Family Advocate I - Full-time

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families? Join our team as a Family Advocate with Head Start, Inc. and be a part of a mission-driven organization that values your dedication and commitment. Enjoy competitive pay, 15 paid program holidays (including Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring breaks), summers off, generous PTO, and a comprehensive benefit package that supports your well-being. Take the next step in your career and help us empower families and promote early childhood education for a brighter future!

JOB SUMMARY:

Recruiting and identifying eligible children for program enrollment; in partnership with families, develop and support plans that describe families' strengths, resources and needed services; connect families with opportunities that support their well-being.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Assists in recruiting children and their families to ensure full program enrollment and appropriate waiting lists.
• Establishes mutually respectful partnerships with parents by maintaining consistent contact with families via face-to-face meetings, phone calls, letters, etc.
• Supports families in their efforts to achieve their family goals by helping them identify needs and develop plans to meet those needs and by assisting families to follow through on plans.
• Collaborates with Head Start, Inc. staff, School District staff, Mental Health staff and community agencies to provide complete services for children and families.
• Develops a working knowledge of community services available to low-income families, identifies resources and makes referrals as needed while assisting families in accessing community services and resources; follows up on the effectiveness of referrals.
• Using a strength-based model, provides short term individual and family crisis counseling, emergency assistance, and crisis intervention to address identified needs.
• Assists parents in becoming empowered advocates for themselves and their children.
• Seeks parent input in developing and implementing activities to encourage parent involvement in Head Start, Inc. activities. Supports families to identify and engage in volunteering with programs and community activities.
• Seeks parent input to identify, develop and implement or link parents to educational activities that are responsive to identifies parent needs.
• Develops plans for families to navigate their transition into and out of the program. Provides families with appropriate information, training, and connections to future care and/or educational settings to help facilitate the transition into and out of the program.
• Utilizes data generated from the Family Matrix to plan for individual parent and family needs.
• Documents contacts and services provided to meet program requirements.
• Adheres to defined procedures for identifying and reporting incidents of suspected child abuse and neglect.
• Meets weekly to bi-weekly with teachers to discuss and strategize pertinent issues related to children and families.
• Assists in classrooms as needed.
• Attends meetings and trainings as required by supervisor.
• Using program software, tracks appropriate information required for Head Start reporting purposes.

USING ACTIVE SUPERVISON TO KEEP CHILDREN SAFE:

Head Start, Inc. uses the strategy of Active Supervision to ensure that no child is left unattended while in the care of Head Start, Inc. Incidents of children left unsupervised must be immediately reported to the Executive Director. All Head Start, Inc. employees are responsible for the safety of children in our program. Active Supervision requires focused attention and intentional observation of children at all times. All employees who care for children position themselves in classrooms, on playgrounds, in hallways, on buses, on field trips and in any space where children are present so that they can observe all of the children: watching, counting, and listening at all times. They also use their knowledge of each child's development and abilities to anticipate what he/she will do, then get involved and redirect them when necessary.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, listen, stand, walk, and sit. The employee is also often required to use hands to manipulate objects, tools, or controls, reach with hands and arms, balance, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, and move quickly to respond to children's health and safety needs.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 35 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities are required for the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The working environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this position, the employee works in busy classrooms or a shared office environment, travels by vehicle, may be exposed to changing weather conditions, and works in varied environments. The noise level is usually moderate.

COMMENTS:

This description is intended to describe the essential job functions and requirements for its performance. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and requirements of this position. Other functions and duties may be assigned as determined to be necessary for overall job accomplishment.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

A four-year degree in Social Services or related field. A minimum of two years of experience working with low-income children and families is preferred. Bilingual candidates, especially fluent in Spanish, preferred.

Compensation details: 20.28-23.32 Hourly Wage

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