ABOUT US:

Illinois Action for Children (“IAFC”), a local, state, and national leader in the early childhood care and education sector for over 50 years. IAFC programs, services, and advocacy improve learning and life outcomes for children and families, including reducing the effects of poverty. IAFC works to ensure that every child in Illinois – particularly those in need – have access to the necessary resources to succeed in school and in life.

Along with our mission, IAFC is committed to building and maintaining a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist culture. We are dedicated to this pledge through our hiring practices and our focus on creating a culture and environment where diverse perspectives, ideas, and identities are valued and integrated into our way of working and servicing our staff and clients. IAFC staff represent a wide diversity of racial, socio-economic, gender, religious, and national identities. We welcome all applicants who share our mission and vision to join us in our essential work.

SUMMARY:

Under the direction of the Chicago Application and Enrollment (CAE) Supervisor, the Chicago Early Learning Coordinator assists parents seeking Chicago Early Learning options in the City of Chicago. The Chicago Early Learning Coordinator will work to troubleshoot parents’ issues with completing the Chicago Early learning application, educate the parents regarding child development issues, quality indicators, licensing standards, Early Head Start Programs, Home Visiting programs, Doula programs, Chicago Early Learning Programs, IDHS Childcare Assistance Program and other program options such as Before and After school programs. Provides follow-up to parents to ensure contact has been made. Serves as a point person with internal and external programs. All work is to be completed with minimum supervision and in accordance with organizational standards.

This incumbent will be expected to promote and adhere to the workplace core capabilities of accountability, customer focus, continuous quality improvement, communication, competent people and clear priorities. All work is to be completed with minimum supervision and in accordance with organizational standards

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include but are not limited to the following. The organization reserves the right to add to, delete, change or modify the essential duties and responsibilities at any time.

1. Provide information to parents, DFSS and CPS staff regarding Chicago Early Learning application and enrollment process over the phone and/or at walk-in desk in accordance with IAFC and City of Chicago policies and procedures. This includes connecting parents and staff to the universal application website and Chicago Early Learning Family Resource Centers, appropriate CPS and DFSS offices, providing tuition information, etc. Ensure that problem cases are resolved in a timely, accurate and professional manner.
2. Provide assistance to parents who are interested in applying for Chicago Early Learning programs through the online Chicago Early Learning Application. This includes answering questions regarding application navigation, completing, and submitting online application for parents, updating and changing information for parents who have completed the application, providing referral assistance, and escalating application issues to DFSS and/or CPS as necessary.
3. Provide enhanced referral service to parents based on parents’ needs/request and contractual obligations.
4. Troubleshoot more difficult calls from parents and Chicago Early Learning sites regarding special needs referrals, child development issues, etc. Ensure problem cases are resolved in a timely, accurate and professional manner.
5. Provide feedback to Supervisor on CEL application, verification, and enrollment process, including issues faced by parents completing these steps, noticeable trends, and customer feedback.
6. Input data and maintain zip code database, DTP database, School Mint database, Smartsheet and SalesForce database.
7. Refers potentially eligible parents to appropriate IAFC programs for information on IDHS program; educates parents on other IAFC programs.
8. Reconcile and prepare reports for internal/DFSS/CPS use and written consumer education materials.
9. Execute our workplace core capabilities of accountability, customer focus, continuous quality improvement (CQI), communication, competent people and clear priorities.
10. Other Functions: The Organization may assign other functions to the job at its discretion.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor's degree preferred in Social Services, Early Childhood Education or related field with at least 18 credit hours of child development and two years’ work experience with direct childcare OR Associates degree or two years of college classes with a minimum of 60 credit hours in Social Services with at least 18 credit hours in child development with three years’ work experience with direct childcare in which at least one year is in a childcare resource and referral program. Or High School Diploma with experience working in early childhood educational setting. Call Center experience preferred.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Bilingual Spanish

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Ability to navigate several databases, websites, or programs simultaneously while assisting callers.

Ability to travel locally.

Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Excellent presentation skills.

Must have high speed internet.

This is a temporary full-time position, without benefits from May 2024 - September 13, 2024

Pay Rate: $22.00 per hour Location: Hybrid - Remote/Onsite - Chatham IL, must reside in Chicago land.

While we desire for this job posting to be comprehensive, all aspects of the position may be amended at any time at the discretion of IAFC including job duties, work location and/or work schedule.