We are hiring in Lake County, IL

Start Early Lake County provides high-quality care, best-in-class education, and a stimulating learning environment to children from birth to five years old. As a program that serves low-income families, Start Early’s research-based program helps children develop the literacy, language, early math, and social-emotional skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.

We are recruiting individuals who want to join us in this mission and share a commitment to our core values of appreciation & respect, empowerment, diversity, excellence, learning, and communication.

The Lake County Early Learning Centers are in a start-up phase of transitioning to the Educare Lake County School Building in 2027. The Educare School will be a state-of-the-art, full-day, year-round school serving approximately 200 children from birth to five years of age. Building on the program foundations of Early Head Start and Head Start, the Educare Lake County School will promote school readiness by implementing effective programming aimed at preventing the achievement gap from taking root in the early years.

The Health and Nutrition Coordinator will handle oversight of health and nutrition components at Beach Park Head Start and Waukegan Early Head Start Early Learning Centers in Lake County to ensure quality services and compliance for various entities. This position will also manage coordination of services with various team members to promote health and nutrition for enrolled children and families.

As a Health and Nutrition Coordinator, you will: 

• Oversee the health and nutrition content areas at the Lake County Early Learning Centers to ensure compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards, Early Learning Network policies and procedures, and the OHS Health Services   Competencies.
• Manage and monitor compliance with all health-and nutrition-related requirements, including Early Head Start/Head Start, PI/PFA, DCFS, and CACFP requirements
• Collaborate   with the Lake County Family Support Services Supervisor, Disabilities and Mental Health Coordinator, Family Child Care Home Manager, family support specialists, nurse, dietitian, food aide, and education teams to ensure high-quality health and nutrition service
• Develop and maintain relationships with community clinics, physicians, dentists, and other healthcare providers that serve or   may be able to serve enrolled children and families.
• Analyze and communicate child health data and outcomes regularly, using the results to support continuous quality improvement. Monitor the accuracy and completeness of ChildPlus health records.
• Monitor and communicate changes in local, state, and federal health and nutrition requirements, as well as current trends affecting children from birth through age five
• Evaluate health and nutrition data, systems, policies, and procedures to ensure effective, high-quality services. Coordinate infectious-disease management with the Site Administrator and ensure compliance with applicable guidelines.
• Coordinate and conduct staff and parent training related to health and nutrition requirements, policies, procedures, and best practices.

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience in Early Head Start/Head Start, early childhood education, childcare, pediatric health, public health, health   education, or health promotion.
• Knowledge of and experience complying with applicable local, state, and federal health and nutrition requirements.
• Experience in working effectively with diverse audiences. 
• Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing. 
• Ability to manage children’s health records and coordinate health-related cases.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and decision-making. 
• Able to process and protect and exercise discretion in handling confidential information and materials. 
• Organizational skills sufficient to efficiently manage multiple tasks, associated documentation, and deadlines with   exceptional attention to detail.
• Proficiency in ChildPlus and Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and mail merge, is required. The employee must be able to maintain electronic records, create and analyze spreadsheets, manage email communications, and prepare accurate reports

Salary: $67,125.00 to $76,075.00 

We believe that all employees should be paid fairly. As of the time of this posting, this is the expected base annual salary range. The base annual salary will be based on a wide range of factors, including skills, qualifications, experience, as well as business needs and limitations.

Our generous benefit plan includes: Comprehensive Health Plans, Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Holistic Wellness Program, Professional Development Program, 401k Contribution, Paid Volunteer Days, 6-months paid parental leave and much more.

Start Early is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to our core values by creating an inclusive environment for all staff.