Quality Rated Family Support Call Center Specialist

Closing Date: May 6, 2025

Salary: $35,618.70 - $46,245.72 - Commensurate with education and experience                          

Job Code: GST122

Pay Grade: H

Location: This position will require travel to DECAL headquarters in Atlanta at least

twice a week in the first six months and occasional travel to the office thereafter.

Please submit a resume and cover letter.

Job Description:

The Quality Rated (QR) Family Support Center Referral Specialist reports to the QR Family Support Center Manager. Under general supervision, the QR Family Support Call Center Referral Specialist will be part of a team that operates the 1-877-ALL-GA-KIDS phone line within the DECAL Contact Center System and handles inquiries from families searching for child care and information about QR and other DECAL programs. The person in this position answers questions about QR, the importance and benefits of quality child care, the star rating requirements and payments system and processes, and conducts searches of the QR program database to provide child care referrals to families. The Referral Specialist will also be cross-trained to assist the QR Provider Support Help Desk with inquiries from QR providers. The Referral Specialist also uses the Contact Center System to provide support to families and providers who contact them with non-QR questions by referring them and their requests to the relevant DECAL programs that can assist them. Additionally, the Specialist is part of the team that will report on the Family Support Center activities, such as call volume, numbers of regular and enhanced referrals, and the reasons they are unable to provide referrals. Additionally, the team will update child care provider rate and contact data twice a year for storage in the DECAL provider database for use by the agency and perform other data collection services as needed. The position is home-based, but will require travel to DECAL headquarters in Atlanta at least twice a week in the first six months of the position, and occasional travel to the office thereafter.

Job Responsibilities:

·       Provides family and provider support and assistance. This includes:

o   Receiving and responding to phone calls, emails, and chat inquiries from families seeking information about QR and quality child care, as well as from providers with questions about Quality Rated.

o   Conducting searches of the QR database to find suitable child care programs and providing referrals.

o   Offering enhanced referral services to help families with the enrollment process at their chosen programs.

o   Referring families to appropriate DECAL departments for questions unrelated to Quality Rated child care.

o   Providing technical assistance to families with limited computer skills.

·       Supports data management and reporting. This includes:

o   Reporting on Family Support Center activities, including call volume and referral statistics.

o   Updating child care provider rate and contact data for storage in the DECAL provider database.

o   Maintaining an accurate phone log of all communications.

·       Performs other administrative support tasks. This includes:

o   Providing administrative support to the QR Family Support Center Manager and Lead Specialist.

o   Serving as an organizational resource in assigned areas.

·       Demonstrates high standards of customer service and communication. This includes:

o   Proficiently operating Support Center tools to communicate with families, providers, and DECAL colleagues.

o   Maintaining knowledge of the QR child care system and other DECAL programs that relate to family and provider needs.

o   Following established protocols and meeting performance standards for high-quality customer service.

o   Using proper judgment in responding to requests and determining when to escalate issues to management.

Technical Competencies:

• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and work independently as well as in team environments, often under tight deadline situations
• Ability to be resourceful and proactive in dealing with issues that may arise
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of work-related information and materials
• Effective interpersonal as well as strong oral and written communications skills
• Experience working cooperatively with others as part of a work team
• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, EXCEL, and SharePoint, as well as ShareFile
• Excellent organizational skills
• Excellent customer service skills
• Excellent oral, written, analytical, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills in English; Oral and written proficiency in Spanish, a plus

Agency Minimum Qualifications (HRA):

·       High school diploma or GED and three (3) years of experience communicating information in a customer service setting; or two (2) years of experience required at the lower level Customer Service Rep 2 (GST121).

·        

Agency Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Early Childhood Education or related field
• Two (2) years of related experience in child care or related field
• Experience working in a customer service call center

• Knowledge of DECAL, Quality Rated (QR), and Child Care Services (CCS) policies, procedures, and rules

Physical Requirements:

•                Work is typically performed in an environment with intermittent sitting, standing, or walking in various settings.

•                The ability to speak clearly, to hear and understand at a normal conversational level, and to receive detailed information through verbal communication

•                Close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading and visual inspection.

•                Full range of hand and finger motion for data entry purposes.

Recruitment Pool: Opened to all qualified candidates

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is a family-friendly employer, offering flexible work schedules (at supervisory discretion) and a comprehensive compensation package, to include healthcare, retirement, 401-k match, and elective options for dental, vision, AD&D, short and long-term disability, and life insurance. Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is an equal opportunity employer and drug-free workplace. A background check will be completed upon hire, which may consist of any or all of the following: criminal and employment histories, credit history (as applicable to the position), education credentials, and motor vehicle driving records.

If you are an individual with a disability who may require assistance or other reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the selection process for this position, you may contact our HR department at 404-656-3922. Due to the volume of submissions received by this office, information concerning application or interview status cannot be provided in writing, over the phone, or in person. All applicants who submit a complete application package will be considered but may not necessarily receive notification or an interview. The job posting may be subject to being closed at any time without notice. Only those qualified candidates who are selected for an interview shall receive notification upon the filling of this vacancy.

Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is an equal opportunity employer.