Smart Start - Child Development Consultant

General Information

Organization Overview

Smart Start of Mecklenburg County (Smart Start or SSMC) is a Charlotte-based non-profit that funds local programs for children ages birth to five and their families. The organization is a catalyst for improving the lives of the 85,000+ young children in our community, with a focus on health, family, early education, and literacy. We mobilize resources and forge partnerships to support evidence-based policies, practices, and programs to ensure all children enter kindergarten healthy and ready to succeed.

Smart Start has a budget of over $30 million comprised of funding from the state of North Carolina, Mecklenburg County, and private donations and grants. SSMC funds approximately 25 programs annually serving over 25,000 young children and their families and administers Mecklenburg County's MECK Pre-K program, which provides free Pre-K to children in the community. SSMC also operates programs and campaigns internally, including Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Guiding Parents to Services, and The Basics Mecklenburg. The organization is also the leader in research, data, convening and collaborating on issues related to children 0-5 in the Greater Charlotte area.

Position Summary

The MECK Pre-K (MPK) Child Development Consultant works with the MPK Assistant Director and the Mecklenburg County social worker assigned to MPK to deliver supportive services to the children, families, teachers, and site providers of MPK in ways aligned with county and state standards and policies. This position is a resource for MPK sites and families, providing appropriate communications, materials, consultations, and referrals to ensure that program services meet MPK policies and requirements for best practices. Specifically, the role ensures the implementation of meaningful family-provider-program partnerships and provides support for teachers needing extra help understanding and serving individual children in the classroom, leading to the success of all children and their families. The MPK Child Development Consultant may also collaborate with community agencies and State Consultants (CMS, DSS, NC Pre-K, Prevent Child Abuse NC) to ensure consistent support and implementation of services aligned with State policies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Support to MECK Pre-K students, families, teachers and program providers

• Works with MPK Leadership Team to develop and enforce a County level parent/family engagement and support policy.
• Operates as a team member, including meeting and conferring regularly, with Registration and Intake Specialists and Success Coaches to ensure swift and comprehensive service to children, families, teachers, and site providers
• Inspires, models, and sets a high standard of excellence in practice by supporting MPK families and center staff in implementing child & family-centered services according to State and MPK Program policies and procedures.
• Eliminates barriers (e.g. language, disabilities) so that all parents and families may be engaged with MPK during their child's enrollment and meet engagement requirements
• Establishes and maintains a cooperative working relationship with MPK families, center leaders, and community partners, ensuring open lines of communication and timely exchange of information.
• Provides support through coaching and technical assistance to the MPK teaching teams and assists teachers and site providers in promoting social-emotional development and family support.
• Curates, distributes, maintains, and regularly updates resources (equipment, print, and web-based information, etc.) for parents and center staff on topics impacting social-emotional development and family support
• Serves as liaison between the MPK program, teachers/site providers, families, and Mecklenburg County social worker to facilitate the process of referrals and procuring needed services for children and families
• Observes, assists, and trains MPK teachers in positive classroom guidance to increase the frequency of desirable behaviors and decrease the frequency of undesirable behaviors in both social and academic settings.
• Shares positive guidance techniques with families to support parenting skills and reinforce practices used in classrooms.
• Helps teachers and site providers identify and modify behaviors and classroom/center practices that negatively affect smooth functioning of the MPK program.
• Seeks consultation from others on MPK Team and/or external agencies (with guidance form the MPK Team) for help in understanding program practices (e.g. Creative Curriculum, TS Gold Assessment, NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development, etc.)
• Works with Success Coaches to guide teachers in implementing evidence-based practices for addressing the needs of children with unique learning needs or challenges
• Participates in IEP meetings scheduled between the site administrators, classroom teacher, parent, MPK staff, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools staff, as needed.
• Participates in the assessment of support needs of MPK teachers, administrators, and families through survey development, deployment, and analysis of responses. Based on survey results, provides recommendations to leadership for immediate or future changes in the areas of support (in processes, requirements, materials, PD)

Professional Development, Data & Reporting

• Attends required Professional Development (PD) for MPK teachers and site providers as well as for internal staff.
• Works collaboratively with others on MPK Team members to deliver professional development opportunities that support teachers' and providers' needs related to promoting social-emotional development and family support.
• Assists the Mecklenburg County social worker in developing and maintaining all forms and databases for MPK Support Services (including child observation, documentation of services rendered, resources provided to teaching staff, goals set for teaching staff based on observation and outcomes, etc.)
• Generates/interprets reports for the MPK leadership and relevant stakeholders as needed.
• Works with Registration and Intake Specialists to review records of children's attendance and tardy barriers to assess a need for intervention.

Internal & External Communication

• Demonstrates proficiency/fluency with database management and Microsoft Office Suite software systems (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, & Outlook)
• Exhibits effective oral and written communication skills with internal and external clients.
• Maintains documentation of all support service activities (coaching, technical assistant provided, resources, training, consultation, family visits/interventions, referrals, etc.) in central database
• Offers feedback and recommends additional support to MPK leadership and team to promote positive social-emotional development for MPK children and families and inform regarding specific challenges or trends observed across MPK classrooms as needed.

Education, Experience, and Other Job Functions Education and Experience Required for Position

• Minimum of BA/BS degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Child Psychology, or related field
• Three years of successful experience in a professional setting providing direct services to young children and families.
• Additional two years of increasingly responsible and progressive administrative leadership experience in early education programs, including direct experience with families combined with training, consulting, or providing TA to staff is desired.
• Equivalent education and experience may be considered.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel, and reach with hands and arms. Specific vision abilities required; include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time exempt position, with a high degree of flexibility, including remote work opportunities. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

Location & Travel

This position is based in Charlotte, NC, with a minor amount of travel. Travel is primarily local during the business day to MECK Pre-K programs, although some out-of-the-area and overnight travel may be expected. May work in shared office space.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.