Health, Nutrition, and Safety Manager

SUMMARY:

Educare Lincoln is a collaborative partnership between the Lincoln Public Schools (LPS), University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL), Early Head Start (EHS), and the Buffett Early Childhood Fund. The mission of Educare Lincoln is to help young children thrive socially, emotionally, and academically through high-quality early childhood education, and in partnership with their families and the community.  The EHS program (ages 6 weeks to 3 years) and the preschool program (ages 3 years to 5 years) promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of evidence-based education, health, nutritional, social, and other services to enrolled children and their families.

The Health, Nutrition, and Safety Manager brings extensive knowledge of health coordination for individual children and youth programs, providing oversight and coordination of health services within Educare Lincoln and our Early Head Start program.  They also assist the program team in ensuring adherence to all Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and state and local licensing requirements. The Health, Nutrition and Safety Manager develops programs and process improvements to ensure that child and family health needs are met in a routine and consistent manner.   

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND KEY TASKS:

• Direct and oversee the process of ensuring individual health plans for children are developed and updated as needed. 
• Develop, evaluate, and edit policies, programs, and process improvement plans for health, safety, and nutrition services.
• Ensure ongoing outreach and coordination of services with community partners in an effort to streamline all health/safety and nutrition services, in accordance to all applicable regulating entities.
• Work alongside the Health Services Coordinator, other key staff, and Educare parents to ensure the best and least restrictive environments are implemented for children.
• Provide supervision to staff in areas of health, safety, and nutrition.
• Collaborate with other key staff to ensure children and families have access to mental health and behavioral health services.
• Coordinate with Lincoln Public School’s Dietician Consultant, Food Services Coordinator, and parents to make alternate menu recommendations in accordance with CACFP requirements.
• Utilize a strength-based, culturally, and linguistically diverse approach to assist children and families in accessing health, nutrition, and mental health/disability services.
• Monitor and maintain documentation of health/safety practices and food service delivery.
• Ensure HSPPS, USDA, Licensing, CACFP, Health Department, and other associated compliance regulations are consistently met.
• Be the back-up point of contact for on-site regulatory inspections or audits related to health, safety, and nutrition services.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Services, Public Health, Child Development, or other healthcare-related field required; master’s preferred.
• Two or more years working in health services delivery or coordination required.
• One or more years of supervisory experience required.
• Three or more years of experience in Early Head Start or Head Start preferred.
• Must be able to pass a background check that meets compliance standards.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS / ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Ability to look across systems in search of trends, anomalies, or areas of concern.
• Mission-driven with a commitment to making high-quality early care and education available to all children.
• Knowledge of, or willingness to learn, principles and best practices of ECE.
• Knowledge of, or willingness to learn, EHS and HSPPS.
• Knowledge of childcare state licensing requirements.
• Knowledge of basic principles and practices of staff supervision.
• Ability to lead an interdisciplinary team of professionals.
• Ability to utilize and provide reflective supervision.
• Ability to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, in a manner that demonstrates and fosters cooperation, respect, compassion, and empathy.
• Ability to establish supportive relationships with staff and families from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to manage time and multiple priorities.
• Proficiency in Google Suite products (Docs, Sheets, Google Drive, Gmail) and other forms of technology, utilizing basic office equipment.
• Ability to lift, carry, and move center/classroom equipment and supplies weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Valid driver’s license and automobile insurance required.