Health and Nutrition Specialist

About the role

Early Connections Learning Centers provides high-quality early care and education for children and families across the Pikes Peak region. Since 1897, we have helped young children build a strong foundation for learning, relationships, and lifelong success. Every role at Early Connections contributes to our mission. Together, we create safe, healthy, inclusive, and nurturing environments where children can thrive.

Essential Duties

• Maintain complete, accurate, and current child health records in child management software, such as Playground, Child Plus, or similar software.
• Monitor child health compliance and follow up with families to obtain required records, screenings, and documentation within established timelines.
• Conduct hearing and vision screenings upon enrollment and at required intervals in accordance with licensing and Head Start requirements.
• Provide families with health education, referrals, and community resources, and document follow-up as appropriate.
• Receive Medication Delegation from the contracted Child Care Health Consultant and serve as a delegated medication administrator and backup for centers as needed.
• Partner with the Child Care Health Consultant to support medication administration, health regulations, licensing standards, best practices, and continuous quality improvement.
• Maintain health and medical resources, including medical manuals, classroom first aid kits, emergency supplies, and health-related documentation.
• Coordinate, facilitate, and monitor First Aid/CPR certification requirements for staff, including scheduling and conducting training as needed.
• Orient and train new employees on health procedures, medication administration, illness exclusion, infection control, and other health and safety practices.

Nutrition and Food Program Services

• Administer and oversee the Child and Adult Care Food Program, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and agency regulations, policies, and recordkeeping requirements.
• Cook and oversee meal services for all centers in partnership with the food service vendor, including meal ordering, menu implementation, monitoring reviews, and reimbursement requests.
• Review, approve, and maintain special diet statements, food allergies, and medical meal accommodations in collaboration with families, health care providers, enrollment staff, center staff, and the food vendor.
• Conduct required CACFP monitoring visits, documentation reviews, and corrective action follow-up.
• Provide annual CACFP training and ongoing technical assistance to center staff regarding meal service procedures, meal counts, family-style dining, food safety, and program compliance.
• Maintain food service operations for sanitation, food safety, licensing, and program compliance, addressing concerns in a timely manner.
• Partner with Center Directors and the Vice President of Center Operations to identify, communicate, and resolve health, nutrition, and food service concerns affecting children, staff, or program compliance.

Qualifications

• Current First Aid/CPR Instructor Certification preferred, or willingness to obtain certification.
• Experience in pediatric, child care, school health, public health, nutrition, or related services preferred.
• Prior to employment, candidate must pass federal and state criminal and Colorado Department of Early Childhood background checks, pre-employment drug screen, physical, and verification of employment, education and/or credentials and, by position, valid driver’s license.