EARLY CHILDHOOD COORDINATOR JOB OVERVIEW
Early Steps to School SuccessTM
Early Childhood Coordinator Job Overview – USP | KR | SM| 2/20/24
Summary
The Early Childhood Coordinator (Coordinator) is responsible to implement the Early Steps
to School Success (ESSS) program to support pregnant families and kindergarten readiness
for children ages 0-5 years throughout the community through increased family and
community engagement in early learning.
Although this position is funded through a Save the Children sub grant, the Coordinator is
an employee of the school district and directly supervised by district staff. The ESSS Lead
Associate will act as the dotted line supervisor for the Coordinator and provide training,
technical assistance, and support regarding program implementation.
Essential Duties, Responsibilities, and Impact
Implementation of the ESSS program elements for Kinder Readiness, including:
• Recruit pregnant families and children ages birth -5 years and parents/caregivers
into the program.
• Plan and schedule regular program activities, include home visiting, parent-child
groups, toddler play groups, transition to school activities, and other programmatic
activities to support the development of strong parent-child relationships that
nurture early learning and language development.
• Provide regular home visits for enrolled families (twice monthly) using a Save the
Children approved home visiting curriculum.
• Organize and conduct regular (minimum of one per month) parent-child groups, in
the elementary school when possible and feasible.
• Conduct regular child developmental screening and family assessments at identified
intervals.
• Connect families to community resources and make referrals to community
providers for follow-up assessments, as needed.
• Participates in training and technical assistance activities including STC sponsored
group trainings, technical assistance site visits, monthly audio conference calls and
web-based resource sharing and training activities.
• Support access to early learning resources and materials, e.g., regular home library
or book exchange program.
• Provide information and supports to program participants on local kindergarten
readiness expectations, and support preschool and kindergarten transitions
through individual Family Conference meetings and group meetings.
Conduct ESSS program elements for community impact to increase the availability of and
access to early learning opportunities for families with young children throughout the
community through awareness, engagement and collaboration, including:
• Locally-driven efforts to strengthen early learning at home and in community
settings, e.g., awareness campaigns, mobile programming, community events,
kindergarten readiness local partnerships, etc.
EARLY CHILDHOOD COORDINATOR JOB OVERVIEW
Early Steps to School SuccessTM
Early Childhood Coordinator Job Overview – USP | KR | SM| 2/20/24
• Create/actively support efforts to promote home-school partnerships and facilitate
Kindergarten transition.
• Participate in early childhood community collaborative groups (when available)
and/or connect with other local community resources, coalitions and initiatives that
support overall kindergarten readiness and transition.
Participate in activities to support program implementation, professional development and
collaboration, including:
• Actively partner with the Kinder-Readiness Ambassador, Community Engagement
staff and other providers of early childhood services to integrate and sustain efforts
in the community.
• Participate in data collection and annual evaluation of the program.
Child Safeguarding:
• Collaborate with Save the Children’s Lead Associate to foster an understanding of
our child safeguarding policies through ongoing training and technical assistance.
• Ensure consistent reporting of child safeguarding risks and incidents; strong
methodology in the field for managing risks and following reporting protocols;
supplying proper documentation in support of incident reports as needed; and
collecting data on child safeguarding risks and efforts to mitigate risks in the
program environment.
• Make intentional, regular efforts to remain up-to-date on key local and state child-
welfare policies and reporting protocols.
• Follow all key local and state child-welfare policies and reporting protocols, as
provided by the Program Specialist.
• Complete all Save the Children required Child Safeguarding trainings.
Preferred Qualifications
• Highly motivated, flexible, individual who is eager to learn and able to work
independently.
• High school diploma, GED Equivalency, Associate degree in related field,
Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience
• Demonstrated knowledge of early childhood development, including infant-
toddler knowledge and family engagement
• Home Visiting experience
• Experience working with pregnant women and children ages birth to five, and
families in rural areas.
• Strengths-based and non-judgmental approach to engaging and working with
parents and caregivers.
• Strong cultural knowledge of the targeted communities and understanding of the
critical challenges and assets available to families in rural communities.
• Experience or demonstrated interest in leading parent-child groups, &/or
coordinating community-based activities
EARLY CHILDHOOD COORDINATOR JOB OVERVIEW
Early Steps to School SuccessTM
Early Childhood Coordinator Job Overview – USP | KR | SM| 2/20/24
• Competency with computers including previous experience with Windows
programming and use of the Internet (Ability to use social media is advantageous)
• Available and reliable vehicle, and willingness to travel locally for training and
program activities (mileage reimbursed)
• Willingness to travel regionally and nationally for training.
• Ability to keep and maintain accurate records.
• Willingness to collect data, participate in program evaluation activities, and comply
with child safeguarding and data protection requirements.
Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that
is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom Save the
Children is in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from
engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the
Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent
and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children
at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct
themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation. Any violations of
this policy will be treated as a serious issue.