Status: Full-time Permanent
Location:
St. Catharines, Ontario
Open
Date: October 8, 2025
Who We Are
Niagara Children’s Centre is
recognized throughout the Niagara Region as the provider of rehabilitation and
support services to children and youth with physical, developmental and
communicative delays and disabilities.
Core services include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and
language services, augmentative and alternative communication, family services
and therapeutic recreation. Our family-centred programs aim at helping each
child achieve their own unique potential within their home, school and in the
community.
As an employee of the Centre,
you will be part of a community dedicated to creating a welcoming and
supportive environment for the children and youth we serve. We are a place where families are at the
heart of all we do. We continue to provide innovative ways of delivering high
quality services and strengthening our family-centred care philosophy. We want
to see “Niagara’s Children and Youth at Their Best!” Join a team that makes a
real difference in the lives of children and youth every day.
The Role
The Inclusion Quality Coordinator (IQC) plays a key role in
supporting both licensed centre-based childcare, and/or Early ON to implement
inclusive, high-quality practices and services that meet the diverse needs of
children and families in the Niagara Region. Working within the Inclusion
Resource Support Model, (IRSM) the IQC collaborates with educators, childcare
staff, families, and community partners to foster environments that are
equitable, accessible, and responsive to all children, including those with
identified or emerging special needs. This description highlights the
coordinator’s direct impact on program quality, inclusive practices, and
support for children and families.
Key Responsibilities:
Program Delivery
Delivering Inclusive Quality supports
across all three tiers within IRSM
·
Provide direct service delivery (80%
of total time) supporting children and educators as per the three-tiered model:
- Tier 1 - Supporting all educators to create inclusive environments for
all children to thrive
- Tier 2 - Focusing on strategies and resources to support specific
children and educators that may require additional supports individually or
within a group
- Tier 3 - Supporting children with extensive needs, requiring wraparound
services and coordination between educators, families, medical professionals
and IRSM supports.
·
Engage families on an on-going basis
in a meaningful and sustainable way, building trust, two-way communication,
shared decision-making and respecting cultural and individual diversity
·
Create inclusive and culturally
responsive spaces acknowledging, reflecting, celebrating diverse family
structures and practices.
·
Work collaboratively with families,
educators, CPAs and therapists to develop support plans that are strength-based
and reflects the families’ priorities and preferences for a seamless experience
for the families.
·
Maximize direct support and minimize
administrative burden and provide at least 80% of time to direct service
delivery (in-program observations, modelling, family engagement, assessments,
quality reviews)
·
Provide in-direct delivery (out of
program) such as developing program plans/ISPs, reviewing data, meetings with
community partners, documentation, applications or referrals
Inclusive
Practice Support
·
Work directly with childcare
programs to promote and embed inclusive principles aligned with How Does
Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years.
·
Review and reflect on the
emerging research on Special Needs Resourcing and inclusion, including
information from reflective supervision to gain insight into their practices
and improve their effectiveness.
·
Reduce barriers for children by
supporting educators to make programs and environments accessible, inclusive
and welcoming.
·
Support educators in adapting
environments, routines, and teaching strategies to meet the individual needs of
children.
·
Provide consultation, coaching,
and mentoring to childcare staff on inclusive strategies, early identification,
and responsive programming.
·
Enhance the understanding and
breadth and depth of supports and services provided by the system to children
with special needs and through the inclusion Resource Service Model.
Program
Quality Enhancement
·
Collaborate with childcare
providers to develop and implement quality improvement goals related to
inclusion and equity.
·
Monitor progress and provide
follow-up support, modeling best practices and offering constructive feedback.
·
Contribute to the continuous
enhancement of program environments and educator capacity.
·
Understand, use and leverage
the data gathered from various metrics of the IRSM.
·
Review and examine the creation
of a new qualitative tool that focuses on capturing strengths observed by
educators, parents/caregivers and when possible the child.
Collaboration
and Capacity Building
·
Partner with families to ensure
their voices are reflected in programming and support planning and encourage
family participation in learning.
·
Collaboration between families
and professionals to create supportive environments and achieve the best
outcomes for all.
·
Liaise with community agencies,
therapists, and other service providers to promote coordinated care.
·
Collaborate with Early ON and
licensed child-care providers to create strategies to support optimal child
development, reduce stigma and increase the capacity of educators.
·
Provide service navigation,
referring families to establish pathways of care and create opportunities for
other practitioners to engage with IQCs, educators and families
·
Provide coaching, role
modeling, mentorship and training to childcare staff to build capacity and make
sure needs are met
·
Facilitate or support
professional learning opportunities for childcare staff on topics related to
inclusion, child development, and family engagement.
Documentation
and Planning
·
Maintain accurate records of
support provided to programs, including observations, action plans, and outcome
tracking. In accordance with Centre standards and IRSM direction.
·
Participate in team meetings,
case conferences, Centre, IRSM and regional initiatives related to early years,
inclusion and special needs supports.
·
Ensure practices align with
privacy legislation (e.g., PHIPA, MFIPPA) and organizational policies.
Health and
Safety
The Inclusion
Quality Coordinators will comply with the duties assigned to Workers as per
Section 28 of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Accountability
and Freedom to Act:
The incumbent has
latitude for discretion within practices and procedures covered by precedents,
Centre policy and procedure manuals and supervisory review. It is also subject
to Centre policy, IRSM and other external program models.
Key
Relationships:
The Inclusion
Quality Coordinator is concerned with the effectiveness of all
relationships that affect the Centre.
The following are particularly significant to the position:
External
·
Children with special needs,
their families and other caregivers
·
Staff in various settings such
as; centre-based childcare, Early ON Centres and Early ON sites
·
Staff from within the IRSM
·
Staff from supporting agencies
involved in the child’s care
Internal
·
Clinical managers and clinical
staff
Performance Factors:
In assessing the performance of an
incumbent in this position, the following factors will be utilized as
appropriate:
·
Relationships and engagement – building
relationships; the level of cooperation and collaboration with clients and
families, staff from other agencies, and other members of the team
·
Meeting established standards
in the provision of direct program delivery and in-direct program delivery
·
Continuous quality improvement
– engaging in regular planning, evaluations, performance measurement, and
development to improve service delivery
·
Collaborative decision-making –
that promotes inclusive and culturally safe decision-making involving the
child, family and community where appropriate
·
Inclusive leadership and
organizational culture – demonstrating values like accountability, inclusion,
respect, innovation, mentorship and team collaboration
·
Documentation quality,
timeliness, completeness, professional standards adherence
Qualifications:
·
Registered Early Childhood
Educator (RECE) in good standing with the College of Early Childhood Educators
is required.
·
Diploma/Degree in Early
Childhood Education or related human services field (e.g., Child and Youth
Work, Developmental Services, Social Work, Resource Consultant).
Experience and
Core Competencies
·
Minimum 3 years of experience in
early childhood education or related sector, preferably in inclusive or special
needs settings.
·
Strong understanding of child
development, inclusive pedagogy, and the Ontario childcare framework.
·
In-depth knowledge of
developmental milestones from birth to 6 years of age, understanding physical,
developmental, behavioural, emotional and communication related disabilities
and inclusion strategies
·
Strong communication, coaching,
problem-solving and solution-focused, and conflict-resolution skills.
·
Family- centred approach –
prioritizing families and their needs and preferences, recognizing them as the
experts in their own lives.
·
Excellent interpersonal,
communication, coaching, and relationship-building skills.
·
Experience supporting children
with exceptionalities or working in a resource consultant or support role.
·
Some training in adult
education, coaching, or trauma-informed care.
·
Knowledge of Niagara Region’s
early years service system and community resources.
·
Proficiency in using Microsoft
Office and electronic documentation systems.
Other:
·
Valid Ontario Driver’s License
and access to a reliable vehicle for travel across the Niagara Region.
·
A current criminal reference
check for vulnerable populations
·
Bilingualism is a strong asset
·
CPR certification
·
Evidence of non-violent crisis
intervention training
·
Work is community-based with
regular travel to licensed childcare programs across the Niagara Region.
·
May require flexible or
extended hours to accommodate training sessions, child appointments and family
meetings outside standard business hours.
Why Join Us?
·
We provide a total rewards package that
supports your well-being and supports and encourages continuous professional
development and growth.
·
Provide a competitive hiring range of $54,619
-$64,258 commensurate with experience.
·
Participation in a Defined Benefit
Pension Plan (HOOPP) from day one of employment with us, we offer healthcare
and dental benefits, and access to the Employee and Family Assistance program.
Application Process
If you are inspired by the work of
Niagara Children’s Centre and would like to join our team, we want to hear from
you! To review the job description and pursue
this career opportunity, please visit our website at www.niagarachildrenscentre.com
We will be reviewing candidate
submissions as they are received and move forward with interviews. Early
submission is encouraged.
Niagara Children’s Centre is committed
to fair and accessible employment practices. Upon request, suitable
accommodation is available under the Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA) to applicants invited to an
interview.
We thank all those who apply but only
those selected for further consideration will be contacted. The selected
candidate will be required to participate in a Criminal Background Check.