Head Start Early Childhood Specialist - Region VIII

ICF seeks an experienced Early Childhood (EC) Specialist to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs to ensure high quality Head Start and Early Head Start services in accordance with federal regulations. The Early Childhood Specialist will provide training and technical assistance (TTA) to programs to support progress toward established school readiness goals, focusing on the use of child and program data to make decisions about approaches to working with teachers, home visitors, and parents in quality practices. The Specialist will provide professional-level expertise by engaging programs in dialogue and learning of best practices for children from birth to five and encourage a culture of learning that promotes school readiness.

This position is home-based in one of the Region VIII states (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana) travel will be required to fulfill the requirements of the position in any of the regional states, Washington DC and other locations as required.

Key Responsibilities :

The Regional Early Childhood (EC) Specialist shall provide the following in-person or virtually as determined by the regional office.

• Provide on-site, group or virtual TTA to grantees related to school readiness, family engagement, and professional development.
• Provide TTA related to the selection and implementation of ongoing child assessment, curriculum, and teaching that is age, developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate across the birth to five spectrum.
• Assist recipients to improve teacher / child interactions as described by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) for center-based preschool programs and other measures suitable for programs serving children from birth-to-five or children in home based and family childcare settings.
• Assist recipients to develop the procedures and skills to aggregate, analyze, and use data obtained through multiple sources.
• Assist recipients to implement a research-based coaching model.
• Assist recipient to develop and implement family engagement practices that support family progress as described in the Parent Family and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework, including coaching of family engagement staff and selection and implementation of a parenting curriculum.
• Assist recipient to strengthen birth-to-five transition practices, including building relationships with local preschools, elementary schools, and other partners.
• Assist recipients to improve their collaboration with Local Education Agencies (LEAs), state agencies, and other partners.
• Coordinate TTA with Grantee, Family Engagement, Health, and System Specialists to ensure effective integration of TTA across service areas, as directed by the Regional Office.
• Maintain regular and timely communication with Regional Office staff on delivery of TTA and progress toward corrective actions or quality improvement.
• Support emerging OHS initiatives and priorities.

Basic Qualifications :

The Early Childhood Specialist shall have :

Preferred Experience / Skills :

Professional Skills :

Working at ICF

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Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but not limited to, for disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation please email Candidateaccommodation@icf.com and we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations. Read more here : Requesting an Accommodation for the ICF interview process.

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Candidate AI Usage Policy

At ICF, we are committed to ensuring a fair and equitable interview process for all candidates based on their own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is not permitted. This policy is in place to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the interview process.

However, we understand that some candidates may require accommodations that involve the use of AI. If such an accommodation is needed, candidates are instructed to contact us in advance at candidateaccommodation@icf.com. We are dedicated to providing the necessary support to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed.

Pay Range - There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position.

The pay range for this position based on full-time employment is :

67,020.00 - $113,934.00

Nationwide Remote Office (US99)

Salary : $67,020 - $113,934