Early Childhood Developmental Specialist (ECDS)

Schedule: Mon-Fri, 7:30 am- 4:00 pm

Pay: TBD/ Based on Experience

SUMMARY:

To provide instruction, observe and evaluate a child's performance while creating a classroom environment that encourages learning and builds positive relationships with the children, families, and staff. To create individual plans of care and ensure its implementation by an interdisciplinary team.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following: (Other duties may be assigned)

Professional duties and responsibilities:

• Demonstrates a mastery level of each child's curriculum outcomes and be able to articulate these to teacher assistants and parents.
• Actively contribute to the continuing development of improved curriculum to achieve plan of care outcomes, child growth and development and kindergarten readiness indicators.
• Maintain a classroom climate conducive to learning and active engagement in activities.
• Continuously plan learning activities that recognize the different needs, abilities, and skills necessary for effective participation of children.
• Continually develop a cooperative, energetic, flexible, and creative working relationship with children, colleagues, and administration.
• Provide for appropriate child participation in developing and achieving classroom mastery level concepts.
• Provide continuous monitoring and recording of child mastery level concepts commensurate with child's plan of care.
• Prepare and complete all plans of care for each child on caseload. Actively participate in conferences to include Enrollment, Annual Review, and Dismissal.
• Responsible for implementation of Individual Treatment Plan (ITP). Sets up, implements, and monitors Behavior Management Systems, and individualized behavior intervention plans as needed.
• Report child progress to parents accurately and professionally.
• Collaborate with therapists, nursing staff, and parents to create ITP.
• Work collaboratively with therapist in classroom setting to ensure best outcomes for children.
• Conducts a face-to-face interdisciplinary enrollment conference including parent/guardians for all DD children and annually thereafter, more frequently if needed. When requested, will be responsible for referrals and eligibility evaluations after referral. Presents and interprets evaluations to parents at conferences. Conducts evaluations once qualified.
• Conducts developmental screenings as scheduled or requested.
• Facilitate smooth transition to public school by scheduling conferences with the families and appropriate school districts in the spring of each year. Will contact the school district, set up appointment times, and complete all required paperwork.
• Review and approve day habilitation notes in Credible for accuracy each day.
• Demonstrate the ability to disaggregate test data and determine areas to provide instruction for each child on caseload.

Classroom Duties and Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate effective use and proper care of materials and supplies
• Responsible for developing and posting lesson plans using approved curriculum and written clearly enabling substitute to follow in teacher's absence
• Creates/gathers curriculum materials one week in advance and actively teaches skill lessons in groups and/or individually based on plan of care
• Directly supervises, engages with, and teaches all children in classrooms throughout the day.
• Responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing classroom schedules.
• Creates and maintains an environment based on ITERS/ECERS standards, sustaining a rating of 4 or higher in DD classrooms and a 5 in ABC/ABCSS classrooms.
• Uses positive behavior guidance and classroom management techniques according to DHS/DDS regulations and FCC guidelines.
• Assures Quality Standards of Care for Early Childhood programs is met. See Attachment
• Assuring room ready for children's arrival each morning. by preparing the day's activities and gathering needed supplies.
• Ensures classrooms are in ratio at all times. Communicates effectively with program administrator and teacher assistants to ensure compliance.
• Plan and organize parent/family involvement events.
• Creates and maintains regular communications with parents including monthly calendars, daily notes or cuddle-grams, planned activities, newsletters, etc.
• Reports child's record updates to office staff, as needed.
• Responsible for timely completion of required documentation.
• Follows FCC Policy/Procedures manual and minimum licensing requirements for childcare centers.
• Works safely by following OSHA/Infection Control guidelines.
• Will assist with nursing duties like medication administration and medical procedures after being trained.

ABC/ABCSS Duties and Responsibilities:

• Completes developmental screening on all ABC/ABCSS children within 10 days of enrolment and make referrals for any who failed screening.
• Collects Work Sampling/ Ounce data on ABC/ABCSS children and maintains portfolios on all ABC/ABCSS children.
• Enters all Work Sampling/Ounce data into databased system.
• Completes all ABC data entry in COPA for all ABC children in your assigned classroom.
• Conducts a minimum of two parent teacher conferences with ABC/ABCSS children
• Provides direct teaching in classroom for minimum seven (7) contact hours per day per ABC student.
• When necessary, contact families to fill empty ABC classrooms slots as openings arise.
Assists in ABC/ABCSS enrollment as deemed by Program Administrator.

Supervisory Duties and Responsibilities:

• Identity assigned teacher assistants strengths and weakness, coaching staff to improve performance when necessary.
• Will conduct annual evaluations of assigned teacher assistants.
• Demonstrate and model continuous professional growth and apply learning to classroom activities.
• Perform duties as needed when assigned as back-up Lead Teacher.
• Reports any abuse/neglect signs to the appropriate person as soon as possible after discovery
• Conducts regular staff meetings for no less than 30 minutes in order to review children's goals & objectives, review FCC procedures, as well as provide staff development for classroom planning purposes.
• Other duties as assigned

Professional Development Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assists/attends in-house staff meetings, training, workshops, conferences, parent functions and extra-curricular activities which may require out-of-town or overnight travel.
• Participates in weekly, monthly, and annual staff meetings as arranged by Program Administrator. Develops and conducts monthly staff training as needed.
• Attends all training activities as required by Administration, licensing units, and/or Staff Trainer.
• Takes responsibility to obtain required professional development hours yearly to maintain compliance.
• Maintains current certification in Infant/Toddler CPR, First Aid and OSHA by attending annual courses and serves as First Responder for Preschool. (At HBV vaccine offer, must sign waiver to decline.)
• Licensed teachers will maintain Arkansas teacher licensure in Early Childhood.
• Maintains confidentiality of all information received regarding Friendship Community Care, Inc. and the clients. Conditions of confidentiality shall comply with Friendship Community Care Non-Disclosure Policy and HIPPA Policies.

This job description is not intended to be all inclusive, and employee will also perform other reasonable related business duties as assigned by immediate supervisor and other management as required.

This organization reserves the right to revise or change job duties as the need arises. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor's degree (B.S or B.A) from a four-year college or university and one of the following: Child Development Associate credential, Birth to PreK credential, documented experience working with special needs children and 12 hours of completed college coursework in early childhood, child development, special education, elementary education, or child/family studies Must have supervisory skills.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

QUALITY ASSURANCE & COMPLIANCE: To adhere to the following and comply with all Quality Assurance's & HIPAA procedures:

• The Code of Conduct and Compliance Investigation Procedures as read and discussed in the new employee training must be followed.
• Consumers' progress notes be maintained and completed daily or as needed on the prescribed forms.
• Consumers' records must be maintained weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly. All information must be filed in consumers' records as needed and updated as prescribed by funding sources.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities required for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice. A team member should perform all duties as assigned by his/her supervisor.

Why Friendship Community Care:

• 401(k) Retirement
• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance available for FT employees
• Paid holidays available for FT employees
• Vacation accrual available for FT employees
• Disability, Cancer, Accident and Life Insurance Available
• Excellent work environment

Friendship Community Care strives to offer highly competitive benefits package, and a family work environment!

If you think you would thrive in this position, please apply with us today!

Friendship Community Care is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to these or any other characteristics protected by law.

Friendship Community Care is a drug-free workplace and an E-Verify participant.