Senior Food Security Coordinator; ECECD

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Job Title Senior Food Security Coordinator (ECECD #)

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Job Requirements & Classification

Description:

VISION:
All New Mexico families and young children are thriving.

MISSION:
Optimize the health, development, education, and well-being of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers through a family-driven, equitable, community-based system of high-quality prenatal and early childhood programs and services.

The Early Childhood Education and Care Department was established on July 1, 2020. The Department's aim is to create a more cohesive, equitable, and effective early childhood system in New Mexico. That means coordinating a continuum of programs from prenatal to five and ensuring that families in every corner of the state can access the services they need.

Interviews will be conducted within two weeks of closing date.

The Farm to Preschool Coordinator administers four state funded grants which provide enhancements for organizations participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program. The grants include NM Grown, Expansion and Enhancement, Scratch Cooking Incentive and the Food Security Bridge Grant. The NM Grown grant enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by encouraging local food purchasing and educating care providers about sourcing food products from farmer's markets and food hubs.

Program participants receive reimbursement for purchasing healthy, local foods as well gaining education opportunities such as on-site gardening, cooking lessons and farm field trips. Farm to Preschool encourages caregivers to make informed food choices about locally grown foods while strengthening the local economy and contributing to vibrant communities. This includes coordinating the development of a preschool nutrition program and developing a statewide nutrition education curriculum for childcare centers, Head Start programs, before and after school programs and senior/adult care service providers to further their understanding of the benefits of the Farm to Preschool Program and its important work across the State of New Mexico.

The Expansion and Enhancement Grant provide funding for increasing program outreach for At Risk and Summer Food operators to improve program coverage throughout the state. The Scratch Cooking Incentive Grant provides funding to encourage organizations to prepare healthier made from scratch meals and regularly incorporate fresh vegetables and fruit into their menus. The food security bridge grant is available to child care centers to provide additional food to children in their care whose families are impacted by food insecurity issues.

This position coordinates grant opportunity notification, awarding of funding and processing of requests for reimbursement.

This position will work with an inter-agency team of program coordinators and support partners to continue the development of a uniform program across the Aging and Long-Term Services Department ( ALTSD), Public Education Department (PED), and Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD), including the administration of state appropriated monies, on-boarding, verifying approval of farmers, and setting up training and professional development sessions for providers.

The incumbent will be expected to develop technical assistance manuals, memos and tracking devices to ensure compliance with program expectations. The position will oversee all aspects of the program, including curriculum development, evaluation, daily operations, and administration. Incumbent will recruit and develop relationships with local farmers and oversee the creation of program related education materials. Coordinate and implement the development of a preschool service level nutrition curriculum and develop statewide nutrition education for childcare, Pre-K, Head Start, before and after school programs, school food service authorities and senior/adult daycare service providers in order to increase consumption of fresh, local New Mexico produce and agricultural products.

The food security coordinator will also provide technical assistance to programs that are having difficulties with meeting the requirements, procuring locally grown products, or locating farmers. This position will also assist with the process of helping providers prepare scratch cooked meals and complete reviews for verification of compliance…