Early Care & Education Specialist:

Topeka Office ERC/RESOURCE & REFERRAL, doing business as Child Care Aware® of Eastern Kansas

About the position…

This is a great opportunity for someone interested in continuing a career in early childhood education but is ready to move beyond working in a classroom.

The Early Care & Education Specialist supports best practices in early childhood programs by teaching, coaching, and providing advanced knowledge to child care providers, educators, parents, and caregivers in areas of child development issues and developmentally appropriate practices that promote optimal learning experiences for young children. This position has a particular focus on supporting at-risk children in the areas of early literacy development to assure that children arrive at school with the skills needed for success. This is a full-time (40 hours per week) professional (exempt) position under the daily supervision of a Provider Services Manager, and accountable to the Executive Director. Although the majority of work hours will be between 8-5 Monday through Friday, this position will require occasional evening and weekend (Saturday) hours offering professional development for child care programs.

This position is in the Topeka office, serving primarily child care programs in Shawnee County. An associate’s degree in early childhood education or a closely related field is required (bachelor’s preferred).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS of the position:

1. Provide technical assistance and coaching to child care providers, educators, parents, and other caregivers, around child development issues and developmentally appropriate practices that promote optimal learning experiences for young children ages birth to 5.
2. Create and offer in-service and pre-service professional development opportunities, approved by Child Care Aware ® of Kansas or KDHE, for child care providers and teachers.
3. Support the Resource Lending Library.
4. Follow all project-specific procedures and guidelines.
5. Maintain accurate records and generate reports of all activities, including assisting with program evaluation.
6. Represent the agency in a positive and professional manner.
7. Work effectively with all members of the provider services team and the overall agency, maintaining a commitment to high-quality customer service.

The ideal candidate for this position will:

• Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Have demonstrated computer skills.
• Have effective time management skills and the ability to effectively balance multiple projects.
• Have a positive attitude and be willing to work as a member of our team.
• Enjoy working with people, by phone, and in person.
• Have a positive work history, including a good attendance record.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the different types of child care programs (i.e. child care centers, family child care, school-age programs, part-day preschools, Head Start, etc.), and possess a basic understanding of the early childhood workforce
• Have experience in a regulated child care facility serving children birth to age-5, working with children in a group.

Salary & benefits:

The typical full-time starting salary range for this position is $32,000-$38,000 per year based on education and experience. ERC offers a generous benefits package that includes paid time off, paid holidays, cafeteria benefit plan, retirement plan, life insurance, and group health insurance for all employees working 30 hours per week or more.  

About the agency…

ERC Resource & Referral, Inc., dba Child Care Aware® of Eastern Kansas is a not-for-profit agency serving 33 counties in eastern Kansas. We provide meaningful, effective, high-quality programs and services to those who interface with our agency. We work with child care providers and teachers by offering professional development, coaching, and access to resources that help them improve the quality of care offered. We also serve as the Kansas Parent Resource Center, helping families locate and choose child care that meets their family’s needs. We value teamwork, and strive to hire highly qualified people who share our passion for the agency’s mission!

Mission statement: 

ERC Resource & Referral, doing business as Child Care Aware^® of Eastern Kansas, supports the healthy development of young children by improving access to high-quality child care options and educational resources for families and early childhood professionals.

Qualified, interested candidates are encouraged to submit a resume and cover letter to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Click here to download or print the job posting in .pdf format.

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