As part of a system of early childhood career advancement in Florida, this document describes the early childhood education profession and presents--in both a written format and a CD-ROM--steps and guidelines for preparing a voluntary professional portfolio. The portfolio is highlighted as an opportunity to document one's educational and professional work experiences as a demonstration of accomplishments and professional competency. The document is organized in three major sections. Section 1, presented in a question-answer format, describes the early childhood profession and its requirements, discusses ways to prepare for entering the field, and describes how the voluntary portfolio fits into the statewide professional development program. Section 2 presents steps and guidelines for preparing the portfolio, including the completion of a self-assessment, development of a goal statement and a personal teaching philosophy, and documentation of education and training requirements. Section 3 contains the forms for completing the portfolio. The exit requirements checklist completes the document. (KB)