Early Childhood Community Partnership Liaison

Early Childhood Community Partnership Liaison

The Early Childhood Community Partnership Liaison plays a critical role in the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI). This initiative and position supports a mixed-delivery preschool system by coordinating across public schools, Head Start programs, community partners, and private providers to ensure families have access to flexible, high-quality early education that meets their individual needs. Serving as a key connector between schools, community-based programs, and families, the Liaison helps ensure a seamless preschool experience for every child in Chicopee.

The primary objective of the Liaison is to strengthen parent and family engagement across Chicopee Public Schools and community partners. By fostering effective communication between home and school and expanding community outreach and training opportunities, the Liaison works to enhance student academic outcomes. This role is dedicated to reducing barriers, promoting equity, and empowering families with the resources, information, and personalized support needed to ensure all children in Chicopee are prepared for kindergarten.

Essential duties and responsibilities include:

• Family Advocacy & Navigation:
  Serve as a point of contact for families exploring early education; provide hands-on assistance with applications, enrollment, and specialized knowledge of special education services.
• Outreach & Relationship Building:
  Conduct active outreach via phone calls, home visits, and community meetings to welcome new families, build trust, and engage those not currently connected to early education services.
• Strategic
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Partner with the CFCE Coordinator, Family Engagement Specialists, and Principals/Directors to align frameworks (CPPI, CFCE, ESSA) and develop a unified family engagement plan.
• Information & Resource Management:
  Assist with the development of a centralized website hub and maintain physical family resource centers to provide clear, accessible information on district and community programs.
• Transition & Readiness Support:
  Create and distribute toolkits, messaging, and resources to support smooth transitions between early childhood programs and kindergarten.
• Event Coordination &
  
  Education:
  
  Plan and execute family engagement nights, open houses, parent education sessions, and workshops focused on school readiness and the importance of family involvement.
• Barrier Reduction & Equity:
  Identify and address obstacles to access, ensuring communication is delivered in understandable terms and languages to promote equitable participation for all Chicopee families.
• Climate & Communication:
  Work with school leadership to foster a safe, welcoming, and respectful school climate where families feel empowered to voice concerns and participate in their child's education.
• Data & Feedback Integration:
  Design and implement surveys and feedback loops to gather meaningful data on family needs, using these insights to drive program improvements.
• Program Support & Compliance:
  Assist with before/after-school and summer enrichment programs; ensure all activities meet federal Family Involvement Policy (ESSA) standards and perform other duties as assigned.

Required minimum qualifications include:

• Associates Degree or equivalent experience is required.
• Prior experience or equivalent training in a school, early education, or community agency setting is highly desired.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing in English and in a second language. (Spanish, Arabic, or other prevalent language preferred)
• Strong interpersonal skills, must be able to communicate, interact and work effectively and cooperatively with all people including those from diverse ethnic, cultural, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Ability to relate to and work with a variety of constituencies including but not limited to: administrators, teachers, other school staff members, families, students, visitors, and community and social service agencies.
• Ability to work weekend and evening hours as needed.
• Familiarity with computers and computer software programs, particularly Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
• Ability to maintain accurate records.
• Ability to work well as part of a team.
• Must maintain confidentiality.
• Self-motivated, flexible, and well organized.
• Detail oriented with analytical and problem solving skills, along with customer service abilities and other related characteristics.

ADA and minimum qualifications to perform essential job functions include:

• Physical Requirements:
  
  Must be physically able to operate a variety of equipment including computers, copiers, adding machines, etc. Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Must be able to stand, crouch and bend over for a long period of time at intervals throughout the day.
• Data Conception:
  Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the…