Family Advocate

About the role

The Family Advocate supports families and children enrolled in Head Start/Early Head Start center-based programming. This role fosters strong relationships between families, classrooms, and the community.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain positive, supportive relationships with families.
• Maintain confidentiality and respect for the dignity of each family served.
• Conduct initial family needs assessments and assist in developing individualized family partnership agreements which include goals grounded in the Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework (family outcomes).
• Monitor family progress toward goals and provide ongoing support.
• Advocate for families and support access to community resources and services such as housing, employment, education, and health care.
• Conduct regular home visits and family contact according to family needs and program guidelines.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of family interactions, referrals, and follow-ups in the Child Plus data system.
• Collaborate with teaching staff, health, mental health, and disability team members to support child development and family engagement.
• Encourage and facilitate family participation in engagement activities, parent committee and policy council.
• Ensure compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards, federal and state regulations, and agency policies.
• Engage in a wide range of recruitment activities including soliciting agency referrals, distributing posters and flyers, visiting homes to complete applications, and recruiting door-to-door on an ongoing basis.
• Monitor Child Plus entries on a regular basis to ensure that all required vision, hearing, health and dental screenings, physicals, and immunizations for caseload are complete and entered according to Head Start Performance Standards and State Child Care licensing.

Qualifications

• Minimum of an Associate degree in Social Services or related field with two (2) years’ experience in casework delivery to families with young children. Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• Intermediate computer literacy including online data systems and Microsoft Office.
• Experience working with young children and their families.
• Knowledge of and sensitivity to the unique challenges faced by families living in poverty.