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.