Child and Family Consultant

Organization Overview

Smart Start of Mecklenburg County is a Charlotte-based nonprofit that invests in programs for children from birth to age five and their families. Its work centers on health, family support, early learning, and literacy, with the goal of helping young children enter kindergarten healthy and ready to thrive. The organization brings together funding from the state of North Carolina, Mecklenburg County, private gifts, and grants, and it supports evidence-based policies and programs across the greater Charlotte area.

The organization manages a budget of more than $35 million and annually funds about 25 programs serving over 25,000 young children and family members. It also administers Mecklenburg County’s MECK Pre-K initiative, which offers free pre-kindergarten in the community, and runs internal efforts such as Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Guiding Parents to Services, The Basics Mecklenburg, and Parent Powered. In addition, it plays a leading role in research, data, convening, and cross-sector collaboration related to prenatal-to-5 issues.

Position Summary

The Child and Family Consultant will partner with the Child Development and Family Support Director and the Mecklenburg County social worker assigned to MPK to provide coordinated support to children, families, teachers, and site providers. The role serves as a key resource for MPK sites and families by offering communication, materials, consultation, and referral support so services align with program requirements, county and state standards, and best practices.

This position focuses on building strong family-provider-program partnerships and helping teachers better understand and respond to the needs of individual children. The consultant may also work with community organizations and state-level consultants to support consistent service delivery and compliance with state policy.

Key Responsibilities

The role includes hands-on support for MECK Pre-K students, families, teachers, and providers, along with coaching, technical assistance, documentation, and collaboration across internal and external partners.

• Partner with MPK leadership to shape and carry out county-level family engagement and support practices.
• Work closely with Registration and Intake Specialists and Success Coaches to ensure timely, well-rounded support for children, families, teachers, and site providers.
• Model high-quality family and child-centered service delivery in line with state and MPK policies and procedures.
• Remove participation barriers such as language needs or disabilities so families can engage fully during enrollment and meet engagement expectations.
• Build productive relationships with families, center leaders, and community partners while maintaining clear and timely communication.
• Provide coaching and technical assistance to teaching teams, with emphasis on social-emotional development and family support.
• Maintain, update, and share resources for parents and staff, including print and web-based materials and equipment tied to social-emotional development and family support.
• Act as a bridge between the MPK program, teachers, families, site providers, and the Mecklenburg County social worker to support referrals and access to services.
• Observe teachers in the classroom, offer training, and promote positive guidance strategies that increase desired behaviors and reduce challenging behaviors in academic and social settings.
• Share positive discipline and guidance approaches with families to strengthen parenting practices and align home and classroom support.
• Help teachers and site providers identify and adjust classroom or center practices that may interfere with smooth program operations.
• Seek guidance from the MPK team or outside agencies when needed to better understand program tools and practices such as Creative Curriculum, TS Gold Assessment, and NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development.
• Work with Success Coaches to help teachers implement evidence-based strategies for children with unique learning needs or challenges.
• Participate in IEP meetings involving site administrators, classroom teachers, parents, MPK staff, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools staff when needed.
• Contribute to needs assessments for teachers, administrators, and families through surveys, then help translate the findings into recommendations for support, process changes, materials, or professional development.
• Attend required professional development for MPK teachers, site providers, and internal team members.
• Help design and deliver professional learning that strengthens staff capability in social-emotional development and family support.
• Support the Mecklenburg County social worker in maintaining forms, databases, observations, service records, resources provided, goals, and related documentation for MPK support services.
• Prepare and interpret reports for leadership and other stakeholders as needed.
• Work with Registration and Intake Specialists to review attendance records and tardiness barriers to determine whether intervention is needed.
• Use database tools and Microsoft Office applications effectively, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with internal teams and external partners, both verbally and in writing.
• Keep complete records of coaching, technical assistance, training, referrals, family visits, interventions, and related activities in the central database.
• Provide observations and recommendations to MPK leadership on emerging challenges, trends, and support needs affecting children and families.

Experience and Education

A bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Child Psychology, or a related discipline is required, although equivalent education and experience may be considered.

The ideal candidate will have at least three years of successful direct-service experience with young children and families in a professional environment. An additional two years of progressive administrative leadership experience in early education is preferred, especially experience that includes family engagement and training, consulting, or technical assistance to staff.

Working Conditions

This is a full-time exempt position with substantial flexibility and the option for remote work. The schedule may occasionally require evening or weekend hours depending on operational needs.

The role is based in Charlotte, NC and involves a limited amount of travel, mostly local during the business day to MECK Pre-K sites, with some out-of-area or overnight travel possible. Shared office space may also be used.

Physical requirements include regular speaking and hearing, frequent standing and walking, and regular use of the hands and arms for handling, reaching, and other tasks. Vision requirements include close, distance, color, peripheral, depth, and focus adjustment abilities.

Additional Notes

Job duties may change at any time with or without notice. The organization states that it provides equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.