Associate Early Childhood Education Director of Family Engagement and Comprehensive Services

About Alliance Center for Education:

Our mission is to provide high-quality education and support for children in need through partnership with their families. Our vision is to positively affect the future of children at risk by improving economic mobility through education.

The Associate ECE Director of Family Engagement and Comprehensive Services is responsible for the monitoring, evaluation, and quality assurance of AC4Ed’s Family Engagement and Health services. This role ensures the delivery of comprehensive family and health services to enrolled children and their families, including support in education, health, and social services. The Associate ECE Director of Family Engagement and Comprehensive Services works to build strong relationships with families and community partners to support the well-being and development of all AC4Ed students. #ACFEAECED

Key Responsibilities:

       1. Leadership:

• Mentor and support Family Engagement Specialists and Home Visitors, providing guidance and professional development opportunities.
• Conduct team meetings with Family Engagement staff, Home Visitors, and Center Directors to ensure effective communication and coordination of services.
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of Family and Comprehensive Services, providing constructive feedback and improvement plans.

      2. Program Management:

• Ensure that Family Engagement staff and Home Visitors adhere to Head Start policies, procedures, and performance standards.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures related to family and comprehensive services.
• Oversee the retention strategies of AC4Ed families.
• Coordinate with other program managers to ensure integrated service delivery.

      3. Family and Community Engagement:

• Develop strategies that promote and support parent engagement activities and initiatives within the agency.
• In partnership with Center Directors and Infant-Toddler Manager, organize and facilitate family workshops, training sessions, and support groups.

       4. New Family Orientation:

In partnership with Family Engagement staff, Home Visitors, and Center Directors, ensure the agency remains fully informed about the students and families served, fostering a sense of community, and establishing open lines of communication between families and the agency, ensuring that:

• Strategies are maintained to disseminate all necessary information obtained from the orientation to all relevant service areas as designated in the program policies and procedures.
• Staff obtain advance authorization from the parent or other person with legal authority for all procedures administered through the program or by our contractors and maintain written documentation if they refuse to provide approval for services.
• Staff determine whether each child has ongoing sources of continuous, accessible health care and oral provided by a health care professional
• Each child has health insurance coverage

       5. Primary and Oral Healthcare

In partnership with the program director, develop and implement plans for staff to collaborate with parents as partners in the health and well-being of their children in a linguistically and culturally appropriate manner and communicate with parents about their child’s health needs and development concerns to ensure that:

• No later than 30 calendar days after the child attends the program or receives a home visit, staff consults with parents to determine that their healthcare professional is not primarily a source of emergency or urgent care.
• If a child does not have a source of ongoing care and/or health insurance coverage, staff must assist families in accessing a source of care and/or health insurance that meets the criteria as defined in the program policies.
• Within 30 calendar days after the child first attends the program or receives a home visit staff must:
• Obtain determinations from health care professionals as to whether or not the child is up-to-date on a schedule of age-appropriate preventive and primary medical, based on: the well-child visits periodicity schedules as prescribed by the NC Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program, immunization recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and any additional recommendations from the local Health Services Advisory Committee that are based on prevalent community health problems;
• Assist parents with making arrangements to bring the child up-to-date as quickly as possible; and, if necessary, directly facilitate the provision of health services to bring the child up-to-date with parent consent.
• Within 45 calendar days after the child first attends the program or receives a home visit, staff must either obtain or perform evidence-based vision and hearing screenings.
• Within 90 calendar days after the child first attends the program or receives a home visit staff must:
• Obtain determinations from oral health care professionals as to whether or not the child is up-to-date on a schedule of age-appropriate preventive and primary oral health care, based on: the dental periodicity schedules as prescribed by the NC Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program;
• Assist parents with making arrangements to bring the child up-to-date as quickly as possible; and, if necessary, directly facilitate the provision of dental services to bring the child up-to-date with parent consent.

     6. Case Management:

• Ensure that Family Engagement staff and Home Visitors maintain accurate and up-to-date case records for each family.
• Review and monitor family service plans, ensuring they meet the needs of enrolled children and families.
• Assist Family Engagement staff and Home Visitors in addressing complex cases and providing crisis intervention as needed.

      7. Compliance and Reporting:

• Ensure compliance with all Head Start performance standards and federal, state, and local regulations related to Family Engagement and comprehensive services.
• Run, prepare, analyze, and submit required reports and documentation within the required deadlines.
• Participate in program audits and reviews, implementing corrective action plans as necessary.

        8. Training and Development:

• Coordinate training and professional development opportunities for Family Engagement staff, Home Visitors, and Center Directors.
• Stay current with best practices and emerging trends in family services and early childhood education.
• Provide orientation and ongoing training for new Family Engagement staff and Home Visitors.

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Family Studies, Early Childhood Education, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in social services, family support, or early childhood education.
• Previous management experience required.
• Experience working with low-income families and knowledge of community resources.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with families, staff, and community partners.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Proficiency in case management and documentation.
• Knowledge of Head Start performance standards and regulations.