Director of Child Care Financial Assistance

The Education Secretariat is committed to equity and valuing the unique and diverse characteristics and experiences of every member of its workforce. We encourage an authentic workplace where colleagues show up as their full selves, where collaboration, innovation, and connections are key to realizing our mission that all children, youth, and families thrive socially, academically, and economically. We seek teammates who are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment, where everyone is valued and engaged. We encourage you to apply and identify your strengths in these areas. EEC is the lead agency for all early education and care services and funding in the Commonwealth, charged with administering the federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) monies provided to Massachusetts. This block grant provides childcare subsidies to more than 50,000 low-income families to help ensure they can work and stay employed, while ensuring that children are getting the high-quality early education needed to prepare them for success in school and in life.? EEC is focused on strengthening and promoting the diverse early education and care sector in Massachusetts. EEC licenses, monitors, and provides technical assistance to the nearly 9,000 early education and care programs and agencies that serve children and youth, including family childcare programs and center-based programs for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, out-of-school time programs, residential group care facilities, temporary shelters, and placement agencies for foster care or adoption services.? The position of Director of Child Care Financial Assistance will be responsible for overseeing the Department's Child Care Financial Assistance programs including those serving low-income working families, families with active cases with the Department of Children and Families (DCF), families participating in employment related programs through the Department of Transitional Assistance and families experiencing homelessness working with Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Working with the Child Care Financial Assistance and Access team this position will ensure that families seeking childcare assistance have access to timely and dignified services and supports from application to eligibility determination, to selection of a provider and enrollment. This position will play a key role in building capacity within EEC's financial assistance programs to help families navigate the child care system including connecting them to services to help resolve challenges and support a family's economic mobility. The Director will be a key partner in the development, implementation and oversight of policies and procedures related to family access to financial assistance programs and supports for families across EEC's mixed delivery system. Key Responsibilities: Program Oversight & Management - • Provide leadership and oversight to a Child Care Financial Assistance team, including administration of the contracts for Contracted Child Care Providers, Child Care Resource and Referral(CCRR) agencies and Mass211; • Oversee the administration of the state's financial assistance program policies and procedures including management of the contracting and budgeting process; • Develop and maintain materials and communication methods to ensure families have accessible, accurate and timely information on EEC financial assistance programs and resources; • Provide technical assistance, training and expertise in financial assistance policies and procedures and family engagement practices; External Partnerships & Engagement - • Work collaboratively with other EEC programmatic units to connect families and early education programs to an infrastructure where access to child care financial assistance, information and referrals, and family supports is coordinated, efficient, and effective; • Work in collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Department of Housing and Community of Development (DHCD) on joint policies and procedures to facilitate access to early education and care to those receiving services and supports from DTA, DCF and DHCD; • Act as a liaison between child serving state agencies including but not limited to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), the Department of Mental Health (DMH), the Department of Public Health (DPH) to ensure effective communication and coordination of information and access to resources for families in the Commonwealth; • Facilitate regional collaboration among EEC funded entities and programs; • Facilitate the involvement of families, and state partners in policies, plans, processes and decisions affecting target populations, children with disabilities and other low-income families; • Attend present, and/or facilitate national, regional, and state conferences and meeting as necessary. Fiscal Oversight - • Oversee the completion, budgeting and financial management of the Contracted Providers, Child Care Resource and Referral agencies and Mass211; • Work closely with EEC's Fiscal Unit to ensure the implementation of timely reporting federal and state requirements; • Act as a project manager for child care financial assistance programs and initiatives in a manner consistent with EEC goals, mission and strategic priorities, including fund usage and reviewing grant applications, and contract monitoring; • Work across EEC divisions and with other state agencies to ensure that EEC initiatives and funding related to financial assistance programs are aligned and coordinated. Analysis, Research, and Data - • Develop strategy for regular tracking and managing of open child care placement slots for contracted/voucher providers; • Collect and review financial assistance caseload related data; and coordinate data collection, analysis and data sharing findings and outcomes. Other duties as needed. Preferred Qualifications: • Knowledge of early childhood education and out-of-school time programming. • Knowledge of human-centered design principles and two generation approaches to disrupting poverty • Knowledge of the needs of the early education and care service population • Understanding of the social and economic problems of the diverse service population • Demonstrated knowledge of public administration, organizational development, and change management • Familiarity with the Massachusetts Childcare financial assistance system and DCF, DTA and DHCD policies and practices related to child care • Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both orally and in writing • Experience with oversight of meeting facilitation, strategic planning, process improvement, • Knowledge of linkages to community-based services, educational advocacy and support groups • Ability to lead and oversee regional area planning, service provision, coordination, program monitoring and accountability processes. • Ability to balance immediate priorities and urgent needs with the imperative to think strategically and thoughtfully for the longer term • Ability to analyze Early Education and Care related legislation and policy • Proven ability to build relationships and work in partnerships across departments and organizations • Experience with operations, budget management, contract/vendor management, labor management, and procurement processes, ideally within a public sector organization • Skilled in problem-solving, consensus building, conflict resolution and team building • Ability to supervise staff and to be responsive to demands of competing constituencies Questions regarding this position or the application process should be directed to Dawn.E.DeRoche@mass.gov. MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must have at least (A) five (5) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management of which (B) at least one (1) year must have been in a project management, supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below. Substitutions: I. A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience. II. A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience. III. A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required (A) experience. IV. A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required (A) experience. *Comprehensive Benefits* When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future. Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards! Executive Order #595:As a condition of employment, successful applicants will be required to have received COVID-19 vaccination or an approved exemption as of their start date. Details relating to demonstrating compliance with this requirement will be provided to applicants selected for employment. Applicants who receive an offer of employment who can provide documentation that the vaccine is medically contraindicated or who object to vaccination due to a sincerely held religious belief may make a request for exemption. An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role. Job: Education* *Organization: Department of Early Education and Care *Title: *Director of Child Care Financial Assistance Location: Massachusetts-Boston - 50 Milk St Requisition ID: 230001D3