Description

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 

Responsible for the management and implementation of the Prevention Initiative Infant and Toddler program that encompasses program requirements per the Illinois State Board of Education for infants and toddlers participating in licensed center-based programs and families whose children including parents are participating in the home-based program option.

Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Provides ongoing training and technical assistance for staff assigned to implement Prevention Initiative services for infants, toddlers and their families.
• Works with Garden of Prayer Youth Center administrative staff to develop the mission and vision statement of the program.
• Assist in the hiring and ongoing supervision of the education manager/curriculum coach, infant and toddler mental health specialist, and family support staff.
• Works with administrative team to develop weighted eligibility criterion to determine enrollment into the Prevention Initiative program which includes a screening process that will determine if a child is at risk of academic failure.
• Ensures program meets compliance of the Prevention Initiative Compliance Checklist.
• Develops the program’s self-assessment evaluation that collects data that determines the success of the program.
• Creates an ongoing monitoring system that encompasses continuous quality improvement on an ongoing basis.
• Ensure each staff person employed in the program has a professional development plan that is addressed with their immediate supervisor and reviewed on a bi-annual basis.
• Ensures each child enrolled in the Prevention Initiative program receives a developmental screening within eight weeks of enrollment into the program.
• Based on the results of the developmental screening, ensures that parents are informed of the results and request for further evaluation takes place with parent authorization.
• Staff employed in the Prevention Initiative program will meet requirements per the Illinois State Board of Education.
• Ensure staff receive ongoing reflective supervision sessions that take place minimally two times per month.
• Ensure the program implements a research based early childhood curriculum per requirements of the Illinois State Board of Education.
• Ensures the Prevention Initiative program operates per contractual requirements of five hours per day, five days per week.
• Ensure parent-teacher conferences are conducted a minimum of two times throughout the program year.
• Ensure home visits are conducted two time per year for families whose children are enrolled in the center-based Prevention Initiative program.
• Ensure parents are involved in ongoing parent education activities.
• Conducts monthly meetings for staff 
• Responsible for ongoing training and technical assistance in the areas of early childhood education, family engagement, health, nutrition, mental health program eligibility and enrollment and family engagement.
• Ensure that monthly meetings take place for parents throughout the year,
• Responsible for completing monthly program reports as required by the Illinois State Board of Education.
• Attends meeting sponsored by the Illinois State Board of Education to obtain knowledge regarding the implementation of the Prevention Initiative Program.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience: Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education/Master’s degree preferred with 5 to 7 years of work experience with young children and families in licensed childcare facilities along with experience working with children and families in alternative home-based settings.

Credential: 

Bachelors or Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to communicate and interpret State of Illinois requirements of the Prevention Initiative program.
• Mathematics and language arts proficiency 
• Bilingual preferred
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Access, etc.), Google Sheets and Google Forms
• Proficient in data entry and management
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Able to work collaboratively with teams
• Demonstrated reliability regarding attendance and work performance
• Ability to be creative, flexible and adaptive in ALL activities and responsibilities 
• Must be a team player