ELRC Early Learning Program Engagement Specialist - Trying Together

Culture:
Trying Together’s mission is to support high-quality care and education for young children.

Trying Together is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that supports the work of early childhood by providing advocacy, community resources, and professional growth opportunities for the needs and rights of children, their families, and the adults who interact with them. A fast-paced organization, Trying Together looks for dedicated and passionate staff who bring positivity to their work and a solution-oriented sensibility.

Trying Together encourages its team, partners, and communities to interact compassionately and honor the range of cultures, ideas, and identities that root each person. Young children develop and learn by example; this means that children whose early learning environments reflect just actions, equitable opportunities, diverse representation, and inclusive approaches experience healthier interactions and build relationships that enable them to thrive.

Trying Together is an equal opportunity employer. Trying Together does not discriminate and encourages qualified candidates of any gender, race, class, sexual orientation, faith, disability, or age to apply. All candidates will be evaluated on a merit basis.

Purpose:

The Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 Early Learning Program Engagement Specialist (ELPES) serves as a representative between Child Care Works (CCW) and child care providers both regulated and relative. The Early Learning Program Engagement Specialist will support providers with: Provider Self Service; recruitment, enrollment, and determination eligibility in Child Care Works: enrollment in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP;) and provide additional assistance as needed. The Early Learning Program Engagement Specialist will provide outreach to relative providers to identify needs and connect them to resources and supports. This position reports to the ELRC Director of Early Learning Program Engagement.

Responsibilities:

• Commitment to racial equity and inclusion and a willingness to do the ongoing personal work to bring about a more just society by actively participating in professional growth opportunities. 
• Actively work with peers to create a culture of belonging at Trying Together. 
• Willingness to disrupt practices that do not honor children’s, families’, educators’ and colleagues’ humanity. 
• Provide comprehensive customer service by completing thorough provider orientations, address all phone calls and provider correspondence within 24 business hours as applicable, and attend to walk-in clients/providers.  
• Establish provider agreements for all certified and relative providers and assist providers with primary subsidy concerns and questions. 
• Teach and support regulated providers to use Provider Self Service to ensure their information is up to date. 
• Advise providers of the PA Department of Human Services and Child Care Works regulations. 
• Provide technical assistance and support for relative providers seeking to become a state certified and enroll in Child Care Works. 
• Refer and engage child care providers to community resources and advocate for the providers in obtaining these services.
• Identify and assess barriers relative providers face with regards to providing quality child care and identify resources and supports as needed. 
• Support relative providers to meet their professional development requirements.
• Collaborate with Allegheny County Family Centers to connect relative providers to community resources and supports as needed. 
• Connect providers with a Quality Coach and Fiscal contact. 
• Assist providers in enrolling in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and other provider resources.
• Operate as a liaison for the provider between all Child Care Works departments and programs.
• Organize and participate in provider outreach to help promote quality child care and positive child and adult interactions.
• Address system-generated alerts in a timely manner to maintain integrity within the PELICAN System.
• Maintain communication with other Child Care Works agencies within Pennsylvania regarding provider information and updates.
• Regularly participate in outreach and other meetings both locally and statewide. 
• Maintain a high level of confidentiality when working with sensitive and personal client, vendor, employee, and contract information. 
• Participate in initial and ongoing professional development for the purpose of providing effective provider engagement.
• Work collaboratively across departments within Trying Together to meet the mission and accomplish the work. 
• Participate in initial and ongoing professional development for the purposes of continuous learning and expanding one’s professional knowledge base. 
• Consistently use the NeonCRM platform to build relationships with constituents, record data that measure project performance, and support continuous quality improvement in the organization's resources and services.
• Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications:

• Associates, Business, or Technical Degree in Human Services, Early Childhood Education or related field. Will consider experience in lieu of a degree. 
• Two years of relevant case management experience. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Intermediate to advanced computer skills, internet, and email. 
• Knowledge of local, state, and national systems for early care and education.  
• Must be able to work independently and as a team member.
• Attention to detail and advanced problem-solving techniques. 
• Ability to multitask. 
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Good judgment and decision-making abilities.
• Must demonstrate enthusiasm and flexibility. 
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel. 

Required Clearances: 

• Clean Act 33 Child Abuse Clearance.
• Clean Act 34 PA State Police Clearance.
• Clean Act 73 Federal Criminal History Clearance.
• National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) Verification.

Required Training:

• Mandated Reporter Training (must be completed in the first month of placement).
• NeonCRM Training (required and recommended online courses must be completed in the first three months of placement).
• PQAS Professional Development Instructor Certification (must be obtained within the first year of employment for staff with a Bachelor’s Degree).

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation and benefits package.
• Appreciative inquiry and strengths-based review process.

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