Ready by Five is Seeking an Early Childhood Professional
First Steps Kent is looking for an early childhood professional to be part of the process that ensures the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage resources are invested wisely and fairly. We are accepting applications for one early childhood professional to serve on the upcoming Resident Proposal Review Board (RPRB).
What Is Ready by Five? Kent County has a voter-approved millage dedicated to funding community-based early childhood programs. The Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage generates more than $8 million annually. The Ready by Five Resident Proposal Review Board (RPRB) has the responsibility to review requests for funding, make recommendations for funding levels, and monitor investments for maximum impact.
Requirements:
- Must be a resident of Kent County
- Individuals may not currently be employed (or employed in the last two years) by a Ready by Five-funded agency
- Degree, certification, or endorsement in early childhood, pediatrics, infant mental health, or a closely related field
- A minimum of 5-7 years working in Kent County early childhood programming
- This is a one year commitment/
- This voluntary position requires no more than 120 hours per year.
What it looks like to be a RPRB Member:
- To prepare board members, the RPRB convenes two orientations. During this time, the group learns what is required for proposals to be funded and how to score all funding request proposals. Orientation dates for 2025: Tuesday, April 15 from 3-5 p.m. and Wednesday, May 8 from 10 a.m. – noon.
- Proposals are distributed to each board member with scoring materials and directions. This will arrive around May 15, 2025.
- Each member reviews all assigned proposals and submits scores and any questions about the proposals through an online score sheet. The number of proposals can vary depending on the year, in a typical year it takes about 40 hours to review and score all proposals. Deadline to submit online scores and feedback is May 30, 2025
- The full RPRB meets for 3-5 days (depending on the number of proposals) to discuss how all members scored each proposal. During these meetings, the RPRB comes to a decision about what proposal should be funded and how much they should receive. Meeting dates for 2025 RPRB: June 11-13.
- Access to reliable technology (phone, email, computer, and internet) for communication and attending virtual meetings is needed for this position. First Steps Kent may be able to provide assistance in some situations. Please explain in your application if you wish to serve in this role but are unable to because you do not have access to technology.
Diversity and Inclusion: We are committed to creating a culture in which all individuals feel supported and recognized. The board shall include members from all areas of Kent County and include people of different ethnicities, races, religions, sexual identities, and/or genders.
How to Apply: If you are interested, please let us know by completing this online application. The last day to submit this application is Monday, March 31, 2025.