuals to let you accompany them to work to better understand what they do. Write about what you learn and your experiences in your 4-H journal.

For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit http://www.aces.edu/counties or look in your telephone directory under your county's name to find contact information.

Published by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University), an equal opportunity educator and employer.

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