Early Years Program Strategist

What you’ll do Establish and maintain strong working relationships across Dufferin County’s early learning community by frequently visiting programs, connecting with educators and Supervisors, iCAN teams and EarlyON staff Represent the County’s Early Years and Child Care division at various committees and local and regional tables at the request of Program Manager EYCC Lead and direct new community initiatives including the identification and application of innovative programming and partnerships at the request of the Program Manager EYCC Assist in preparing reports and/or internal/external communications on program delivery, financial, and administrative reporting requirements for submission to Ministry of Education as well as to senior leadership, Council, and other stakeholder groups as required Use appropriate tools, processes, and reporting practices to collect and analyze data that will inform operational decision making by the Program Manager of EYCC Identify service providers in need of additional business support. Collaborate with licensed child care operators and relevant agencies to address service provision concerns and ensure contract/program compliance Develop, update, and maintain internal policies/procedures, accountability mechanisms, child care provider resources and tools, service agreements, and letters/forms as new information is released from the Ministry of Education regarding Ministry of Education initiatives. Prepare background information for recommendations for the allocation of child care resources as needed Have a working knowledge of relevant Ministry of Education legislation, policy and curriculum documents and interpret them in a way that supports the child care community needs Collaborate on the planning, development, and local implementation of the CWELCC system and/or other assigned early years programs, in compliance with the Child Care and Early Years Act and provincial guidelines Lead the implementation of assigned early years programs, such as plans to support the creation of new child care spaces, based on strategic directions and Ministry and Regional standards and requirements Ensure that growth and other initiatives address system gaps and are in consideration of prioritizing inclusion efforts Monitor trends within the local child care community, and support operators to provide high quality programming and maintain professional standards of practice Work alongside the Community Pedagogist to collect data, identify trends, and create actionable plans to support the sector to improve program quality, build capacity, and drive access and inclusion efforts Monitor Ministry of Education licensing inspection summary reports to identify trends and implement supportive strategies for operators to maintain licensing compliance Receive and review applications for funding, calculate, prepare cheque requisitions for service providers, and reconcile funding for assigned early years programs in compliance with Ministry of Education guidelines Complete other program activities, host professional learning opportunities, engage in initiatives and other community research/projects at the request of the Manager Assist child care operators to increase program quality by implementing the Quality framework objectives and supporting educators to meet identified goals Focus efforts on recognizing, validating, and building the capacity of ECEs and child care workers in Dufferin to increase workforce retention strategies Provide guidance and recommendations to support centre-based and home-based licensed child care operators to build capacity prioritizing inclusive, equitable, and accessible best practices Collaborate with Community Pedagogist to build pedagogical leadership capacity throughout the early learning sector Work to establish and support communities of practice to support early childhood educators and child care centres (i.e. Supervisor Network Gatherings, Inclusion Network Group) Support the planning and organizing of large events and conferences, including facilitation of committees for community collaboration Develop, facilitate, and implement professional learning opportunities including training materials and presentations across all areas of the early years community in Dufferin County Collaborate with child care providers and educators to identify program and capacity building needs and opportunities related to the four foundations of How Does Learning Happen, Ontario’s Pedagogy. Other duties as assigned