Head Start Early Childhood Specialist - Region VIII

ICF seeks an experienced Early Childhood (EC) Specialist to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs to ensure high quality Head Start and Early Head Start services in accordance with federal regulations. The Early Childhood Specialist will provide training and technical assistance (TTA) to programs to support progress toward established school readiness goals, focusing on the use of child and program data to make decisions about approaches to working with teachers, home visitors, and parents in quality practices. The Specialist will provide professional-level expertise by engaging programs in dialogue and learning of best practices for children from birth to five and encourage a culture of learning that promotes school readiness.  

This position is home-based in one of the Region VIII states (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana) travel will be required to fulfill the requirements of the position in any of the regional states, Washington DC and other locations as required.

Key Responsibilities:

The Regional Early Childhood (EC) Specialist shall provide the following in-person or virtually as determined by the regional office. 

• Provide on-site, group or virtual TTA to grantees related to school readiness, family engagement, and professional development. 
• Provide TTA related to the selection and implementation of ongoing child assessment, curriculum, and teaching that is age, developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate across the birth to five spectrum. 
• Assist recipients to improve teacher/child interactions as described by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) for center-based preschool programs and other measures suitable for programs serving children from birth-to-five or children in home based and family childcare settings. 
• Assist recipients to develop the procedures and skills to aggregate, analyze, and use data obtained through multiple sources. 
• Assist recipients to implement a research-based coaching model. 
• Assist recipient to develop and implement family engagement practices that support family progress as described in the Parent Family and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework, including coaching of family engagement staff and selection and implementation of a parenting curriculum. 
• Assist recipient to strengthen birth-to-five transition practices, including building relationships with local preschools, elementary schools, and other partners. 
• Assist recipients to improve their collaboration with Local Education Agencies (LEAs), state agencies, and other partners. 
• Coordinate TTA with Grantee, Family Engagement, Health, and System Specialists to ensure effective integration of TTA across service areas, as directed by the Regional Office. 
• Maintain regular and timely communication with Regional Office staff on delivery of TTA and progress toward corrective actions …