Director of Family Engagement and Health Services

The Organization: Acelero, Inc.

Who We Are: Acelero, Inc. is a for-profit, mission-driven company that aims to improve school readiness for low-income children, by both directly operating Head Start programs and offering programmatic support to other Head Start grantees. 

Established in 2001, Acelero, Inc. is made up of two divisions - Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning. Acelero Learning provides direct Head Start services to more than 5,000 children and families in four states (delegates) – New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.  Acelero Learning’s programs have been identified as a national exemplar, a model to the nation for early childhood education, and most significantly, has demonstrated best-in-class child outcomes gains, even during the pandemic.

Shine Early Learning (Shine), established in 2009, was created to scale the dissemination and utilization of Acelero Learning’s proven tools and approaches through partnerships to other Head Start programs nationally.   In the past three years, Shine has further diversified its offerings through training, technical assistance, and consultation to publicly funded early childhood systems, including the launch of SPARK Learning Labs.

Our diverse employee workforce is made up of more than 1500 employees, comprising dedicated teachers, passionate family advocates, dynamic Center Directors and Coordinators, visionary senior leaders, and strategic executive leaders. Shine boasts partnerships across a wide expanse of states and territories throughout the country, ranging from Head Start grantees to comprehensive statewide systems. Together, we form a vibrant community committed to making a difference, fostering growth, and nurturing the potential in every child we serve. 

The Current Landscape: At the forefront of educational innovation, Acelero Inc. is navigating a pivotal phase of strategic transformation, commenced in June 2021, with a clear vision to expand exponentially and dismantle inequities. Guided by the insights and leadership of a diverse and representative national Design Team, the company has meticulously crafted a new vision, mission, and core values, underpinned by a robust theory of change. This strategic evolution involves a deliberate restructuring of the organizational framework, positioning Acelero Inc. to achieve its objectives, and to surpass them significantly. Central to the company's ethos is an unwavering commitment to recognize and nurture every child's potential, ensuring no child is left behind due to systemic inequalities. Acelero Inc. is steadfast in its mission to empower families, fostering their ability to advocate effectively for their children and themselves. This period of transformative growth and commitment to equity presents a unique opportunity to contribute to Acelero Inc.'s journey towards shaping a more inclusive and empowering educational landscape.

The Purpose of the Role: The Director of Family Engagement and Health Services at Acelero, Inc. and Shine Early Learning leads the development and implementation of comprehensive family engagement, health, and nutrition programs. By fostering partnerships, enhancing family support systems, and ensuring compliance with Head Start Performance Standards, the Director drives initiatives that support the holistic development and school readiness of young children. This role is pivotal in advocating for health equity, building community relationships, and using data-driven strategies to continuously improve program outcomes, aligning with the organization's mission to eliminate educational gaps and promote family well-being.

What You’ll Work On

• Oversees and assists the program on the development of systems for eligibility, recruitment, selection, and enrollment/intake process for returning and new families, including the co-development of a comprehensive recruitment plan that will lead to the program becoming fully enrolled.

• Implements internal systems and external partnerships to assure that all children participating in the program are up to date on EPSDT preventive care and follow up evaluation and treatment, have access to high quality medical and dental homes and health insurance.

• Co-creates systems that strengthen family engagement with all families to encourage parent/child interactions that will help close the achievement gap, segmenting and providing individualized family support to motivated families according to self-identified needs and aspirations and building social capital among families to sustain their engagement and support for one another over time.

• Manages Family and Community Engagement, Health and Nutrition strategic planning, and implementation support for Community partners and delegates.

• Works effectively in a matrix with Head Start Program Operations, Program Services and Innovation Leadership, and Community Partner Leadership to monitor start-up benchmarks and refine support strategies to ensure successful startup and transition.

• Ensures all record-keeping and reporting systems are established based on state licensing guidelines and Head Start Performance Standards.

• Coordinates with Performance, Implementation & Impact services to ensure that staff receive appropriate training to maintain up-to-date and accurate documentation.

• Utilizes data and analytics to assess the effectiveness of family engagement and health services programs, making data-driven decisions to guide program improvements.

• Provides leadership and mentorship to a team of professionals within the Family Engagement and Health Services department, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.

• Advocates for policies and practices that support family engagement, health equity, and access to healthcare services, both within the organization and externally.

• Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations related to family engagement, health services, and early childhood education programs.

• Conducts program evaluations to assess the impact of family engagement and health services initiatives, making continuous improvements to enhance outcomes for children and families.

• Coordinates and facilitates regular meetings, workshops, and professional development sessions to promote collaboration, reflection, and skill enhancement among Family engagement and Health Leadership.

• Collaborates with stakeholders to identify training needs, develop relevant resources, and evaluate the impact of professional development initiatives on children and family outcomes.

• Collaborates with external organizations, community health providers, social service agencies, and research institutions to share knowledge, gather insights, and advocate for policies that support family engagement and children's health; builds partnerships with peer organizations can facilitate cross-learning and the adoption of innovative practices.

• Supports new partners and the start-up team in building Head Start services within local communities during the first year of implementation, including supporting new partners in the identification, hiring and training of partner staff, and assisting in the development or refinement of organizational structures such as service plans or policies and procedures in content areas.

About You  (Requirements/competencies) 

• Bachelor's degree in Family and Child Development, Social Work, Public Health, Public Administration, Public Policy, or relevant field; master's degree preferred.

• 3+ years experience in the family and community engagement and/or health field, including experience in coaching, supervision, program management and providing technical assistance.

• Expertise in starting up community-based interventions to improve outcomes for low-income families and communities, with direct experience in developing and implementing program strategies.

• Experience in program evaluation and continuous improvement processes.

• Bilingual Preferred (Spanish/English).

Please note that this hiring initiative is part of our strategic preparation for expected new grants. The continuation of the recruitment process is contingent upon the successful finalization of these grants.  We commit to keeping final candidates informed of our progress and appreciate your interest in joining Shine Early Learning.

When/Where/How Much 

• Start Date: Anticipated Summer/Fall 2024

• Location/Travel: Remote. Travel required locally or long-distance up to 75% of the time for work-related meetings and functions. Travel requirements during start-ups may increase depending on business needs.

• Salary: $82,000 to $92,000

INTERESTED AND READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPS? 

For more insights about our organization and the specific role, we encourage you to delve into our FAQs.

To access the FAQ, please copy and paste the following URL into your browser:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aCPQc4BXaMZPVIKQ-wYz5k5Nq5xvCWKD/view?usp=sharing

Email Talent Acquisition Partner: aisling@shineearly.com

We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a diverse and healthy workplace.