The Position

The Birth to Five Action Council Regional Manager will be responsible for establishing and growing a Birth to Five Action council to support expanding access to affordable, accessible, high-quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) that meets the needs of families, especially those furthest from opportunity. The Birth to Five Action Council will partner with local early childhood collaborations, ECEC providers, and the larger community to execute the State's recommendations. The Birth to Five Action Council Regional Manager should understand principles of community organizing, have experience with publicly funded education and care services, be a visionary leader and an active listener, and is someone committed to racial, economic, and geographic equity.

The ideal candidate is comfortable in a 'start-up' environment with the skills to learn in real-time, pivot quickly, and effectively engage a broad spectrum of community members. The Regional Manager must understand the demographics and dynamics of their region, have a working knowledge of services and support systems for children birth through age five, be comfortable with data-driven practice, and be prepared to operationalize and build buy-in for transformative changes to our State's ECEC infrastructure.

It is the responsibility of the Regional Manager to coordinate a Birth to Five Action Council that engages the full suite of resources in the region towards ensuring that all families can access high-quality early care and education services that meet their needs. The work of the Birth to Five Action Council Regional Manager will focus on their designated region(s), with the flexibility to work remotely either in their own home or in an office space identified with support from the State Team.

The position reports to the State Director/State Director of Operations and will manage a small team. The Regional Manager and will be part of the network of 39 Birth to Five Action Councils, all employed by the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA). Regional Managers must live or have experience in the boundaries of their region, will work remotely with consistent travel across their region, and help drive change to statewide financing and governance of early care and education services.

Background on Birth to Five Illinois

Illinois has a goal of becoming the best state in the nation for families raising young children by improving and expanding the delivery of child care and early learning programs for children from birth until they start kindergarten. In 2019, the Governor established an Early Childhood Funding Commission charged with studying and making recommendations on funding goals and funding mechanisms that provide equitable access to high-quality early childhood education and care services for all children birth to age five. The resulting report to the governor made a set of recommendations to ensure all families in Illinois regardless of race, ethnicity, home language, ability, and social circumstance have the services needed to prepare their children for school.

As a first step, Illinois has established an Early Childhood Transformation Team charged with: ensuring early childhood policy is influenced by community voice and data, building a structure for equitable allocation of current and anticipated funding, and making funding stable, predictable, and consistent for early childhood providers.

INCCRRA is a statewide organization which in partnership with its 16 local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Agencies traditionally partners with the State on projects and is a recognized leader, catalyst, and resource for making high-quality, affordable early care and education and school-age care options available for children and families in Illinois. INCCRRA will serve as the home for the state office of the regional and community infrastructure for early care and education services.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee the development and implementation of a regional strengths and needs assessment
• Identify barriers, problem solve, adapt strategies, and foster opportunities for collaboration between regional and local structures and other early learning system partners
• Oversee the formation and ongoing operations of a Birth to Five Action Council, including management of staffing and the day-to-day operations of the Council
• Work in partnership with the technical staff to develop and implement a regional workplan that includes goal setting, action steps, and accountability measures
• Identify regional and local training and support needs and work in partnership with the Community Systems Statewide Support project (managed by Illinois Action for Children) to ensure those needs are met
• Participate in a region-to-region 'community of practice' in partnership with Illinois Action for Children to ensure alignment to state priorities and strategies are met with consistency across the State
• Build mutually supportive relationships with local collaborations, parent groups, and other stakeholders in the region (i.e., schools, businesses, faith communities, social service agencies, medical providers, etc.) to ensure the community systems are responsive to the needs of all children and families
• Participate in regional and community meetings/events related to young children and families
• Remain current on early childhood education and care initiatives, practices, and policies
• Share and be able to communicate relevant and timely policies and information to local collaborations; identify and communicate policy barriers that regional and local partners face to state-level partners
• Cultivate community support for local ECEC systems coordination and financing
• Act as the official spokesperson for the Birth to Five Action Council
• Complete and submit required reports in a timely manner
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned
• Travel as needed

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field of study with preference given to candidates with experience in community systems development, community planning, or early childhood education
• A minimum of three years full-time experience in a leadership/management position in a public or private organization
• Experience leading an organization, community and/or group through the process of identifying and responding to new opportunities and challenges
• Ability to work well independently and within a team environment
• Ability to working with a diverse group of community members
• Ability to lead a team of individuals in a manner that fosters mutual respect, a culture of creativity, critical thinking, accountability, and collaboration
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills including public speaking and in written materials
• Use computers, Microsoft Office, email, and video conferencing proficiently