Family Support Specialist - Head Start Preschool Old Redmond School House

About the role

Location: Old Redmond Schoolhouse Preschool. The position is eligible for membership in the Service Employees International Union No 925. The Family Support Specialist provides quality, comprehensive child/family support services to preschoolers and their families; offers support, training and case management to assist parents in meeting their children's needs and enhancing their role as the primary influence on their child's education and development; supports parents in increasing economic stability; determines program eligibility, enrolls families, encourages parental involvement, works with parents to identify and achieve goals, accesses support services, creates training programs, and fosters positive parent‑school‑student relationships.

Responsibilities

• Recruits, selects and enrolls eligible children and families for the purpose of providing comprehensive services, child/family support services and encouraging family involvement, maintaining full enrollment and serving families most in need of services according to federal guidelines.
• Assesses family and infant/child needs (e.g. conducts surveys, interviews, etc.) for the purpose of determining eligibility and/or developing an action plan to remove barriers to child's success in school.
• Assists parents in a variety of areas (e.g. filling out forms/surveys, health, nutrition living skills, budgeting, job skills, goal setting, etc.) for the purpose of developing an action plan to remove barriers to child's success in school and supporting the family in basic life skills and economic stability.
• Orients prospective participants (e.g. site tours, program overview and eligibility requirements, benefits, etc.) for the purpose of establishing familiarity with program, services and required processes.
• Provides or assists with providing health screenings, immunization verification, and outside agency referrals (e.g. hearing, vision, immunization, compliance, height/weight relationships, etc.) for the purpose of promoting needed treatment and complying with program requirements.
• Visits children's homes for the purpose of enrolling students in program, interviewing parents, informing parents of school and/or community resources and providing child development/parenting information, and setting family goals.
• Plans and facilitates family meetings and parent involvement events (e.g. health and welfare, nutrition, counseling, etc.) for the purpose of providing for family support needs and complying with program regulations.
• Develops individualized health, nutrition, and family support plans for all enrolled children for the purpose of furthering family goals, plans and success strategies.
• Participates in workshops, meetings, community events, etc. (e.g. FS meetings, WAEYC/EHS conferences, etc.) for the purpose of receiving and/or presenting information.
• Reports suspected incidents (e.g. physical, sexual and/or substance abuse, contagious diseases, etc.) to appropriate parties for the purpose of maintaining student's personal health and safety and adhering to Education Code, district and/or school policies.
• Provides outreach to low-income communities, community leaders and organizations for the purpose of recruiting families to Head Start, developing resources, and building partnerships with community members.
• Administers Head Start program standards for the purpose of ensuring program eligibility and compliance with mandated regulations.
• Assists other personnel