ERSEA Specialist

Casa Central•Chicago, IL

64d•Remote

About The Position

Casa Central's Early Learning Academy provides high-quality, comprehensive early childhood education services for young children, ages birth to five, and their families. A key member of the program's team, the ERSEA (Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, Attendance) Specialist, is responsible for all elements pertaining to the ERSEA content area of Early/Head Start. The ERSEA Specialist will initiate the enrollment process for the pregnant women and children (birth to three) in the EHS program and ensure a successful enrollment process. This position will collaborate with the Director of Family Service and ERSEA Supervisor to ensure the program is fully enrolled and contribute to the overall success of program operations by monitoring participation and conducting recruitment efforts.

Requirements

BA degree in Social Work, Human Services, or a related degree from an accredited school is preferred. Or AA degree in Business Administration with 3-5 years of experience in eligibility determination and ERSEA Standards.
Knowledge of modern office practices, procedures, business equipment, English, spelling, and math.
Familiarity with elementary principles of business and accounting.
Good judgment in making decisions, recognizing established procedures, and resourcefulness in meeting problems.
Ability to work effectively under pressure.
Ability to handle administrative details independently, including composing important letters and memoranda without dictation.
Ability to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with others and the public.
Careful attention to detail is required.
Word processing, spreadsheets, internet skills, data entry skills, and managing Microsoft applications to facilitate communication.
Basic mathematical skills are required.
Ability to work within an interdisciplinary team as a cooperative and supportive team member.
Ability to establish relationships with families from diverse backgrounds.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, or scheduled form and convey needed information with families in a manner, that improves early learning experience for children/families.
Ability to utilize reflective practices and leadership to guide and support staff.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, and hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands. Must be able to lift and carry 25lbs.
It is required to have a personal cellphone and be able to respond during working and non-working hours. Casa Central has a Personal Cellphone Usage Policy that includes a reimbursement amount.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual in Spanish preferred.
Preferred knowledge of Child Plus or other online database systems.
Knowledge of Head Start Program Performance Standards preferred.

Responsibilities

Enroll all EHS Families and pregnant women in the Home-based program.
Ensures children are enrolled within 30 days of giving by Start Early.
Ensures files and documentation are complete, accurate, and confidentially maintained, in addition to entering and monitoring documentation in the Child Plus system.
Maintains a flexible schedule to establish relationships with parents in the EHS home-based programs.
Collaborates with EHS home visitors and HB Supervisor to ensure services to families are coordinated and communication with families is consistent and ongoing for participation in EHS programs.
Establishes, develops, and maintains relationships with social services agencies to create partnerships for referrals and recruitment.
Collaborates with the Family Service team to provide resources to Home-based programs.
Maintain ERSEA PIR up to date year-round. Other duties as assigned:
Monitor and support timely, collaborative responses to family attendance/engagement concerns.
Engage in quality assurance follow-up to address and understand why family drops from programming.
Implement the agency mission, philosophy, and core values to direct daily work and decision-making. Adhere to agency policy and support staff in understanding and following agency policies. Cultivate a professional and respectful work environment. Be actively involved with and knowledgeable about the agency's Performance Quality Improvement (PQI) structure and process.
Participate in bi-weekly supervision with the Director of Family Services.
Attend staff meetings and all-staff meetings, training/conferences.
Approve timesheet and ensure compliance with agency and funder guidelines, ensuring that daily activities are within the allowable activities approved by the agency support Director of Family Services and ERSEA Supervisor with challenges in the ERSEA. Demonstrate continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality customer service. Attend Early Head Start and other training for updates on ERSEA-related expectations. Interpret eligibility guidelines for parents, staff, and stakeholders. Maintain data on Child Plus and child/family files for the HB Early Learning Academy, including completing all relevant reporting and ongoing monitoring activities. Perform additional job-related duties as needed or assigned.
Engage in Active Supervision strategies to support the safety, well-being, and appropriate supervision/oversight of children at all times. Act in accordance with the program's Standards of Conduct, building respectful relationships with families, honoring parents/caregivers as their children's first and most important teachers, and maintaining strict child, family, and staff confidentiality at all times. Ensure compliance with all Early/Head Start Program Performance Standards, including as interpreted by Start Early, and with relevant federal, state, city, and accrediting/licensing body regulations and requirements.
Nurture positive and collaborative working relationships with other agency staff, outside stakeholders, and partners.
Attend health fairs, resource fairs, and community events, including evening and weekend events; canvass communities (parks, libraries, laundromats, local businesses, clinics, etc.) to connect with families and share information about early childhood programming. Build relationships with community partners to support recruitment efforts, enhance services to children and families, and lead efforts related to planning and executing recruitment events year-round.