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Form of workFort Washington Armory (216 Fort Washington Ave) $65000 - $68000 / year Position Summary: The Early Childhood Nutrition Specialist at Children's Aid is a is a collaborative position that works closely with both the Health and Wellness Division and Early Childhood Division. They are a key liaison between Health and Wellness's Go!Healthy team and Early Childhood to provide a seamless connection of nutrition services and supports for families of young children. This unique role offers the opportunity to build personal connections with families enrolled in Children's Aid Early Childhood in group education settings and one-on-one with families to impact community health outcomes.
The ideal candidate will be a bilingual educator (English/Spanish) who is passionate about promoting health equity for families of young children in the vibrant neighborhoods of Harlem, Washington Heights, south Bronx, and northern Staten Island. The Nutrition Specialist will work under the dual supervision of the Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition Programs (Go!Healthy) and the Regional Family Services Director (Early Childhood). This is a hybrid work position that will include leading in-person group nutrition education and cooking workshops at Early Childhood centers, and providing additional one-on-one support to families either in-person or remotely via phone or Zoom.
Children's Aid is seeking an individual who enjoys innovating to find creative approaches to healthy eating barriers, with the support of a collaborative, energetic, and hardworking team that is committed to providing solutions to children and their families. About Go!Healthy and Early Childhood at Children's Aid: The Nutrition Specialist will work with a team of dedicated community health advocates as part of Go!Healthy's SNAP-Ed program. SNAP-Ed is a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention program, which aims to improve eating habits and physical activity behaviors among the youth and families served by Children's Aid.
Go!Healthy nutrition educators utilize SNAP-Ed approved curricula to implement nutrition education workshops, as well as other initiatives, at Children's Aid sites including Early Childhood centers. Children's Aid's Early Childhood Division is founded on the belief that strong communities are built by children and families who have the access, skills, and choice to create pathways to their success. The goal of nutrition health services in Early Childhood programs is to collaborate with families to promote children's health and well-being by providing nutrition education, support services, and community resources and referrals.
Responsibilities: Go!Healthy SNAP-Ed Programming Implement nutrition education and cooking workshops utilizing SNAP-Ed curricula and adapting it for Early Childhood families as needed. Teach group series and sessions in the classroom and at farmers markets. Serve as a point person for Go!Healthy initiatives for the Early Childhood Division.
Connect families to Go!Healthy including SNAP-Ed programming such as fresh food distributions (Food Box Program) and the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription program. Act as a community health and wellness advocate by being available and willing to answer families' questions, facilitate discussions during nutrition workshops, and modeling healthy eating within the community. Research nutrition and healthy eating behaviors as they relate to families with young children in order to create meaningful education materials for workshops; share information as necessary with Go!Healthy staff.
Coordinate and collaborate with the Go!Healthy team through participation in team meetings, facilitating information sessions and workshops, and generally supporting the Go!Healthy mission. Early Childhood Health Services Provide one-on-one and group sessions for families who request or require additional support to help promote their child's well-being as it related to nutrition. Assist in the development of an Individual Health Care Plan for each child with an identified nutritional concern.
Work in collaboration with the Early Childhood Heath Services team to enhance family life practices and circumstances that promote child health and well-being across Children's Aid's nine Early Childhood sites. Build a foundation of trust and collaboration with Early Childhood site staff, including teachers, family advocates, and home-based educators. Bring a culturally responsive and trauma-informed approach to working with families.
Collaborate with Early Childhood Staff & Health Services Advisory Committee in meetings. Contribute evidence-based suggestions regarding nutrition services, health trends, and other information as necessary for Staff & Family Health Manuals aligned with DOHMH Article 47, CACFP, and HSPPS. Prepare required data and reports.
Qualifications: Education (Associates Degree or above) in nutrition, dietetics, community and behavioral health, health education, public health, or nursing. Master's level education is a plus. Minimum three years of experience in nutrition education for children aged 0-5 years and their families.
Bilingual (written and oral) in English and Spanish is required. Dynamic educator who can captivate an audience both in small groups and one-on one-settings including in-person, virtual and phone-based. Comfortable performing cold call activities such as patient outreach.
Excited about supporting Children's Aid's Early Childhood sites in meeting or exceeding the Head Start Performance Standards in Health Program Services by building responsive, trusting relationships with families and providing necessary resources that address children's nutritional concerns. Cultural sensitivity to health- and food-related outcomes; utilizes a weight-inclusive and trauma-informed approach to nutrition counseling. Deep understanding of food's intersections with health equity, including common barriers to healthy eating.
