Early Childhood Development Program Assistant

Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (www.Rescue.org) is a world leader in relief, rehabilitation and post-conflict development services for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression. The IRC is currently working in over 25 countries around the world, addressing both the immediate and life-saving needs of conflict affected people in emergencies and the reconstruction needs of post-conflict societies.

High-quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs provide the foundation for children’s future academic success, health, prosperity and wellbeing. A large body of scientific evidence emphasizes the need for increased investment in early childhood, particularly for children experiencing conflict, crisis and displacement; these children are extremely vulnerable to the long-lasting effects that prolonged stress has on the developing brain.

In December 2017, Sesame Workshop and the IRC were awarded the MacArthur Foundation’s inaugural 100&Change grant to make real progress toward solving a critical problem of our time. With the extraordinary investment of $100 million, our partnership will transform the language, early reading, math, and social-emotional skills of a generation of children ages 0-8 affected by the Syrian war. Focusing on children in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria over the next five years, the plan combines the depth of in-person services, reaching 1.5 million children, with the breadth of mass media, reaching 9.4 million children

The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Inside Syria, 7.6 million people are internally displaced and 12.2 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, with 4.8 million in hard-to-reach areas. There are 4 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes and infrastructure will take years to repair.

The IRC is offering a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis. IRC is undertaking programs in Syria and the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan in the fields of health, child protection, education, women’s protection and empowerment, NFI and food distribution, cash assistance, water and sanitation, and livelihood programming. Our work in these challenging settings gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, security, funding and coordination.

Job Overview/Summary:

ECD Assistant will be based in Hezreh Office with frequent visits to the ECD Center in Armanaz. She/He will provide ECD activities through center and community based approaches in Idlib for children and caregivers. The ECD Assistant will provide young children (0-8) with higher quality early learning environment in temporary settings by engaging them in tailored activities, specialized viewings, and modular games. The ECD Assistant also will support the provision of tailored sessions for caregivers on their roles in supporting ECD through awareness raising messages and structured ECD sessions in different modalities

The ECD Assistant will be part of a mobile team that will work in various displaced communities and will be responsible for providing ECD activities. S/He will also provide psychosocial first aid and referrals to needed services within communities in Northern Syria.

Key Responsibilities:

Coaching and Facilitation:

•Facilitate an interactive ECD sessions and activities for children ages (0-8) years old.

•Facilitate an interactive ECD sessions and activities for caregivers.

•Create space and stimulating learning environment through utilizing education, learning, and coaching materials throughout the lessons.

•Facilitate increasing the awareness around ECD through dissemination of ECD bank of messages within the community.

•Follow and implement the IRC ECD/Ahlan Simsim curricula and lessons accurately and any other ECD/ educational materials as needed.

•Make sure that all information are gathered and shared with the relative staff on a timely manner.

•Collect data as required and report accurate data reflecting the M&E guidance.

•Carry out psychosocial first aid for persons who have experienced trauma, refer cases to existing services when needed.

•Support with establishing formalized referral pathways within the communities of work to available services.

•Raise awareness regarding the availability of ECD services.

•Participate in capacity building trainings as directed by supervisor.

•Participate in regular supervision meetings with supervisor.

•Follow a pre-prepared schedule of activities in agreed communities.

•Learn and improve activities based on feedback and M&E information.

•Undertake other tasks as assigned by the IRC supervisor to enable and contribute to IRC’s programming.

Monitoring and Reporting:

•Collect data as required by program and the M&E guidance.

•Conduct key informant interviews and focus group discussions in order to periodically assess needs of children, women and girls in the community and validate the current curriculums.

•Maintain complete, accurate, and confidential case files to document beneficiaries interactions and interventions using IRC tools.

•Contribute to randomized selection of beneficiaries for M&E visits, support M&E assistant visits with beneficiaries.

•Ensure daily reporting of attendance per activity and ensure that the collected data is accurate.

•Contribute to weekly, monthly and quarterly reports as requested to provide information on activities conducted, topics discussed, challenges faced and success stories.

Coordination, Mobilization and Community engagement:

•Provide introduction and awareness sessions on ECD programand Ahlan Simsim project to local community Leaders.

•In close coordination with his/er direct supervisor, follow-up on commitments by leaders to facilitate the ECD sessions for children and Caregivers.

•Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all relevant stakeholders including IRC staff from other programs, and local communities.

•In close cooperation with his/er direct supervisor, mobilize and facilitate the engagement of local stakeholder during planning, implementation and finalizing the cycle of the ECD activities and Ahlan Simsim sessions

•Mobilize and facilitate active participation of children and their caregivers in the local communities in close coordination with his/er supervisor.

•Work closely with the field managers and HAT staff in the field to coordinate the ECD sessions/visits.

•Coordinate with IRC ECD staffbased in Amman based to ensure proper sessions and implementation in place.

•Maintain effective coordination and communication with the IRC ECD staff based in Amman to provide support and detailed information for the program implementation.

Others:

•Other relevant duties as assigned by the supervisor to support the implementation of the program;

•All IRC staff are required to adhere to the IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: ECD Quality Control Officer-HZR

Indirect Reporting: ECD Manager, ECD Quality Control Officer-ARZ

Other Internal and/or external contacts: ECD Program staff, Partners’ staff as needed, and IRC staff working in the field including Area and HAT staff, and other sectors (Protection, Health, ERD).