Family Advocate

General Description

The Family Advocate is responsible for actively engaging with families of children enrolled in the Head Start/ Early Head Start program, providing comprehensive case management services, conducting needs assessments, making referrals and connections to community resources, and advocating for the well-being of the children and their families.

Required Competencies

• Reliability/Dependability
• Problem Solving
• Customer Service
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Intrigue and Growth
• Quality and Timeliness of Work
• Effective Communication

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Intake

• Conduct and manage the in-person application process to include all necessary documents and data entry per GenerationEd intake requirements.
• Achieve and maintain enrollment goals, ensuring a waiting list of eligible children is always available.
• Track and report recruitment activities monthly.
• Note: Failure to meet timely enrollment targets may affect job performance evaluations.

Recruitment, Enrollment, and Orientation

• Aid in planning and executing recruitment, enrollment, and orientation services.
• Adequately adhere to the annual timeline for timely recruitment and enrollment as distributed by the ERSEA team and PFCE Coordinator.

Student Attendance

• Orient families to the program according to policy and procedure.
• Record daily student attendance.
• Follow up and track student absences to ensure at least 85+% ADA (Average Daily Attendance) is met as needed.

Home Visit

• Conduct home visits and contact the family as needed or required by the agency’s policies and procedures.

Collaboration

• Work closely with Teachers, Center Directors, PFCE Coordinator, ERSEA Specialists and other content area Managers, Coordinators, and Specialists to coordinate services for children and parents.
• Conduct monthly case staffing with Center Directors and Teaching staff.

Emergency Assistance

• Provide support to families in crisis situations, including making referrals to community agencies, tracking and following up to ensure services are delivered promptly and effectively.

Data Management

• Ensure timely and accurate entry of all family and child data from application to ongoing enrollment in the HS/EHS program.
• Document all required actions and events in ChildPlus daily, including applications, routine family contacts, referrals, follow-ups, and child’s health information.

Professional Communication

• Communicate empathetically while maintaining professional boundaries, respecting parents as their child's primary teacher.
• Ensure appropriate communication is provided in the family’s primary language.

Meeting Participation

• Attend meetings to coordinate services for children and families, ensuring timely and accurate documentation in ChildPlus.

Family Needs Assessment and Follow-Up

• Address identified family needs, and document information in ChildPlus through the family partnership agreement process.

Parent Training Coordination

• Facilitate, support, and attend parent/guardian involvement in the program.
• Plan and coordinate with the parent committee on required parent meeting topics.
• Record Keeping: Maintain comprehensive and confidential records for your assigned caseload. Ensure all records are up to date. Track and monitor files

Parent Committee Support

• Facilitate monthly Center Parent Committee meetings with the Center Director and Committee Chairperson.
• Submit meeting agendas, minutes, sign-in sheets, and handouts to the Center Director.
• Ensure all current program year Parent meeting minutes, handouts, resources, and agenda is available and accessible to the parents.

Transportation Arrangements

• Assist with arranging transportation for parents to health services and other program-related activities as needed.

Health and Dental Exams

• Ensure each child has a current physical and dental exam upon enrollment.
• Keep all health, dental, and other required screenings, and assessments up to date through regular follow-ups.

Form Submission

• Upload copies of required forms to ChildPlus and maintain up-to-date records of children’s health, dental, and other assessments.

File Maintenance

• Share the responsibility of maintaining accurate files by filing, data entry in ChildPlus, and developing solutions to emerging challenges.

Transition Support

• Assist families through transitions, including entry into HS/EHS and kindergarten.

Additional Duties

• Perform other job-related tasks as assigned by your supervisor.
• Complete classroom, playground and bathroom sweeps with fidelity.
• Aid in completing the Family Services and Parent, Family, Community Engagement fields of the Program Information Report (PIR).
• Maintain the confidentiality of children and family records.
• Encourage and enter in-kind into ChildPlus.
• Establishes and monitors services that ensure program quality and compliance with Head Start Program Standards.
• Report Child Abuse and Neglect immediately by following the policies and procedures.
• Adhere to Active Supervision policy.
• Adherent to Agency Code of Conduct Policy.

Essential Qualifications

• Education and Experience: AA Degree or bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or related field. 1 year case management experience preferred; bi-lingual skills preferred.
• Experience in Social Service area or related field through internship or volunteer experience.
• Demonstrated ability to exhibit professional attitudes to staff, families and children and ability to carry out responsibilities with a minimum of supervision.
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively and harmoniously with others to address needs and concerns.
• Availability of automobiles during working hours and a valid driver's license and insured.
• Be willing to complete the Family Service Credential within a year of being hired.

Physical, Mental and/or Visual Demands

• Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods throughout the workday.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 35 pounds.
• Ability to bend, stoop, and perform other physical movements as required for the role.
• Ability to operate computers, telephones, and other standard office equipment.
• Frequent interaction and communication with employees, clients, and visitors.
• While performing the duties of this position, the employee may be exposed to outdoor weather conditions during occasional tasks.
• The noise level in the work environment is typically moderate.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Occasional travel may be required.