Best Starts for Kids - Subsidy Access and Support Specialist

Position: Best Starts for Kids - Subsidy Access and Support Specialist

Hiring Salary Range: $60,000.00 - $64,000.00

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Report To: Best Starts for Kids - Subsidy Access and Support Lead

AGENCY SUMMARY:

BrightSpark Early Learning Services has been at the forefront of the early learning landscape for over 30 years, ensuring that all children have equitable access to safe, engaging, and positive early learning experiences that promote school readiness and lifetime success. With a staff of over 140 and a budget of $60 million (99% publicly funded), BrightSpark Early Learning Services provides a broad array of services for families and childcare providers so that they can support the development and well-being of our children.

OPPORTUNITY:

The Best Starts for Kids (BSK) Subsidy is a voter-approved initiative to help every child in King County access high-quality early learning opportunities. This program is designed to support families who are ineligible or not well-served by existing subsidy programs. This program prioritizes families experiencing challenges to accessing childcare and, in doing so, seeks to advance equity and eliminate disparities.

The Best Starts for Kids (BSK) Subsidy Access and Support Team is committed to excellence for our community by providing efficient, expert service for every interaction. Subsidy Access and Support Specialists are public-facing stewards of the BSK childcare subsidy and are responsible for providing direct support to families and childcare providers. This includes answering questions, assisting with program applications, verifying program eligibility, and troubleshooting any issues. This position requires daily contact with community members through inbound and outbound communications, including calls, emails, and messages from our community portal.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Customer Support: Ensure clear, timely, inclusive service and support for families and childcare providers across multiple channels by providing expert, culturally relevant advice and support professionally and confidently. Respond to inquiries from community members, those on the waiting list, and enrolled families and providers.
• Caseload Management: Efficiently prioritize, manage, and resolve individual support cases via our administrative portal based on urgency and impact; proactively monitor and follow up on cases to guarantee timely resolution.
• Community Trust-Building: Ensure that clear, concise, and timely communication of status updates and issues are provided to families and providers.
• Guiding Families: Support families in navigating the waitlist and application processes to be considered for a program subsidy; using the Salesforce program database, provide lists of referrals to childcare providers in the community. Seamlessly provide warm referrals to the Family Call Center Team as an alternative source of referral support to families.
• Determining Program Eligibility: Use our administrative portal (BridgeCare) to review inbound applications, assess family eligibility for subsidized childcare, and calculate subsidy amounts based on income.
• Supporting Child Care Providers: Provide support and onboarding to eligible childcare providers.
• Language Support: Work with interpreter services and provide services to families with unsolicited inbound questions.
• Teamwork and Problem-Solving: Actively engage with the larger BSK Subsidy team to meet the needs of families and children, community partners, and stakeholders and meet the deliverables of program contracts and King County.
• Record Keeping: Help maintain data integrity by reviewing and cleaning up files regularly and contacting families and providers to obtain updated information.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Minimum Qualifications

• An associate degree in social science, education, or a related field plus TWO years of experience in a relevant position (e.g., in a customer support role, subsidy management, or childcare management)

OR

• Three years of experience in a relevant position (e.g., in a customer support role, subsidy management, or childcare management)

Desired Qualifications

• Native language speaking abilities in Spanish or Somali.
• Experience with Salesforce and/or Monday.com
• Knowledge of child development & early learning and local and statewide family resources.

Additional Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Qualifications

• Ability to work in a team environment, communicate, and actively participate in BrightSpark team meetings, committees, and community groups.
• Ability to remain focused on calls while working in an open office environment.
• Experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds and demonstrating a commitment to diversity, cultural relevancy, and inclusion.
• Desire to support children and families.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Effective interpersonal skills include an ability to quickly establish a warm phone connection and constructively manage conflict.
• Excellent listening skills with the ability to give and receive feedback.
• Facility with numbers and math (for income and subsidy calculations).
• Approach work with a sense of possibility, see challenges as opportunities for creative problem-solving, and work to find innovative solutions.
• Attention to detail and ability to multi-task.
• Experience in/understanding of “quality customer service.”
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Familiarity with BridgeCare software OR ease with learning new software.
• Ability to be in office 2-3 times per week for at least the first 90 days and possibly ongoing.
• Flexibility to attend occasional community events, providing outreach to parents and community partners.
• Accurately makes decisions and data updates regarding eligibility criteria and subsidy calculations.

COMPETENCIES:

• Core Competencies -
  • Mission-driven: Demonstrates commitment to the mission and values of the mission.
  • Equity mindset: Demonstrates the values of anti-racism; fosters an inclusive environment that facilitates diversity.
  • Communication: Uses skillful written and oral communication with internal staff, teams, and community served; demonstrates empathy and listening.
  • Adaptability: Adapts and responds to change; proactively seeks opportunities to be supportive of change that serves our mission
  • Ownership and quality of work: Manages own work and work of teams when relevant, ensuring delivery of successful outcomes.

COMPENSATION:

• Hiring Salary Range: $60,000.00 - $64,000.00
• FLSA Status: non-exempt
• This is a full-time salaried position requiring work during BrightSpark Early Learning Services Business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 am-5 pm, and requiring a willingness to work some evenings and weekends.

BrightSpark will determine the specific salary for the successful candidate based on factors including, but not limited to, budget available, prior experience, skill, and education as they relate to the position’s qualifications and internal racial equity. The posted salary range reflects just one component of our total compensation package.

Other components of the total compensation package may include participation in group life, health and dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program(s), paid time off, and paid holidays.

BENEFITS:

BrightSpark Early Learning Services’ benefits package includes employer-paid top-tier medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for employees, 21 days of PTO per year in addition to 11 paid holidays, 3 paid floating holidays, birthday holiday, and one week-long office closure at year-end, Refresh Fridays in July (BrightSpark Early Learning Services Closure Days), flexible work environment, employer-paid life insurance, short-term disability/illness leave accrual, and 401k with 3% employer match.

WORK LOCATION:

• This position is a Hybrid
• Hybrid positions at BrightSpark require at least two days in the office per week. However, these days may change based on individual positions and department needs.
• BrightSpark Early Learning Services employees in all types of work positions (hybrid, community, etc.) must attend training, meetings, events, or other work commitments at various BrightSpark Early Learning Services office locations or off-site locations in Washington State, including the New Employee Orientation in Kent, Washington.

EQUAL EQUITY EMPLOYER:

BrightSpark Early Learning Services is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity among our staff. We strongly encourage people of color, immigrants and refugees, people from the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, and people from other historically marginalized groups to apply.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & QUESTIONS

• To learn more about BrightSpark Early Learning Services, please visit BrightSpark.org
• BrightSpark Early Learning Services is a grant-funded nonprofit organization. This and all positions are contingent on grant funding being in place and can end based on the expiration of funding.