Child Care Environment Quality Specialist

Job Summary
We are seeking a dedicated and detail-oriented Child Care Environment Quality Specialist to ensure the safety, compliance, and overall excellence of child care environments. This includes environments in child care centers and family child care homes. In this role, you will lead efforts to evaluate and enhance the quality of early childhood settings by applying your expertise in regulatory standards, research, and quality assurance. Your proactive approach will help create nurturing, safe, and compliant spaces that support optimal development for children. This paid position offers an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact on early childhood education quality through rigorous assessment and continuous improvement initiatives.

As the Quality Specialist (QS), the individual is responsible for the technical assistance, consultation, including on-site visits, and/or training, and oversight of child care programs as they pursue the quality rating and improvement system.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Acts as the technical assistance specialist related to the Quality Recognition and Improvement System (QRIS), ExceleRate, and is available to train on specific related topics as needed for both providers and/or agency staff.
• Attends professional development training opportunities related to QRIS/ExceleRate and remains current on all aspects of the quality and rating system in Illinois. Is available for on-site consultations with programs starting the process and for follow up throughout the process.
• Makes certain that consultation information is entered accurately and timely into INCCRRA’s Data Tracking Program (DTP) /Activity Report.
• Serves as the agency representative to INCCRRA as a Quality Specialist. Attends regularly scheduled statewide meetings.
• Attends statewide, regional, or national trainings or conferences when appropriate for personal professional development.
• Quality Specialist is knowledgeable of all approved accreditation systems and available to offer technical assistance to providers with initial questions regarding accreditation, as well as mail out information and serve as a support person to those in the process. If requested can/will assist providers in locating an accreditation mentor.
• The Quality Specialist is knowledgeable and able to answer TA questions related to other professional development opportunities for providers through other entities. These include: CDA, Great START, IDC, and the Gateways to Opportunity Scholarship Program.

Performs such other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned.

Qualifications: Must meet the following minimum requirements as defined by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood contract.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in child development or early childhood education; OR A Bachelor’s degree in one of the following related fields with a minimum of 18 hours in early childhood coursework (Child Psychology/Behavioral Sciences, Family Consumer Sciences, Social Work, Elementary Education, Child Welfare, Family Services, Psychology, Sociology, Human Development)
• Minimum two (2) years paid experience working in a child care setting as a family child care provider, center-based administrator, center-based teacher or teacher assistant or Illinois Preschool for All teacher;
• Shall be an Approved Trainer for the Illinois Trainers Network (ITN) within twelve (12) months after completion of Scales training
• Working with the IDHS liaison, shall complete the following training as available:

Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale-3 (ITERS-3);

Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale3 (ECERS-3);

Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale-R (FCCERS-R);

School Age Child Environment Rating Scale- Updated (SACERS-U);

Program Administration Scale (PAS);

Business Administration Scale (BAS);

Program quality improvement planning

• A minimum test score of 80% must be achieved on each assessment scale.

Pay: From $45,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• early childhood setting : 2 years (Required)

Work Location: In person