Roles and Responsibilities
A statewide network of local inclusion and behavior consultants is available to early care and education providers to build their capacity to:

• respond effectively to children with disabilities or challenging behaviors;
• collaborate in the development of an action plan;
• problem solve and learn new ways to respond to children’s needs;
• reflect on their relationships with children and families;
• reflect on implementation of best practices in their classrooms;
• use community resources effectively.

During the provision of on-site technical assistance, CIBC Network consultants will:

• develop relationships with staff to determine the site’s needs;
• observe the provider in the early care and education setting to develop an understanding of the provider’s request and needs;
• facilitate provider reflective practice;
• deliver a technical assistance plan responsive to the site’s ability to meet the needs of children with disabilities or challenging behaviors;
• support site implementation of strength-based teaching strategies included in the technical assistance plan;
• provide guidance to maximize the use of community resources;
• identify strategies to ensure each child’s success through partnerships between parents and providers.

Qualifications
CIBC applicants are required to have:

• experience working with children with special needs, identified disabilities, and/or challenging behaviors;
• knowledge of inclusive practices and the IDEA & ADA requirements;
• three or more years of experience teaching young children in early care and education settings;
• experience providing early childhood training, professional development, mentoring, consultation, and/or supervision;
• knowledge of social and emotional development of young children and how to promote social and emotional competence in early care and education settings;
• knowledge of relationship-based and family-centered practices;
• knowledge of community resources for children ages birth to five and their families;
• knowledge of California infant/toddler and preschool learning foundations;
• a bachelor or master’s degree and/or a certificate or credential in early childhood special education, early childhood education or child development, and/or a closely related field such as social work, early intervention, mental health, or counseling.

Commitment
Consultants accepted into the CIBC Network are expected to:

• travel to local early care and education (ECE) sites;
• participate in CIBC Network meetings and orientation trainings (face-to-face and online);
• submit reports and other data as required by the CIBC Network in a timely manner;
• participate in reflective conversations with CIBC staff throughout the consultation site visit series;
• agree to accept at least one assignment within the year.

CIBC Network consultants are contracted with WestEd CPEI to provide technical assistance to ECE programs in their community.