Head Start Health Specialist

Head Start Health Specialist

Since 1966, the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) has been dedicated to providing innovative, high-quality, and cost‑effective educational programs and services to meet the diverse needs of children and adults in Greater Hartford. Serving 33 member districts and reaching additional communities statewide, CREC supports approximately 12,000 students annually through more than 120 educational programs. Our offerings include professional learning and coaching for educators, specialized programming for students with diverse needs, and PreK‑12 education across 16 interdistrict magnet schools.

Additionally, CREC provides school construction, operations, and cooperative business services, while also delivering programs that help adults build real, job‑ready skills.

Under the direction of the Assistant Director of Program Services, the Head Start Health Specialist supports the preventative and ongoing health, nutrition and dental care of the children in Head Start and Early Head Start. The Health Specialist monitors documentation of children’s preventive health care, including dental exams, physical examinations, screenings and immunizations. They are responsible for the direction, planning, organization and management of health services, monitor the implementation of state and federal health and safety requirements described in the Head Start Program Performance Standards, provide student, parent and staff education in health and safety practices, supervise the Nutrition Coordinator, and oversee content implementation.

• Manage all Head Start and Early Head Start requirements in the areas of health and safety, including the implementation of Nutrition services performed by the Nutrition Coordinator.
• Ensure compliance with local, state and federal requirements relating to health, safety and nutrition as outlined in the Head Start Program Performance Standards.
• Ensure each Early Head Start and Head Start child is up‑to‑date on a schedule of age‑appropriate preventive and primary medical and oral health care, based on the Well‑Child visits and dental periodicity schedules prescribed by the EPSDT program for the State of CT.
• Coordinate and oversee the development and implementation of individual health and nutrition plans for children.
• Review the medical history of every child applicant to plan appropriate services and provide clearance to enroll using the Child Plus database.
• Attend pre‑start meetings of children with medical or nutritional support, as needed.
• Serve as liaison to CREC Health Services regarding health and nutrition plans and services.
• In partnership with the Family Services Team, ensure each family identifies a medical and dental home during enrollment and provide resources to families in need.
• Ensure each child’s file includes documented medical and dental history and signed parental consent forms.
• Perform, monitor and record required health screenings on each child.
• Maintain vital statistics, up‑to‑date records and reports regarding health services to children.
• Conduct regular health and sanitation inspections; monitor the physical environment of Head Start locations.
• Maintain health supply inventory, purchase items needed and arrange for health and dental services from third parties.
• Ensure the program maintains compliance with all CACFP requirements.
• Plan and organize first aid training, medication administration, epi‑pen training and CPR certification for all staff.
• Work with community representatives in planning and implementing a Health Services Advisory Committee.
• Oversee the administration of any prescribed medication given at school.
• Monitor health practices in the classroom (tooth brushing, hand washing, etc.).
• Send information on communicable diseases to parents and advise parents and staff when they have been exposed to a communicable disease.
• Provide training and resources on health and nutrition subjects.
• Conduct periodic observations of health and nutrition education components in the classroom and provide direction for improving their delivery.
• Ensure health posters and visual aids are available to teachers and parents.
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