Educational Specialist
Family Child Care Network
Day Care Council of New York
Updated: March 2026
Now in its 76th year, the Day Care Council of New York (DCCNY) is a membership, advocacy, and service organization for NYC’s early childhood education providers and families seeking quality childcare and education services. Founded in 1948 to fight for the survival of publicly funded childcare centers when federal funds were eliminated at the end of World War II, we still play several vital roles in NYC’s early childhood education system.
With a mission to seek support for and assist in developing quality early childhood education and family and group family childcare services designed to promote the proper growth and development of children and their families, DCCNY is a recognized leader in NYC’s advocacy community. We work with member agencies on labor relations, public policy, and training needs.
As a leading research and advocacy organization, we pushed for the City’s continued expansion of early childhood education, including the launch of Universal Pre-K programs, salary parity for community-based early childhood educators, and we continue to push for public support of high-quality, affordable childcare for low-income families in NYC.
Description
Working under the supervision of the Education Director, the Education Specialist will work to build and enhance quality early child care environments for children from birth to age five. More specifically, the
Education Specialist has three key goals:
- Develop and maintain relationships with affiliated programs and assess their quality.
- Support developmentally appropriate practice and curriculum implementation.
- Facilitate coaching services, professional development, and guidance for affiliated programs.
Responsibilities
While the role will evolve, specific immediate responsibilities include:
- Collaborate with the Education Director, Family Support Worker, and Monitors to meet the needs of all children and families.
- Provide twice monthly strength-based practice-based coaching to assigned affiliated providers as they implement a mixed-age curriculum.
- Adapt and provide guidance to affiliated providers on the implementation of an evidence-based curriculum for mixed-age group settings that meets the individual needs of all children.
- Review and adapt appropriate curriculum support and documents with affiliated providers that foster hands-on, developmentally appropriate, and relationship-based interactions with all children.
- Assist affiliated providers in conducting observations of children and entering child assessment data in a timely manner, and supporting its use for curriculum and lesson planning.
- Document all coaching sessions aligned with the DOE’s Early Childhood Framework for Quality (EFQ).
- Assist in ongoing outreach, enrollment, and all other administrative tasks.
- Support the Education Director in coordinating all required professional learning days.
- Maintain relationships with community partners who provide mental health, special needs, and other support services for all affiliated providers and families.
- Create and regularly update Community Partner Resource Guide within FCC Network.
- Participate in twice-monthly Network staff meetings to discuss individual providers and families and coordinate all services.
- Participate in Network staff professional learning sessions delivered.
- Other tasks as assigned by the Education Director.
As a small organization, DCCNY team members engage in multiple areas of the organization’s operation. DCCNY welcomes proposals for new initiatives from its team members and encourages candidates with a strong interest in our mission to apply.
Qualifications, Skills, Abilities, and Characteristics
The following items represent the required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience. This position requires effectively establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships within a diverse, multicultural environment.
- Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or infant and toddler studies is required.
- Previous experience teaching children aged birth to five.
- Familiarity with the NYC child care system is a plus.
- Valid NYS driver’s license and registered vehicle are strongly preferred.
- Strong computer literacy; proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google G-Suite.
- Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and organizational skills.
- Strong management and organizational skills.
- Strategic thinking with the capacity to be adaptable, navigate ambiguity, and be solution oriented.
- Bi-lingual ability in a language other than English.
- Ability to engage with internal colleagues and external constituents using diplomacy, tact, and discretion.
- Act effectively and efficiently under pressure.
- Flexibility to function in a changing work environment with the ability to set priorities and multitask.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
- Deep commitment to our mission and nuanced understanding of systemic and structural racism and inequity.
- Follow through with all projects and assignments, follow timelines, and meet scheduled deadlines.
- Be assertive and persuasive as necessary while maintaining positive and productive relationships.
- Manage light to moderate carrying and lifting of items.
Employment Period: Permanent, full-time
Hours per Week: 35 hours per week
Compensation: $50,000-$53,000.00 annually
Benefits: Eligible for benefits package offered to full-time staff
Available Positions: 1
DCCNY is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and talented team. Salary offers depend on qualifications, internal equity, and the funding supporting the role. To demonstrate our commitment to pay equity, DCCNY caps salary offers at the stated range maximum and new hires are generally not eligible for salaries at the high end of the salary range.
While DCCNY currently offers a hybrid work arrangement, some positions require up to five days in the office and regular in-person engagements with the public. This position is based at our Jamaica, Queens office and requires regular visits to our affiliated provider program sites. Visits to our main office in Manhattan may be required.
All offers of employment are contingent upon completing a background check, including verification of social security number, criminal record, and educational history.
Application Instructions
Please state the position in the subject line. We are hiring on a rolling basis and encourage interested applicants to apply as early as possible. No calls or recruiters, please.
The Day Care Council of New York is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring, and dedicated to diversity in its work and on its staff. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, experiences, orientations, and communities to apply.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $50,000.00 - $53,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Application Question(s):
- Our office is located in Jamaica, Queens, near JFK airport. This role requires on-site support for family child care providers within their home-based programs. Are you willing to be based in our Jamaica, Queens office and travel to local family child care providers' homes/programs in Jamaica, Queens to provide technical support?
- We will not consider candidates who do not have a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education. Do you have a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education?
- This role focuses on coaching family child care educators who provide child care services, so you must have teaching experience in early childhood. Do you have previous experience teaching children aged birth to 4 years?
- This role requires on site coaching of family child care educators in their home-based programs. Do you have experience working with Family Child Care providers?
Work Location: In person
