Family Engagement Coordinator

About the role

Acelero is seeking an experienced team builder, collaborator, and motivator who is solution-oriented to coach and provide supervisory guidance to Family Engagement team members, strengthening and expanding staff capacity. This role works collaboratively with early learning, mental health, disabilities, health, and nutrition teams to enhance family life practices and circumstances that promote child development and well-being.

Our mission is to design and deliver research and evidence-based approaches to eliminate gaps between young children's inherent potential and their achievement in school and life. We accelerate child and family outcomes that honor the aspirations and cultures of the communities we serve.

Our values include Data-Informed Learning, Transparent & Open Communication, Growth Mindset, Championing Equality, and Caring Teams & Communities.

Responsibilities

• Manages eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance oversight to ensure compliance with Head Start Performance Standards and integration of community assessment data.
• Oversees ERSEA Assistant to maintain an active and up-to-date waiting list, fill vacancies within required timeframes, and ensure children are selected according to HS Performance Standards eligibility guidelines.
• Develops and implements targeted recruitment strategies in coordination with program leadership to enroll children with the greatest need, including children of working families eligible for childcare subsidies.
• Coordinates with Center and Zone leadership to ensure family engagement and early learning teams work together to promote on-time daily attendance and reduce chronic absence through outcomes-based family engagement.
• Aligns the program’s Family Engagement approach with the Office of Head Start’s Parent Family Community Engagement Framework and enhances interventions to achieve family outcomes in seven targeted areas.
• Provides coaching and support to family engagement staff to ensure reliability of family assessment and goal progress data, strengthening outcomes-focused family interventions.
• Utilizes qualitative audit and external evaluation data to track family outcomes and refine strategies to enhance family impact.
• Ensures effective coordination with Early Learning, Mental Health, Disabilities, and Health leadership to develop and implement group and Center-based campaigns that promote family life practices to close the achievement gap.
• Implements the research-based Family Curriculum, Shine On, Families, extending classroom curriculum into the home by modeling high-quality adult-child interactions around the four Family Life Practices.
• Uses family data sources to understand self-sufficiency trends and assist staff in addressing priority family self-sufficiency needs.
• Works with the Director of Family Engagement & Health to secure self-sufficiency partnerships, aiming for 50% of families to achieve significant progress on self-sufficiency goals.
• Coordinates with Early Learning, Mental Health, Disabilities, and Health teams to execute high-quality case consultation and conferencing systems for children with chronic health conditions and/or special needs.
• Works with program leadership to secure external partnerships providing on-site support for families of children with chronic health conditions or special needs.
• Oversees and monitors family goal setting, follow-up, and coordination for children with chronic health conditions and special needs to ensure alignment of home and school strategies.
• Ensures ongoing family assessment identifies vulnerable families and refers them to clinical social workers for intensive support and follow-up as appropriate.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Family and Child Development, Public Health, Social Work, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• At least 3 years of experience working with diverse families in low-income communities, including supervisory responsibilities.
• Background and experience executing evidence-based strategies to strengthen outcomes for children and families.
• Maintain certification in CPR and First Aid.
• Physical exam and background checks are required for this position.
• Travel required locally or long-distance up to 10% of the time for work-related meetings and functions.

Pay

$57,000–$67,000 annually.

Schedule

Position starts Summer/Fall 2026.

Location: 521 34th St, Gulfport, MS 39507.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance with multiple plan options.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contributions up to $400/individual and $800/family annually.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for health and dependent care expenses.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with up to 3% company match.
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability and Basic Life Insurance.
• Up to $500 per year in Professional Development Reimbursements.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with counseling and mental wellness support.
• Wellness Programs, including virtual fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness classes.
• Pet Insurance, Legal Assistance, ID Theft Protection, and Employee Discount Perks.