City Head Start ERSEA Specialist

The ERSEA Specialist is primarily responsible for achieving the following essential responsibilities and program outcomes through each Head Start Management system: 

ELIGIBILITY, RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, ENROLLMENT & ATTENDANCE

• Develop, maintain and manage ERSEA system for the Head Start program.
• Be knowledgeable of all current Head Start ERSEA mandates.
• Ensure ongoing completion of overall monitoring relating to Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment & Attendance, agency collaboration and tracking enrollment and attendance of children.
• Ensure all Y Head Start sites maintain funded enrollment level and waiting list of 20%, assist Family Advocates, as needed at individual sites and analyze enrollment data to inform the planning process.
• Analyze causes of absenteeism when ADA falls below 90%.
• Analyze community assessment information and facilitate planning efforts to determine design options, location of sites, recruitment efforts and enrollment guidelines for Y Head Start.
• Provide input and solutions to develop and/or revise the agency’s ERSEA systems, policies and procedures. Oversee and facilitate the ERSEA Committee.
• Confirm/verify eligibility for every new and participating Head Start family.
• Ensure that highest risk families are referred to services needed and that education and supports are available for the family.
• Identify children on the wait list who are eligible for services provided by community partners and orient staff on those services, as well as provide follow-up on the referrals
• Ensure that recruited applications are included on the waiting list for the assigned agency service area
• Organize and host the Selection Committee as well as provide input to the Selection Committee to develop agency selection criteria.
• Participate in the Y Head Start Health Advisory Committee.
• Other duties, as assigned by the Family & Community Partnerships Coordinator or Head Start Director.

COMMUNICATION, PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION OF SERVICES

• Coordinate the year round recruitment process including updating posted recruiting materials in the local communities; direct recruiting of families through community canvassing, scheduling and conducting continuing enrollment and informational booths and community outreach.
• Design and coordinate a year round attendance initiative, including activities and intentional awareness programs/workshops designed to promote school attendance.
• Analyze community assessment information and facilitate planning efforts to determine design options, recruitment efforts and enrollment guidelines for Head Start (HS), Full day/year programs.
• Organize and implement the Annual Spring Recruitment and ongoing recruitment process.
• Participate in team planning with other specialists, coordinators and staff via Integrated Zone Management, I-PEAS, T-PEAS and Operating team meetings to facilitate a seamless system of program delivery.
• Work with Early Childhood Development & Health Coordinator and Family & Community Partnership Coordinator to ensure full program enrollment for Early Head Start, Head Start, pre-K, summer enrichment and maintenance of wait list of 20% minimum at each Y Head Start site.
• Work with Family & Community Partnerships Coordinator to develop procedures to ensure accurate verification of income and eligibility and qualifications of all children and families, and ensure applications are complete and data is accurately entered into the PROMIS database.
• Collaborate and plan with Data & Outcomes Coordinator, Family & Community Partnerships Coordintator, Early Childhood Development & Health Coordinator and Head Stasrt Director to ensure ERSEA compliance.

ONGOING MONITORING, RECORDKEEPING & REPORTING, DATA TRACKING, SELF-ASSESSMENT

• Create and maintain record keeping and reporting policies for waitlists, enrollment, attendance, timelines, schedules and procedures in accordance with designated state and federal program requirements
• Evaluate, design and monitor systems to process enrollment applications, including determination of eligibility and selection criteria.
• Develop, coordinate integrated work plans, policies and procedures to ensure ERSEA performance standards and federal and state rules and regulations are being followed.
• In addition to completing SPA’s, implement and maintain a monitoring system and develop procedures to determine eligibility of all Head Start children and ensure each Y Head Start site meet the overall ERSEA service goals and requirements, including, but not limited to the following: active site waitlist of 20%, full enrollment, 2nd day home-visit follow-up of absent children and ensure planning for 17 children in each classroom during Head Start program year and licensing capacity during Summer Enrichment programming.
• Ensure ongoing monitoring, tracking, follow-up and analysis of enrollment data. Maintain computerized recordkeeping system to document delivery of services related to ERSEA, using the PROMIS data tracking software. 
• Track all PIR and ongoing data in regards to ERSEA and distribute timely reports and tracking regarding ERSEA updates.
• Maintain enrollment forms, ensuring information is current, correct and disseminated to all necessary staff to meet program requirements.
• Submit data into the Monthly Continuous Quality Improvement Report to Head Start Director by the 1st Wednesday of the Month.

HUMAN RESOURCES

• Design and conduct annual training, for all staff, parent committees and Policy Committee, on the selection criteria and policy.
• Design and deliver training and ongoing technical assistance to staff on database documentation, child file documentation, ERSEA-related forms, eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment and attendance issues and topics related to ERSEA regulations, policies and procedures.
• Design and conduct annual ERSEA training for parents and community partners during the Annual Spring Recruitment.
• Provide parent education on enrollment process to complete their application.

SAFE ENVIRONMENTS & FISCAL

• Ensure security of Head Start grant by ensuring the funded enrollment is achieved prior to the first day of school.
• Work with school principals to ensure availability of classroom space for proposed and currently enrolled Head Start children.
• Report any health and safety concerns and/or non-compliances that are observed while visiting any Y Head Start facility. All healthy and safety concerns should be reported to the designated Head Start Director immediately.
• Fulfill role as mandated reporter as stated in Child Abuse and Neglect Policy.

LEADERSHIP

• Lead for the good of the entire organization, understand the big picture and use it as framework to make decisions.
• Make decisions that support program quality, excellence and maintain program accountability.
• Utilizing Y Head Start overall vision, establish focus for education service area and family service area and act to align area’s goals with the strategic direction and needs of the zone; ensure that employees in the zone understand how their work relates to Y Head Start as a whole and the relevant regulations and performance standards.
• Improve quality and effectiveness of education and family service area and overall organization by initiating, sponsoring and implementing organizational change and by helping others to successfully manage organizational change.
• Promote consistent exchange of information and a cooperative environment within the leadership of the zone and Y Head Start.
• Attend parent committees, Policy Council and Head Start Subcommittee meetings, as needed or requested.
• Ensure teachers, family advocates and volunteers understand regulations associated with prevention of occupational disease and injury, including the exercise of universal precautions.

Recognize that your job description is service area specific and that a successful employee upholds the overall employment standards outlined in the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual and specifically, but not limited to: confidentiality, child abuse reporting, attendance and dependability, appropriate dress, customer service and support to all families, prudent