Director of Race, Equity and Strategies

City of New York•New York City, NY

About The Position

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. ACS manages community-based supports and foster care services and provides subsidized childcare vouchers. ACS child protection staff respond to allegations of child maltreatment. In juvenile justice, ACS oversees detention, placement, and programs for youth in the community. The Office of the First Deputy Commissioner (OFDC) plays a significant role in implementing agency goals and carries out ACS’ mission to foster a collaborative, community-based, integrated approach to child and family safely, permanency and well-being. The First Deputy Commissioner serves as the Commissioner’s senior delegate and represents the Commissioner when necessary. The Office of Equity Strategies (OES) promotes equity and the reduction of disparities among ACS staff and the populations ACS serve. Founded in 2018, OES has been leading the agency’s efforts to reduce disproportionality, become an anti-racist organization, develop and implement Equity Action Plans, and address other inequities facing the children youth and families served by ACS. The Director of Race, Equity and Strategies will report to the Executive Director of Equity Strategies and provide expert support and assistance on informed equity practices across ACS divisions and contractors. The Director of Race Equity is responsible for working closely across ACS divisions on providing best practices to reduce disparities and improve outcomes for youth and families within child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Requirements

A baccalaureate degree and four (4) years of full-time experience in the fields of child welfare, one (1) year of which must have been in a responsible administrative, supervisory or consultative capacity
Education and/or experience equivalent to '1' above. However, all candidates must have the one (1) year specialized experience described in '1' above.

Responsibilities

Work across the continuum of ACS’ social services in the areas of child welfare, juvenile justice and early care and education, to develop, translate and implement equity into anti-racist, culturally responsive best practices, policies, training and program development.
Collaborate with staff and leaders throughout the agency to guide the system-wide implementation of the agency’s intersectional goals to reduce inequities and assesses equity impacts at every stage of policy development, implementation, program development and impact measurement and evaluation.
Ensure the agency offers respectful, inclusive and affirming services empowering children and youth from the most marginalized communities.
Collaborate and work closely with the internal ACS Racial Equity and Cultural Competency Committee (RECCC) to translate its strategic plan into concrete actions.
Identify, collect, track, analyze, and disseminate data on racial disproportionality and disparities in child welfare and juvenile justice settings, to build evidence and measure progress.
Represent the agency on race equity policy matters cross-divisionally and externally with community service providers, stakeholders and leaders.
Work collaboratively with the ACS Offices of Advocacy, Community Partnerships and Youth and Parent Engagement and other offices and programs, to ensure meaningful participation, voice and leadership of the youth, families and community stakeholders most affected by disproportionate representation and outcome disparities.
Implement assessments, reports, and accountability feedback loops around race equity for the agency.
Collaborate with ACS Workforce Institute to develop curricula and design training implementation plans to ensure the delivery of targeted racial equity and culturally competent trainings for key stakeholders.
Provide innovative programs, technical assistance, and resources to address racial inequities and support staff across divisions and within the provider community.
Prioritize and uplift race equity in decision making processes within team and across the agency.
Supports the development of culture and practice that elevates community voices and the voices of those with lived experience.