Director- Early Learning Services ECR Programs

Description

Easterseals Head Start/Early Head Start provides high-quality, family-centered education for children birth to five years old. We collaborate with 40+ early childhood programs located in the city of Chicago and suburban Cook County to promote school readiness in young children of all abilities from families with incomes below poverty guidelines. Easterseals also directly operates two Early Learning Centers in Head Start/Early Head Start in Chicago and in Hickory Hills.

For more information about our organization, please visit us online tersealschicago.org.

The Director of ECR Programs for ELS provides expertise, oversight, training, and leadership to staff and to ELS programs in compliance with the Head Start Program Performance Standards and the Head Start Act with a focus on delivering high-quality services, maximizing enrollment, creating a people-focused culture, and allocating scarce resources effectively. This position oversees the budget of directly operated programs, ensuring that funds are fully used to achieve program goals and requirements, and ensures compliance of Easterseals' policies and procedures, laws, regulations, and contractual requirements.

The role works with the ELS Team to develop and monitor systems for communication, reporting, record-keeping, and self-assessment, and works collaboratively with the ELS leadership team to recommend changes in procedures and to prepare reports for funding agencies and governing bodies.

This position is located at the Easterseals Early Learning Services Headquarters at 1939 W. 13th Street, Chicago 60608.

• Work collaboratively with the ELS Team to develop plans and implement systems to ensure consistent, high-quality services at all directly operated early learning programs in accordance with all Head Start Program Performance Standards and other funding sources.
• Work with the ELS Team and the ELS Leadership team to facilitate program planning.
• Work with the ELS Leadership to develop an annual training calendar for staff/sites.
• Work with the ELS Leadership to set program goals and outcome metrics in collaboration with Easterseals leadership, the Policy Council, and the Board.
• Participate in periodic agency leadership meetings.
• Support the development and implementation of an Enrollment and Recruitment Plan to ensure that all sites/programs achieve and maintain full enrollment.
• Collaborate with the Finance team and VP of ECS to develop and submit an annual budget to be incorporated into the overall ELS program budget and approved by the Policy Council and Board of Directors.
• Review the financial performance and metrics monthly to ensure that the program is operating within an acceptable variance of the approved budget.
• Work with the ELS Team to develop and implement the School Readiness Plan.
• Collaborate with the ELS Team to develop memoranda of understanding with Local Education Agencies and linkage agreements with community organizations.
• Establish, cultivate, and expand relationships with DFSS, ISBE, OHS, and other potential community partners and funding sources.
• Work with the ELS Team to facilitate the self-assessment process and strategic planning for the program.
• Facilitate the monthly analysis of monitoring data with the leadership team, provide recommendations, and ensure that data is used to guide planning.
• Collaborate with the ELS Leadership to develop and implement a system for supporting children with behavioral concerns, including behavior assessment and intervention.
• Coordinate with assigned managers to obtain approvals for policies and procedures, and plans from the appropriate governing groups.
• Assist in developing the strategic plan for the early learning program.
• Participate in agency committees as assigned.

• Work with the ELS Leadership to develop and implement systems to ensure that all information is entered into Child Plus and Teaching Strategies GOLD in a timely manner, including education, disabilities, mental health, family services, and health.
• Review periodic leadership reports, including updates about PIR information, trainings, sites, and CLASS scores and work collaboratively with the ELS leadership team to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Work with the ELS Leadership to present quarterly reports on child outcomes to the Policy Council and Board of Directors.
• Complete the annual Program Information Report (PIR)
• Travel to program/sites regularly to build relationships and assess the effectiveness of operations.
• Prepare monthly reports in accordance with the Head Start Act for the Policy Council and the Board of Directors.
• Prepare reports for funding agencies, including grant applications, slot reallocation requests, and scope of services.
• Collaborate with the ELS Leadership to prepare the annual report for the public in accordance with the Head Start Act.
• Prepare management reports…