Director of Child Care Initiatives

Job description

Career Opportunities with United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut Inc.

A great place to work.

Careers At United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut Inc.

Are you ready for new challenges and new opportunities?

The Director of Child Care Initiatives leads Cora's Kids Family Child Care Network's programs, budget, staff, and external relationships. This role combines real fluency in Connecticut's early childhood system — OEC regulations, funding, and licensing — with hands‑on budget and project management, and a working understanding of educational coaching practice deep enough to supervise and mentor the coaching team directly. The Director is the network's primary point of contact with funders, partner organizations, coalitions, and the state, and is accountable for the program's financial health, staff development, and day‑to‑day execution alike.

Key Responsibilities

Budget & Financial Management

Own the program's operating budget — planning, tracking, and reporting against it across all funding sources

Manage grant‑funded budgets with full compliance accountability, from award through final reporting

Work with the Finance Team to review budgets and assess financial data

Project & Program Management

Plan and sequence the network's initiatives across the fiscal year, coordinating timelines across funders, partners, and internal staff

Track deliverables against deadlines and adjust plans proactively when a timeline is at risk, rather than after it's missed

Oversee the network's tiered service model end to end — licensing support, group learning, and individualized accreditation coaching — ensuring each piece runs on schedule and within budget

Hire and manage program staff, and create a collaborative team culture consistent with the organization's mission and values

Set performance benchmarks and accountability structures for program outcomes

Observe team members in the field and provide reflective, observation‑based mentorship of their practice

Work with team members to set clearly defined goals for provider growth and give strategic direction on how to reach them

Support staff professional development in child development, leadership, and adult learning

Assess family child care program quality using research‑based observational tools; track changes in educator skills, knowledge, and attitudes over time

Analyze and use data to assess program implementation, and report outcomes to organizational leadership

Data Management & Reporting

Own the network's relationship with its data platform, ensuring it's configured and actively used to support real program decisions and compliance reporting alike

Ensure the outcomes framework (income, satisfaction, support, quality/accreditation, child outcomes) is tracked consistently and reported accurately

Oversee the provider data‑consent process — what's collected, how it's used, and ensure it's communicated to providers in plain language

Collect, share, and use data to meet funder accountability requirements and report community‑wide data on young children

Use program data to drive sequencing and resource‑allocation decisions throughout the year

Education & Coaching Knowledge

Bring real knowledge of early childhood education and coaching practice, sufficient to meaningfully supervise and support an Educational Coach

Understand what quality coaching and accreditation support looks like in a family child care setting, and use that knowledge to guide program design decisions

Bring substantive, specific knowledge of family child care / home‑based care — the licensing pathway, the business realities, and the day‑to‑day operating context

External Stakeholder Relationships

Own and grow relationships with external stakeholders

Cultivate relationships with local and state‑level partners, attending key meetings at the local, regional, and state level

Represent the organization at community coalitions, councils, and events, including public speaking as needed

Experience and Education

Required

Deep, working knowledge of Connecticut's early childhood system — OEC regulations, funding streams, and licensing specifically

Demonstrated budget management experience, including multi‑source or grant‑funded budgets

Demonstrated project management experience — planning, sequencing, and delivering against timelines across multiple workstreams

Substantive knowledge of family child care / home‑based care specifically

Strong, proven external stakeholder relationship management across funders, partner organizations, and providers

Strong written and oral communication skills; comfortable with public speaking

Computer skills including Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel

Ability to work effectively with people from a wide variety of backgrounds

Preferred

Background in early childhood education or coaching, in addition to administrative/leadership experience

Prior nonprofit program leadership or director‑level experience

Familiarity with the CDA and NAFCC accreditation pathways

Statements in this Job Description are intended to describe the general nature of work being performed. They are not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position.

Salary Range: $75,000 to $85,000

United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut includes an excellent benefits package and flexible working arrangements:

Health Insurance – medical, dental, and vision

Life Insurance, short‑term disability, long‑term disability, and related coverage

United Way is an equal‑opportunity employer and seeks to hire staff members who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. All positions are filled without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, employment status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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Worksite address

danbury, CT, 06813, US

Who can apply

Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.