Friday, November 13, 2026
A career in early childhood education begins with learning how to care for children, but for participants in the Barry and Florence Friedberg Jewish Community Center’s Teacher Assistant Development Program, it also means discovering their strengths and building confidence in their abilities.
The program, known as TADP, provides individuals with disabilities with the training, hands-on experience and support needed to pursue employment as teacher assistants in day care centers and early childhood learning programs.
As last month marked National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Oceanside-based JCC highlighted the initiative and the participants who have transitioned from interns to employees.
Kimberly Greenfield, director of Disability and Inclusion Services at the Friedberg JCC, said the program has been operating for four years with support from a grant from the Butler Foundation. Its goal is to create meaningful employment opportunities by preparing participants for the responsibilities of working with young children.
“We really want them to be able to learn a lot about supervision of children,” Greenfield said, explaining that the curriculum covers developmentally appropriate practices, child care needs and the fundamentals of supporting children in early childhood classrooms.
Participants complete five weekly classes before beginning an internship in an early childhood classroom, where they apply what they have learned with the assistance of a job coach. The JCC operates several early childhood sites where participants can gain practical experience before moving into paid positions.
The coursework aligns with regulations established by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, helping prepare participants for employment in early childhood settings throughout the community.
In its four years, TADP has served 32 participants. Ten are currently employed, three are completing internships, five are awaiting placement for employment and eight have recently enrolled in the program.
Greenfield said the program is designed to accommodate participants’ individual needs, including offering one-on-one assistance when appropriate. Its rolling enrollment also allows people to begin the process when they are ready rather than waiting for a new class to start.
A key component of the program is recognizing what each participant brings to the classroom.
“Everybody comes with strengths to any volunteer or any employment opportunity that you walk in the door with,” Greenfield said. “We really try to identify what those strengths are through our intake process, so that we can continue to highlight how great they’re doing.”
The JCC is also working to expand TADP into local school districts. Greenfield said two district partnerships are in development, with the goal of bringing coursework directly to students with disabilities who are approaching the age when they will transition out of school-based services.
For those students, the program could provide an opportunity to explore career interests, gain work experience and potentially complete internships within their own school communities.
Greenfield said one of the most rewarding aspects of TADP is watching participants progress from an initial interest in working with children to developing the skills necessary to do the job.
“They really are genuinely interested,” she said. “They’re very goal-driven, and they’re very dedicated and committed to wanting to know as much as they can about working with young children.”
Seeing participants put those skills into practice makes the program especially meaningful, Greenfield added.
“Knowing that we have really helped them on their journey to having a career” is one of the most fulfilling parts of the work, she said.
Through TADP, the Friedberg JCC is working to make employment in early childhood education more accessible while helping individuals with disabilities build skills, confidence and pathways toward long-term careers.
