Child Care Aware of Minnesota is a statewide early childhood leader driving change through partnerships to build an equitable, high-quality early care and education system that meets the needs of Minnesota’s families and children. We pride ourselves on being a great place to work, offering competitive benefits, a flexible work environment, and opportunities for long-term professional growth. We are looking for team members who are passionate, adaptable, and interested in high-impact work that influences systems statewide. Embedding equity in organizational practices is a core value, and we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in hiring, promotion, and workplace culture.

Position Description 

The Somali-English Bilingual Child Care Startup and Retention Navigator will contribute to local and statewide efforts to improve access to child care for families by increasing the supply of high-quality, licensed child care programs, specifically those that serve Somali communities. Central to this work will be recruiting Somali individuals and Somali-led organizations interested in becoming licensed child care providers and assisting providers in starting new licensed child care programs, retaining existing programs that may be at risk of closing, and expanding programs with the potential to grow. The geographic focus of this position is the seven-county Metro area, with the possibility of a future expanded focus including the St. Cloud area and Southeastern Minnesota (Faribault and Rochester areas).

Duties & Responsibilities  

1. Assess Somali communities’ child care capacity building needs in the seven-county Metro area, the St. Cloud area, and Southeastern Minnesota (Faribault and Rochester areas).
   • Meet with Somali child care providers in the geographic areas most in need to assess their specific needs for support
   • Meet with Somali community leaders and staff of Somali-led community organizations to discuss additional resources available for language access and culturally relevant outreach

2. Assist new and existing Somali child care providers:
   • Assist individuals and organizations in starting a licensed child care program and sustaining or expanding existing licensed child care programs, including through individualized coaching and mentoring and through nurturing peer learning communities and networks.
   • Provide assistance on child care licensing, such as filling out the application and understanding regulations.
   • Assist with program standards and best practices, such as policies and contracts, and program environment setup.
   • Provide assistance on business management, such as budget and marketing.
   • Connect new and existing child care providers with resources, including financial support, professional development training, and business training and coaching.
   • Encourage child care providers to join Parent Aware, Minnesota’s statewide child care quality rating and improvement system.
   • Identify and implement long-term, systemic solutions for challenges that new and existing providers face to ensure sustainable change.
   • Utilize diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and principles to ensure equity for all racial and ethnic groups in providing assistance and creating connections with resources, including bridging understanding of licensing and program requirements across cultural differences.

3. Coordinate and implement outreach strategies for the recruitment of Somali providers: Implement outreach and recruitment activities to identify and recruit individuals and organizations interested in starting new licensed child care programs or expanding existing ones.
   • Utilize provided market research reports and child care supply and demand data in combination with knowledge of local communities to focus recruitment activities strategically.
   • Coordinate local outreach and recruitment materials with a statewide marketing and outreach campaign, ensuring that outreach and recruitment materials are culturally relevant and available in the Somali language.
   • Assess potential child care providers’ interest and readiness for starting a child care business.
   • Utilize diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and principles to ensure equity for all racial and ethnic groups in recruitment.

4. Collaborate with community partners:
   • Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with community partners interested in increasing families’ access to child care, who may have relationships and connections with potential providers.
   • Develop and maintain collaborative relationships and referral processes with local community partners who also assist new and existing child care programs, including those providing professional development training, financial support, and business startup resources, such as First Children’s Finance.
   • Develop and maintain relationships with Somali-led community organizations and organizations serving Somali communities to ensure culturally responsive recruitment and assistance activities.
   • Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with child care licensors, including participating in county child care licensing orientations, maintaining knowledge of licensing timelines, and working closely with licensors to ensure applicants have the support they need.
   • Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with other community organizations, including child care associations, parent groups, school districts, businesses, and foundations.

5. Collaborate with the broader Child Care Aware system:
   • Collaborate with Child Care Startup and Retention Navigators working in the Child Care Aware system in the same service area and other parts of the state and with other Child Care Aware staff, including Parent Aware recruiters and quality coaches, CLASS coaches, grants administrators, professional development staff and advisors, and Coordinating Office staff.
   • Connect providers to professional development training opportunities, grants, and Parent Aware coaching.
   • Participate in meetings with Child Care Startup and Retention Navigators in the same service area and other parts of the state to share successes and challenges and collectively refine capacity-building strategies.
   • Contribute to developing and maintaining referral processes across Child Care Aware system services.

6. Utilize and maintain data and documentation
   • Maintain records of recruitment and assistance activities in a case management system, ensuring regular updates, confidentiality, and accuracy.
   • Analyze data recorded in the case management system to guide capacity building activities, to allocate assistance resources based on need, and to monitor equity in program outcomes.
   • Create and share reports to communicate participant experiences and program progress and to contribute to efforts to identify and address systemic barriers and inequities, especially those affecting Somali providers.

7. Support the organization’s mission, vision, strategic plan and anti-racism goals by participating in activities and professional development opportunities.
   • Participate in staff meetings, workgroups, or task forces to assist with achieving the organization’s goals
   • Assist CCA with implementing the organization’s strategic plans by embedding the goals into the everyday work
   • Participate in professional development activities to strengthen your understanding and skills around diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism

Minimum Qualifications

• Proficient in Somali and English
• A high school diploma/GED
• One of the following combinations of experience and training:
  • 4 years of experience in early childhood education and 25 hours of Develop-approved training in early childhood education within the last five years, or a commitment to complete this training after hire
  • 120 hours of Develop-approved training or a commitment to complete this training after hire
  • Step 6 or higher on the MN Career Lattice
• Ability to provide individualized coaching and mentoring with care and patience as part of a collaborative community network.
• Ability to work independently, resourceful and adaptable, and work within a flexible schedule. Some evenings and weekend hours may be required.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, planning, and prioritization skills.
• Must be able to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrated intercultural competency skills and experience working cross-culturally, with a commitment to incorporating the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion into your work.
• Must have knowledge of the impact of historical and contemporary inequities.
• Must be familiar with community resources to support various goals and work effectively and cooperatively with partners to carry out job activities.
• Must hold a valid driver’s license, current insurance coverage if using own vehicle, and be able to arrange own transportation.
• Demonstrated ability in intercultural competency skills and experience working cross-culturally, and experience incorporating skills and principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism into your work and the work of others

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in child development, early childhood education, or a related field.
• One year of working in a licensed child care setting.
• Knowledge of MN Rule 2 and/or Rule 3 child care licensing regulations.
• Knowledge of family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care and legally non-licensed (LNL) child care.
• Experience as the owner or director of a licensed family child care program, group family child care program, or child care center. Experience starting a child care program is strongly preferred.
• Experience with community organizing, community engagement, and outreach.

Working Conditions

• Full-time, exempt
• Flexible scheduling, with occasional non-standard hours, including evenings and weekends
• Family-friendly work culture
• Hybrid work arrangement that blends working virtually and onsite
• May require sitting or a stationary position for extended periods
• Occasional travel

Compensation: $43,617.00 to $51,251.00 annually, plus an additional $2,000 a year for lifestyle expenses

Competitive Benefits Package:

Medical and Dental Insurance

• Medical insurance is available through Medica, and dental insurance is available through Health Partners for single or family coverage.
• CCA covers 70-80% of medical and dental insurance coverage
• A health care flexible spending account
• Vision insurance is available through Sun Life

Disability Leave

• Short and long-term disability coverage through Sun Life
• CCA covers 100% of the coverage       

Basic Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D):

• Coverage is guaranteed up to $50,000 and available through Sun Life
• CCA covers 100% of the coverage Paid Time Off
• Vacation hours, accrued based on years of service, ranging from 10 to 30 days per year
• 12 scheduled holidays
• 3 Personal Days
• 12 Sick days per year
• Up to three weeks of 100% paid parental leave that can be used in addition to sick hours accrued

Retirement Benefits

• 401k – employer matches up to 5%
• Available after 6 months of employment

Employee Well-being

• Employee assistance program, including telephone counseling, financial counseling, rideshare benefits, etc.
• Wellness Hours – 2 hours per week of paid time off for wellness
• Flexible spending accounts for dependent care
• Flexible work schedule and a hybrid work environment

Career Development

• Professional development opportunities with additional funds for career development
• Qualifies as a public service organization for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Interested candidates should APPLY HERE with a resume by August 4, 2025.

Child Care Aware of Minnesota is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. We encourage interested applicants from all backgrounds to apply.