Assistant Director of Child Health & Wellness

Start Early is an energized, future-focused organization devoted to providing quality early learning and care across the country.

Our desire to close the opportunity gap and build more equitable early learning experiences for our youngest learners guides everything we do. As a leader in early learning and care, we scale our deep expertise across program, policy and research through partnerships across the country.

We are recruiting individuals who want to join us in this mission and share a commitment to our core values of appreciation & respect, empowerment, diversity, excellence, learning and communication.

Become part of our rewarding, mission-driven culture! We want our employees to feel empowered, motivated, energized, and passionate about the work they do!

Under the direction of the Early/Head Start Deputy Director, the Assistant Director of Child Health and Wellness is responsible for overseeing all systems of children’s health and wellness within the Early Head Start Network (EHSN), including medical and oral health screenings, mental health support, nutrition, and environmental safety ensuring compliance with Early/Head regulations. The Assistant Director of Health and Wellness ensures that all state, local, and federal health, nutrition, and safety requirements described in the Head Start Performance Standards, Child and Adult Care Food Program, state childcare regulations, and local goals and objectives are maintained. The Assistant Director supervises Health and Wellness managers and is the primary liaison to one- three sub-recipients.

Reporting to the Deputy Director, EHSN:

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Monitoring: Provides oversight to all of the Head Start and Early Head Start requirements in health, safety, and nutrition, including the reporting and documentation requirements. Ensures the health, mental health, environmental safety, and nutritional required activities of the directly operated, sub-recipients, and partner programs are conducted.
• Operations: Conducts the design, planning, and development of policies and operational procedures for health and wellness to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local guidelines and regulations. Designs policies and procedures to ensure all facilities where EHSN children are served meet licensing requirements. Ensures facilities are designed to prevent child injury.
• Process Improvement: Ensures the development and implementation of systems by providing ongoing training, oversight, correction, and continuous improvement. Reviews health and wellness data, analyze trends, and generates reports to monitor the effectiveness of health, mental health, nutrition, and environmental safety approaches.
• Collaboration: Works in cooperation with Deputy Director, Assistant Directors and EHSN Managers to ensure the integration of service area delivery and provide a cohesive flow of integrated information across teams and for the recipient’s programs.
• Coaching and Supervision: Supervises and communicates with EHSN Health and Wellness Managers to provide regular leadership, feedback, and service area evaluations. Creates a system of ongoing communication, program improvement, and development.
• Sub-recipient Liaison: Acts as the primary liaison to 1-3 sub-recipients by assisting in program planning, identifying resources, assessing training needs, building organizational capacity and monitoring program progress.
• Community Engagement and governance: Organizes and conducts no less than two Mental Health and Health Advisory Committee meetings each year. Contacts professionals to serve on the committee.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  
  

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, AND EDUCATION:

Education: Master’s degree in public health, health education, nursing, or a related field.

Related Experience:

• Seven to 10 years of experience working with health-related issues in the field of early childhood education with progressing experience.
• Knowledge of child development, health, and wellness issues common in early childhood settings and community health resources.
• Knowledge of the Early/Head Start performance standards, and the Head Start Act.
• Have a solid understanding of Early/Head Start and Home-Based programs and be familiar with Family Child Care Homes.
  
  

Training or Competency:

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with parents, staff, and health care providers that come from varying backgrounds.
• Ability to build positive team culture and coach staff to meet goals and evaluate job performance against role capabilities and identify professional development needs.
• Ability to supervise and manage staff effectively with guidelines to ensure the effective implementation of an agency’s policies and mandates.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.
  
  

Base Annual Salary: $103,575.00-$115,000.00

Grade: 18

As of the time of this posting, this is the expected base annual salary range. The base annual salary will be based on a wide range of factors, including skills, qualifications, experience, as well as business needs and limitations.

Our generous benefits plan includes:

Comprehensive Health Plans, Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Holistic Wellness Program, Professional Development Program, 401k Contribution, Paid Volunteer Days, 6 months paid parental leave, and much more.

Start Early is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to our core values by creating an inclusive environment for all staff.