SUMMARY

This position serves as a Food & Nutrition Coordinator for a Head Start program. The Food & Nutrition Coordinator plans and collaborates with other coordinators and staff in the Head Start program to ensure the health and well-being of all children in the Head Start program. Integrates knowledge of evidence-based practices to promote child and family health and wellness to build a health and nutrition program.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

NUTRITION ASSESSMENT AND INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT

• Provide oversight, guidance, and training to program staff to complete and interpret Head Start Performance Standard required Nutritional Assessments within 90 days of a child’s program entry.
• Coordinate with Food Services team to develop specialized diets for children with dietary restrictions and assure that all staff understand children’s special needs.
• Coordinate with Health and Family Services team to conduct Integrated Care Plan meetings for families of children with specialized nutritional needs, such as children who are underweight, obese, or diagnosed with anemia.
• Provide individualized support to families of children with significant nutritional needs, including regular care conferences, care coordination, and family education.
• Coordinate with Service area teams to develop and implement health and wellness strategies to reduce incidence of childhood obesity.

• HEALTH AND WELLNESS
  •  Assure that all families have quality medical and dental care, and maintain consistent health insurance coverage, if eligible.
  • Complete Individual Care Plans for children with chronic health conditions, and follow up to ensure that children’s health conditions are effectively managed
  • Develop and align program-wide health and wellness campaigns with agency mission; including promoting consistent family routines that support healthy lifestyles and habits.
  • Work with program-wide leadership to build staff and agency health and wellness culture to model and support our health and nutrition goals for children and families.

• FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
  • Establish trusting and respectful family relationships with diverse families in order to effectively engage them in maintaining ongoing preventive care and follow up to assure their children’s health and well-being.
  • Effectively communicate the relationship between children’s health and nutrition and school readiness outcomes
  • Support families to become advocates for their children’s health, with special attention to families of children with chronic health conditions.

• SERVICE COORDINATION
  • Effectively coordinate with Family Services, Early Learning, and MH and Disabilities teams to maintain health and nutrition requirements documentation and follow up
  • Coordinate goal setting with family services teams to assist families to strengthen chronic health condition management and service access.
  • Communicate and coordinate with Center staff, families and community partners to ensure that children’s health and nutrition needs are understood and that individualized support is in place when needed. 

• COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS
  • Assists with establishing and maintaining community partnerships and collaborations to secure health and nutrition screenings and follow up treatment, including follow up on Memoranda of Understanding.
  • Facilitates the organization of the Health Service Advisory Committee and utilizes the committee in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the health component.
  • Coordinates as appropriate with School District health staff.
• HEALTH AND SAFETY
  • Assure that all classrooms and centers are in compliance with municipal, state and federal health and safety practices, including ongoing monitoring.
  • Oversee medication administration, storage and auditing to maintain up to date information, medications and medical authorizations.
  • Assure that all classrooms have up to date food allergy lists that include food substitutions for children with special diets.
  • Establish effective health emergency procedures, including conditions for short-term exclusion and admittance; medication administration procedures; injury prevention measures; and hygiene procedures.
  • Coordinate with Operations team to assure that facilities meet health and safety compliance regulations

• PLANNING AND ANALYSIS

• Utilize program data to plan and monitor health and nutrition services, including developing systems to assure that all children remain up to date on EPSDT requirements, evaluation and follow up treatment.

• Utilize health and nutrition trend data, community assessment, and other community indicators to inform health and wellness planning, and to target specific interventions to at risk children and families.

• Utilize health and nutrition trend data to identify areas for professional development for staff, as well as to develop health promotion and education campaigns for families

• Assure that all children in the program are up to date on EPSDT preventive health care, requirements, and receive timely follow up evaluation and treatment.
• Assure that program has documentation or has conducted health screenings for all children within HS Performance Standards 45 and 90 required time frames
• Establish monitoring systems to oversee EPSDT adherence, including follow up on expired or coming due to preventive health visits and follow up.

• RECORD KEEPING AND REPORTING
  • Maintain real time up to date accurate documentation of all health and nutrition requirements and health and nutrition screenings.
  • Assure that all child files are 100% in compliance with HSPS, licensing and company policies and procedures

 SUPERVISION

• Provide supervision to the Food Service Team.
• Interview, hire, supervise, and evaluate staff.
• Assure that staff educational development and training needs are met.
• Resolve program issues concerning staff.
• Ensure direct service and program compliance with agency standards and procedures, contract funding and accreditation standards.
• Support the program on effective staff communications and relationships.

• Promote professional development among staff and contribute to staff education.
• Maintain agency standards regarding confidentiality, quality, and productivity.
• Participate in agency meetings and committees as assigned or approved.

Education and Experience

Master’s in Nutrition Sciences, Public Health or comparable degree required. Registered Dietician or Nutritionist preferred.

QUALIFICATIONS

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Experience working with families of children 0-5 in low-income communities supporting their health, nutrition, and wellness goals
• Training and Experience in public health, nutrition sciences, nursing, health education, maternal and child health, or health administration.
• Demonstrated computer literacy skills, using MS Office applications and other basic data systems including internet navigation.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Ability to respond appropriately to the cultural differences present among the agency’s service population.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.
• Must have valid driver’s license which meets the requirements of the agency’s insurance carrier.

Full-Time with benefits

Benefits include:

• Medical Insurance (health and dental)
• 401(k) plan
• Tuition Assistance
• Life Insurance
• Vacation, Sick and Holiday pay