Child Development Specialist, Child Development Services

About the Role

Wayfinder’s Child Development Services provides early intervention in person to children from birth to age 6 with visual impairment or multiple disabilities. Young children maximize any vision they have and reduce developmental delays. Parents learn to provide their child with therapeutic stimulation and advocate for their child’s education and care. Child development reduces the need for special education and increases independence for children with disabilities.

The Child Development Specialist provides specialized services to families of young children with vision impairments and/or multiple disabilities from birth through five years of age. This position is home-based and covers the catchment areas of the East Los Angeles Regional Center, San Gabriel Pomona Regional Center, and the South Central Regional Center, as needed.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct intervention in the child's natural environment: home, at a center-based site, or a hospital.
• Coordinate your schedule to meet the family's needs, ensuring weekly visits are met as authorized by the Regional Center or School District.
• Conduct functional vision and developmental assessments using observation, parent interviews, authentic assessment strategies, and formal assessment tools (e.g., Oregon, DAYC-2, HAWAII (HELP)) per the frequency of the Regional Center (every 3, 6, or 9 months).
• Participate in developing and implementing each child’s Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) and outcomes in collaboration with the family and education team, providing progress reports as required.
• Assist and support families in transitioning to the public school system or appropriate preschool setting (for Birth to 3 children).
• Actively collaborate with community-based providers of related services, including medical and educational providers, to help identify children with vision loss and developmental delays and provide access to services as part of Child Find.
• Complete and maintain client case files and client database, including: Face Sheet, Home Visit Log Notes, intake forms, Developmental Profile, Family Program Plan, Physician Reports, Correspondence, Reports of Medical Visits, IFSPs, IEPs, assessments, and Medi-Cal documentation.
• Other duties as outlined in the position description.

Requirements

• A minimum of a B.A. or B.S. degree in Special Education, Child Development, Orientation and Mobility, Infant or Early Childhood, Social Work, or another related field from an accredited university.
• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred.
• Familiarity with services available to infants, young children, and their families with vision loss and multiple disabilities in California preferred.
• Valid CA Driver License with a minimum of three (3) years of good driving history and must be approved by the agency’s insurance carrier to drive agency vehicles.

Benefits

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) policy, 11 paid holidays, plus five winter holidays.
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match up to 4%.
• Employee referral program.
• Education tuition assistance program for career development.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible.
• Flexible spending account (FSA) plans.
• Training and professional development opportunities.