Assistant Director of Family Services

Description

At Easterseals of Chicagoland and Greater Rockford, we are committed to two – often interconnecting - pillars of work......early learning and disability. Through these pillars, we transform the lives of early learners and individuals of all abilities through access to expert educational, family, and community support. As an affiliate of America’s largest nonprofit health care organization, we have proudly served the communities and families of Chicagoland and Greater Rockford since 1936.

For more information about our organization, please visit us online at www.eastersealschicago.org.

The Assistant Director of Family Services provides strategic and operational leadership for all Early Learning Family Services across directly operated centers, partner sites, home visiting, and doula services. This role manages Family Services, Health, ERSEA (Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance), Home-Based programming, and Community Engagement, ensuring services are integrated to support positive child and family outcomes.

The Assistant Director is responsible for compliance with the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), ISBE requirements (PFA/PI), and all relevant federal, state, and local regulations. This position supervises the Family and Health Leadership team and works collaboratively across content areas to align systems, data, and family-centered practices.

As a member of the ELS Leadership Team, the Assistant Director of Family Services actively contributes to strategic planning, drives continuous quality improvement, and supports integrated service delivery across the program.

This position is headquartered at Easterseals Chicago Location at 1939 W 13th Street, Chicago, IL 60608.

MAJOR FUNCTIONS/ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Program Leadership & Oversight

• Provide overall leadership and oversight of Family Services across center-based, home-based, and doula services, including Health, ERSEA, and Community Engagement.
• Provide coaching, performance management, and professional development to staff.
• Ensure effective implementation of comprehensive services aligned with Head Start/Early Head Start, ISBE PFA/PI, and other funding requirements.
• Implement and regularly review policies and procedures in assigned content areas; recommend revisions based on program needs while ensuring regulatory compliance.
• In partnership with program leadership, establish program-wide benchmarks for enrollment, attendance, family services, and health outcomes, and monitor progress toward those goals.
• Oversee full enrollment and compliance with ERSEA systems, including recruitment plans, eligibility determinations, waitlists, and selection criteria.
• Ensure compliance with Early Head Start home visiting requirements are met, including frequency of visits, socializations, prenatal services, and doula supports.
• Support compliance with ISBE PFA/PI standards including family engagement requirements, home visits, parent-teacher conferences, and documentation expectations.

Program Planning, Implementation & Monitoring

• Collaborate with program leadership to align family engagement practices with the Head Start Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework.
• Promote and model a family-centered, strengths-based approach that is culturally and linguistically responsive across all service areas.
• Champion and support initiatives led by program leaders that enhance father/male engagement and authentic parent leadership.
• Ensure coordinated systems exist for program-wide parent activities and support site-level monthly family engagement events.
• Guide and support staff to increase participation in Parent Committees and coordinate all Policy Council activities to ensure shared decision-making and governance compliance.
• Actively contribute to Program Goals, School Readiness Goals, and PFCE outcomes through integrated planning.
• Provide oversight of the Head Start/Early Head Start Policy Council, ensuring systems, procedures, and practices for elections, member selection, officer roles, meetings, voting, documentation, and governance responsibilities are compliant with the Head Start Act and Performance Standards; delegate day-to-day coordination to the appropriate manager while maintaining overall accountability.
• Ensure systems are in place to meet Head Start and EHS health requirements, including medical, dental, immunizations, follow-ups, mental health referrals, and nutrition monitoring.
• Facilitate cross-content alignment by removing barriers, coordinating leadership collaboration, and ensuring integrated service delivery.
• Maintain, monitor and strengthen community partnerships and linkage agreements to expand access to resources and supports.
• Oversee ERSEA (Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance) systems, ensuring written procedures for eligibility determination, recruitment strategies, selection criteria, enrollment processes, waitlist management, attendance monitoring, and recordkeeping are fully compliant with the Head Start Act, Head Start Program Performance Standards, ISBE requirements, and other applicable regulations; delegate day-to-day coordination to the appropriate manager while maintaining overall accountability.
• Develop, strengthen, and monitor systems within ChildPlus and other data platforms to ensure accuracy, compliance, and meaningful use of data.
• Use data intentionally to inform decisions, allocate resources, identify trends, and address areas of risk or opportunity.
• Synthesize data prepared by program leaders to identify trends, elevate risks, and inform leadership-level planning.
• Monitor and support the effective functioning of ERSEA operations—including full enrollment strategies, under-enrollment action plans, community recruitment partnerships, internal monitoring, documentation accuracy, data integrity within Child Plus, and required reporting—ensuring equitable access to services, strong attendance outcomes, and alignment with program funding and compliance expectations
• Monitor and support the effective functioning of Policy Council operations—including approvals, training, meeting facilitation, recordkeeping, quorum requirements, and shared governance with the Governing Board—ensuring regulatory compliance, transparency, and authentic parent leadership across all service areas.
• Participate in and support preparation of the annual PIR and all required federal and state reporting.
• Contribute to the agency’s self-assessment process and continuous quality improvement (CQI) planning.

Professional Development & Leadership Capacity Building

• Foster reflective, relationship-based practices across all areas of family and community engagement.
• Support program leaders in developing their teams by offering leadership coaching, identifying training needs, and reinforcing consistent practices across the program.
• Plan, coordinate, and lead professional development trainings in both small and large group formats, utilizing effective adult learning strategies to ensure participant engagement and comprehension.
• Collaborate closely with the Family and Health leadership team to align priorities, drive the work forward, and provide consistent support and accountability across the program.
• Support accountability through compliance with policies and procedures, and address performance or disciplinary issues as needed.
• Travel regularly to Easterseals and partner sites to provide direct support, strengthen relationships, and ensure program consistency.
• Perform additional duties as assigned to support the mission and success of the PFCE content area and the ELS program.

Requirements

Education/Certification:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Family Studies, Social Work, Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or a related field.

Experience and Knowledge Required:

• Minimum of 5 years administrative or supervisory experience, with at least 3 years in Head Start/Early Head Start or a comparable early childhood setting.
• Strong background in inclusive practices, trauma-informed care, and supports for children with developmental delays or disabilities.
• Knowledge of Home Based/Home Visiting program services including standards and regulations.
• Experience coordinating health, mental health, and nutrition compliance systems.
• Experience building community referral networks and linkage agreements.

Skills/Abilities:

• Deep understanding of Head Start Program Performance Standards, IDEA, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations related to early childhood education, family services, disabilities, and health.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret data to assess program effectiveness, identify trends, and drive informed decision-making across service areas.
• Demonstrated experience in building and implementing systems for program planning, data-informed decision-making, and compliance monitoring across multiple service areas.
• Able to conceptualize, communicate, and evaluate program outcomes, translating complex information into actionable strategies.
• Strong ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships across all levels of the organization, including internal teams, partner sites, community agencies, and funding source personnel.
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and meeting deadlines.
• Exceptional project management skills: ability to lead complex projects from conception to fruition, with continuous follow up to ensure timely project completion.
• Technologically adept – comfort, familiarity, and ability to proficiently use variety of computer applications. Intermediate-level knowledge of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, Excel, and Canva. Ability to use internet browsers and video conferencing.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and accuracy-driven, with a strong commitment to documentation, follow-through, and quality assurance.
• Excellent interpersonal and supervisory skills, with a demonstrated ability to coach and develop managers and promote high-performing teams.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to adapt messages for various audiences including staff, families, funders, and leadership stakeholders.
• Skilled in facilitation, systems thinking, and problem-solving, with a growth mindset and commitment to continuous quality improvement.

ADA: Easterseals will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. Unless exempted by the Americans with Disabilities Act, all persons hired for this position are required to possess the ability to perform the physical tasks necessary to treat clients, i.e., bending, floor-sitting, etc., as well as to have the ability to lift up to 50 pounds frequently.

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