Early Care and Education Mentor

*Our Mission* Baby TALK’s mission is to positively impact child development by nurturing healthy and responsive relationships during the critical early years.
*Job Summary* The Early Care and Education Mentor assists the Early Care and Education Manager in the day-to-day operations of Baby TALK’s center-based programming for children ages 6 weeks to 3 years of age.
The Early Care and Education Mentor helps parents, staff, and others implement a developmental and culturally appropriate education program.
Provides guidance, resources, and support to enrolled families and to the Early Care and Education staff who work directly with enrolled children.
The Early Care and Education Mentor maintains appropriate records and data in accordance with Head Start Performance Standards and Prevention Initiative guidelines.
*Essential Functions* * Provide family support to up to 32 center-based families * Conduct bi-weekly or monthly home visits with enrolled families depending on families’ need * Use the Family Resource Assessment to identify areas of support needed for each enrolled family * Maintain and regularly update the Baby TALK Individual Family Goal Plan for each enrolled family * Collaborate with community organizations to provide opportunities for enrolled families to meet their goals * Ensures case files and documentation are completed and maintained in accordance with Head Start Performance Standards and Prevention Initiative guidelines * Work in tandem with classroom teachers to ensure comprehensive, wrap-around services for families to include child development services and social services * Track children and staff daily attendance and collaborate with Manager on daily staffing and break schedules * Assist in all areas of staffing for housekeeping, classrooms, etc.
* Organize and maintain a stock of assigned classrooms necessities (diapers, wipes, gloves, etc) * File classroom cleaning logs weekly and file accident and biting logs as needed.
* Assist with meal and snack carts checks (temps, allergens, expiration dates, etc) before carts are delivered to classrooms.
* Maintain a positive, productive, and collaborative relationships with children, staff, families, collaborative partners: kitchen, delivery services, volunteers, Empowerment staff, and outsourced service providers including but not limited to Early Intervention Therapists.
* Ensure that all/most strict guidelines and licensing standards are met and maintained for Baby TALK Early Head Start, DCFS, ITERS, Prevention Initiative, and CACFP.
* Come alongside staff in the classrooms to educate through modeling best practices for education, care, and environment.
* Provide staff with restroom breaks, mental health breaks and lunch breaks.
* Provide staff with support, resources, and education through modeling challenging behaviors in the classrooms and Conscious Discipline.
* Provide staff with support, resources, and education through modeling Family Style Dining.
* Provide staff with support, resources, and education with Teaching Strategies GOLD, Child Plus, the Baby TALK Way and Core Training Strategies.
* Perform other work related or assigned duties * Actively participate in staff meetings and twice monthly reflective supervision meetings with direct supervisor * Assist in the planning and implementation of family events and parent meetings * Meet the requirement of 20 hours of training for each calendar year.
*Requirements * *Education and Job Requirements* Associates degree and minimum of 3 years working in a Baby TALK classroom or 5 years or more in a 0-3 early childhood education classroom.
Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Early Head Start experience and DCFS Teacher qualified preferred or willingness to gain qualified status within the first year of employment.
Experience and training in DCFS center-based programming, home visiting, Prevention Initiative and Early Head Start experience preferred.
Ability to interact positively with program participants, agency representatives, and the community-at-large.
*Other Job Requirements* * Effective written and verbal communication skills, decision-making skills, time and stress management skills, organizational skills.
* Demonstrated knowledge of Head Start and ISBE Prevention Initiative systems or a willingness to learn.
* Ability to work cooperatively with supervisor, peers, and subordinates.
* Possess current First Aid and CPR cards with infant/child CPR or a willingness to complete.
* Must complete Food Service Manager Certificate within 1 year of hire date.
* Ability to manage time and multitask in an environment with many distractions.
* Flexibility with daily routines and lunch breaks for staff * Ability to travel occasionally.
* Ability to pass agency sponsored physical examination.
* This position is an authorized driver and must possess own vehicle, current driver’s license, good driving record, and auto insurance coverage.
* THIS IS A MANDATED REPORTER POSITION.
* Must have ability to operate computers and possess basic knowledge of MS Windows, Microsoft Word and other software.
* Must perform duties with moderate direction given, operating from established directions and instructions.
Decisions are made with general agency policy constraints but require independent decision-making.
* Effective training/development skills.
* Occasionally required weekend and evening hours to help with the Community Engagement Department.
* Assisting in daily maintenance of the center.
* Perform other related responsibilities as assigned.
*Physical Requirements of the Job* *Job Conditions:* May work outdoors intermittently with exposure to typical weather.
There may be frequent interruptions, working alone, evening or weekend work, working long hours during peak periods.
May be exposed to illnesses generally attributed to children.
*Mental Requirements of the Job:* Continual interaction with co-workers, parents, and children to provide information.
Must relate positively to children and adults.
Patient, able to resolve conflicts, creative, and resourceful.
Excellent problem solving, planning, and organizational skills.
Frequently faces deadlines with attention to detail and must complete tasks in a timely manner.
Must be able to handle multi-faceted tasks on a frequent basis.
*Accountability* The Early Care and Education Mentor is directly accountable to Baby TALK’s Early Care and Education Manager.
The Early Care and Education Manager evaluates the Early Care and Education Mentor once a year and more frequently if needed.
Reflective supervision is provided by the Early Care and Education Manager regularly.
The Early Care and Education Mentor is evaluated based on the responsibilities described in this position description.
Job Type: Full-time Pay: From $23.
00 per hour Benefits: * Dental insurance * Employee assistance program * Health insurance * Life insurance * Paid time off * Vision insurance Schedule: * Monday to Friday Work Location: In person