Director, Family Child Care Support

Description:

Position Summary: New York City’s Pre-K for All program provides a full-day, high-quality, free preschool program to every four-year-old in New York City. The NYC Department of Education’s Division of Early Childhood Education (DECE) administers Pre-K for All programs for nearly 70,000 NYC students in public elementary schools and New York City Early Education Centers (NYCEECs).  DECE provides families access to high-quality early childhood options that prepare their children for academic success and the skills to lead a successful life. Working together with families and programs, DECE ensures that children are engaged, nurtured, and supported with the tools needed to develop into independent learners and creative problem-solvers.

New York City is committed to creating a strong continuum of early care and education from birth through five-years-old. To achieve this goal, the City is working to integrate all contracted early care and education for children from 6 weeks to 5 years old into DECE by the spring of 2019, with the goal of creating a strong, seamless system of support and services for New York City’s youngest children and their families. The EarlyLearn program, which will be moving from the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to the NYCDOE, currently serves over 30,000 children in Head Start and Child Care programs, including center-based and home-based settings. Family Child Care Networks (FCCN) are an integral part of the EarlyLearn contracted care system. On average, there are anywhere from 1,500 to 1,700 providers in the system, connected to one of 30 FCCNs. The majority of children enrolled in FCCNs receive care in group family day care settings – DOHMH home-based licensed care for 7-16 children. There are currently over 7,500 children in FCCNs, and infants and toddlers comprise the majority of children in this form of care, 1,500 and close to 4,000, respectively. The person hired into this role will plan and implement curricula, coaching supports, and professional learning for family child care providers, in partnership with FCCNs.

The Director will lead engagement with key internal and external stakeholders. Additionally, the Director will make strategic policy decisions on how to best meet the needs of Family Child Care Networks and providers, and manage a team of individuals to implement this support. Performs related work.

Reports to: Senior Executive Director, Performance and Program Management

Direct Reports: Coordinators, TBD

Key Relationships: FCCN staff, DECE Senior Executive Directors, DECE Executive Directors, DECE Field Offices, other central DOE offices, New York City Early Education Centers (NYCEECs), and Administration for Children’s Services staff.

Responsibilities:

Policy Development

• Oversees the system-wide strategy for integration and support of Family Child Care Networks, and makes key policy decisions regarding FCCNs and any related pilots, in collaboration with the Senior Executive Director.
• Provides policy-level expertise, based on the needs of FCCNs for appropriate supports for curriculum, coaching, and professional learning for children in birth-5 settings.
• Leads the development of curriculum, coaching supports, and professional learning for the FCCNs; creates and oversees implementation plans.
• Develops accountability protocols that will be standardized across networks for coaching supports and professional learning models.
• Builds a collaborative, open, high-achieving team culture focused on developing strong relationships with programs and getting results.
• Serves as primary contact for FCCNs during the transition of the EarlyLearn program to the NYCDOE.
• Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders on the development of materials that align with the Division of Early Childhood vision for birth-5 programming.
• Prepares presentations for the Deputy Chancellor, City Hall, and other key internal and external constituents regarding transition efforts.
• Researches and presents best practices with an understanding of the regulatory frame for Family Child Care services in NYC.

Implementation

• Oversees engagement efforts with Family Child Care Networks, policy experts, advocates, and researchers related to Family Child Care support.
• Supports Policy and Program Management team in RFP for Family Child Care Networks in upcoming contracting cycles.
• Makes policy and operational decisions as part of strategic planning efforts, and works with internal program office and City agencies to meet project timelines.
• Supports the creation of new policies related to Family Child Care Networks for inclusion in policy handbook.
• Supervises a team of individuals providing direct support to Family Child Care Networks and their providers, including implementation of professional learning opportunities and training for staff.
• Develops a performance management system to evaluate staff and provide supports and resources as needed.
• Works with the DECE team to ensure all program components, developmentally appropriate standards-based instruction, heath, social services, continuity, community/parent involvement, and professional development are implemented according to contract.

Qualifications: