Overview

Position Details:

  • Duration: 12 months (non-recurring, grant-funded position)
  • Reports To: VP, Deputy Director of Budgets and Operations, Regional Business Managers
  • Compensation: Consultant rate up to $60-$65/per hour for 25 hours per week for the 12-month project period as a 1099
  • Work Setting: Hybrid; includes on-site visits across Early Childhood locations (Harlem, Washington Heights, South Bronx, Northern Staten Island) and remote facilitation of workshops

Position Summary:

The Registered Dietitian/Nutrition Consultant will serve as a short-term, grant-funded consultant supporting Children’s Aid’s Early Childhood Division in implementing the Head Start Supplemental Nutrition and Healthy Eating initiative. This role will enhance food and nutrition services and promote healthy eating habits across Children’s Aid’s eight Early Childhood sites.

Funded through the OHS One-Time Supplemental Nutrition Fund (02CH012468), this position focuses on strengthening nutrition education, training food service staff, and promoting wellness practices that align with Head Start Performance Standards and healthy principles. The consultant will collaborate with the Early Childhood Central teams to support cooks, managers, and classroom educators to deliver evidence-based nutrition education and healthy food preparation practices.

This role is critical in advancing Children’s Aid’s mission to ensure children and families thrive through access to healthy food, nutrition education, and wellness supports. The consultant will help create sustainable systems of knowledge and practice that remain in place long after the one-time supplemental funding concludes.

Key Responsibilities:

Staff Training and Technical Assistance

  • Conduct professional development for cooks, managers, and classroom staff on menu planning, meal preparation consistent with USDA and Head Start nutrition standards, safe food handling, allergy prevention, and efficient kitchen operations.
  • Provide hands-on demonstrations in site kitchens to model effective meal preparation and portion control.
  • Develop and distribute user-friendly nutrition resources and visual guides to support continued staff learning.

Nutrition Education for Families

  • Design, facilitate/oversee facilitation of nutrition and cooking workshops for families using evidence-based curricula
  • Deliver family workshops in English and Spanish across program sites or virtually.
  • Address barriers to healthy eating and model affordable, culturally responsive strategies for family meal planning.

Consultation and Support

  • Provide individual or small-group nutrition consultations for families of children with identified nutrition concerns in collaboration with Health Services staff.
  • Support the development of Individual Health Care Plans (IHCPs) and ensure alignment with CACFP, HSPPS, and DOHMH Article 47 requirements.
  • Offer expertise to strengthen the nutrition components of the Early Childhood Health Manual, Parent Handbook, and classroom practices.

Data, Evaluation, and Reporting

  • Document training sessions, participation, and outcomes to support required federal reporting.
  • Track implementation of curricula and submit monthly progress summaries to the VP
  • Contribute data and recommendations to the Early Childhood Health Services Advisory Committee.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Registered Dietitian (Bachelor’s or Master’s degree) with expertise in early childhood nutrition, food service training, and public health education.
  • Bilingual in English and Spanish (required).
  • Strong understanding of Head Start Performance Standards, CACFP, and best practices in family nutrition and child wellness.
  • Experience leading workshops, conducting trainings, and developing resource materials.
  • Familiarity with curricula such as IMIL, SPARK
  • Open to learning about and implementing Children’s Aid Go!Kids curriculum
  • Demonstrated ability to apply a trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and equity-centered approach.

It is the policy of Children’s Aid to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and is dedicated to maintaining a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. Children’s Aid will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on any basis, including race, creed, color, national origin, ethnicity, alienage or citizenship status, gender/sex (including pregnancy), disability, religion, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, familial status, caregiver status, military status, marital or partnership status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking, predisposing genetic characteristics, arrest or conviction record, credit history, unemployment status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Children’s Aid is committed to complying with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Children’s Aid will conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of all allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or any violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy in a confidential manner and will take appropriate corrective action, if and where warranted. Children’s Aid prohibits retaliation against employees who provide information about, complain about, or assist in the investigation of any complaint of discrimination or violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.

The incumbent is expected to work a schedule, whether in-person or hybrid, as determined by the department’s needs to facilitate effective collaboration with the team. This flexibility is essential for maintaining seamless communication, fostering teamwork, and ensuring the smooth operation of the department’s processes. The position’s requirements are subject to periodic review and adjustment based on organizational needs and changes in work dynamics.

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