Family Engagement Advocate

Title: Family Engagement Advocate

Mission Statement:
The mission of Gulf Regional Early Childhood Services, Inc. is “Leading the way to a brighter future for children, families, and communities through early childhood education.”

Job Summary:
The Family Engagement Advocate will work as a member of a team whose primary role is to engage families to partner with us to promote children’s healthy development and school readiness. The Family Engagement Advocate uses knowledge of the principles of family engagement to support families in their roles as their child’s primary educator, encourage parent/child interactions that promote children’s school readiness and healthy development.

This position has been established to strengthen our Head Start/Early Head Start program’s ability to expand family engagement strategies that will create a sense of belonging and shared community among families, with the goal of enhancing the relationships and support that families provide to one another in their shared aspirations for their children and themselves. The position may involve reassignment of caseload and/or center location as deemed necessary for program operations.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
The Family Engagement Advocate’s responsibilities primarily fall within the following core functions, although s/he may perform other tasks based upon program needs:

• Promote Family Environments that Enhance Children’s Development
• Support Families to Meet Self-Identified Goals
• Engage Families to Support One Another
• Support Families in Following EPSDT Schedule
• Assist Child Care Centers in Complying with all Health & Safety Regulations
• Enhance Program Collaboration
• Maintain Accurate and Timely Record Keeping and Reporting

PROMOTE FAMILY ENVIRONMENTS THAT ENHANCE CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT
Engage families as partners in their children’s healthy development and school readiness.

• Participate in outreach, recruitment, and attendance follow up activities to engage families in our program; and to motivate their active participation.
• Engage families in the Parent and HS/EHS Program Agreement process in order to build relationships and shared accountability for promoting children’s development.
• Utilize in-classroom time and home visits to build deeper understanding of the relationship between children’s development and their home environments; as well as to model and coach families in positive parent/child interactions.

ENGAGE FAMILIES TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER
Foster a sense of community and sense of belonging among families in order to strengthen social capital.

• Conduct group and center-based workshops and activities designed to build social capital and create a welcoming program community committed to family engagement in children’s learning and development.
• Cultivate family leadership and support their advocacy efforts through participation in program governance bodies such as Parent Center Committee and grantee Policy Council, as well as neighborhood and community-based advisory groups.
• Work in conjunction with Center staff and families to plan and conduct a wide variety of family engagement activities that provide opportunities for families to support one another, including, but not be limited to the following:
• Closing the Achievement Gap workshop series, activities, and campaigns that promote children’s school readiness
• Self-Sufficiency Parent Groups
• Monthly Family Engagement Network Meetings

ENHANCE PROGRAM COLLABORATION
Build relationships that will enhance communication and collaboration among internal and external stakeholders.

• Collaborate with disabilities, education coaches, and other members of the family engagement team to support families to be fully engaged in all aspects of the program.
• Develop effective communication and collaborative strategies with teaching teams to encourage family engagement in home learning activities, including individualizing activities based upon family interests and children’s developmental status.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with community partners to strengthen access to resources and training identified as priority goal areas by families.
• SUPPORT FAMILIES IN FOLLOWING EPSDT SCHEDULE

Engage parents as partners in their child's health and provide education for the importance of a healthy lifestyle at an early age.

• Complete vision and hearing screenings for children within 45 days of enrollment.
• Monitor and ensure that children are up to date on screenings outlined in the EPSDT schedule within 90 days of enrollment.
• Assist parents in maintaining an ongoing source of health care, including timely scheduling of appointments for well-child visits, and follow-up appointments for concerns and/or chronic health problems.
• Enter and upload all health-related documents into the program’s data base system.
• ASSIST CHILD CARE CENTERS IN COMPLYING WITH ALL HEALTH & SAFETY REGULATIONS

Assist child care centers in providing and maintaining healthy environments for children.

• Support child care centers in complying with all regulations as outlined in the Head Start Program Performance Standards including, but not limited to maintaining safe classroom environments, following cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing schedules, handwashing, diaper changing, etc.
• Complete monthly health and safety observations/checks and provide follow up.
• Provide parent education around health topics such as the importance of regular well-child visits, dental exam visits, safe sleep practices, healthy eating. exercise, etc.
• MAINTAIN ACCURATE AND TIMELY RECORD KEEPING AND REPORTING

Effectively manage workload and ensure accurate record-keeping and documentation.

• Establish and maintain accurate records as deemed necessary in each child’s electronic and hard copy file.
• Document efforts to assist families to identify their strengths, needs, and goals through completion of the Family Needs Assessment, Family Partnership Agreement, and case notes.
• Record, monitor, and follow up on referrals for support services and outcomes.
• Complete summary documentation of case conferences and special concerns meetings.
• Submit reports as needed and requested, such as attendance, monthly risk reports, etc.
• Monitor and maintain up to date PIR data.
• Provide support to Center Site Based Family Engagement Advocates.

GENERAL STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead for the good of the entire organization, understand the big picture, and use it as a framework to make decisions.
• Make decisions that support program quality and maintain program accountability.
• Uphold the shared values of GRECS, Inc.
• Attend all scheduled team meetings.
• Complete a minimum of 15 clock hours of professional development per year.
• Attend trainings to keep up with Family Engagement trends and the various instruments and tools used by the program.
• Adhere to scheduled work hours as required.

Requirements:

• At time of hire or within 18 months of hire, at a minimum, possess a credential or certification in social work, human services, family services, counseling or a related field.
• Ability to apply soft skills such as positive thinking, flexibility, resourcefulness, problem-solving, team playing, reliability/dependability, preciseness, etc. in order to effectively complete assigned tasks and contribute to the efficient operation of the agency.
• Possess a passion for achieving positive child and family outcomes through high-quality family engagement.
• Experience, training, and skill assisting the parents of young children to advocate for their families.
• Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing.
• Experience working in low-income diverse communities preferred.

Environmental/Physical Conditions:

• Use of a reliable personal vehicle.
• Maintain regular communication with Family Engagement Coordinator (or as assigned) in regard to program issues and concerns.
• Safeguard confidentiality in accordance with program policies and procedures.
• Ability to tolerate all climate conditions and navigate service area.
• Ability to sit long periods of time with bending and reaching.
• Ability to stand, walk, and bend periodically.
• Ability to sit on floor for long periods to engage with infants and toddlers in order to meet their developing needs.
• Ability to engage in repetitive movement of wrists, hands, and fingers - typing and/or writing.
• Ability to work frequently at close visual range (i.e. preparing and analyzing data and figures, accounting, transcription, computer terminal, extensive reading).
• Ability to exert up to 40 pounds of force to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.

Materials, Tools, & Equipment:

• Fax, telephone, copier
• Skill in the use of computer technology (i.e. word processing, PowerPoint, database management)

Conditions of Hire:

• All employment at GRECS, Inc. is “at will.” This means that the employee or GRECS, Inc. may terminate employment at any time and for any reason.
• Completion of interview, successful reference verification, sex offender registry check, and criminal history records, including fingerprint checks, and at least once every five years thereafter.
• Pass physical examination.
• TB test clearance.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $16.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

Salary : $16