Head Start Family Service Worker

About the role

A full-time vacancy exists for a Head Start Family Service Worker position with the Head Start Program within the division of Student Services of the Chester County Intermediate Unit, located at the Gordon Early Literacy Center in Coatesville, PA. The Head Start Family Service Worker performs a variety of duties designed to aid the parents in their role as their child's first and primary educator.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a confidential profile of pertinent data for identifying families' needs, strengths, and goals
• Establish a supportive relationship with the families
• Make home visits following established timelines to families of Head Start children to identify social needs, collect data, and obtain parental signatures
• Establish a plan to empower Head Start parents to provide for their own needs
• Effectively and efficiently deal with emergency needs of Head Start children and families
• Serve as a liaison between the Head Start centers and the home of the families
• Encourage parental involvement to participate as members of the Policy Council, center parent committees, classroom volunteers, etc.
• Act as an advocate and spokesperson for Head Start families
• Provide continued services to children and their families
• Maintain daily contact with assigned Child Development Specialist concerning student and family needs, including progress, behavior, special needs, absences, and provide necessary support and assistance to the CDS family
• Maintain ongoing contact with the Family and Community Engagement Specialist to discuss concerns regarding particular children, families or services
• Report suspected abuse or neglect, child injuries, patterns of medical neglect and related concerns directly to the Health Specialist
• Substitute in the classroom as a Child Development Specialist or Child Development Assistant as required
• Review and update all data related to family needs and goals using identified database on a weekly basis
• Develop and maintain partnerships in the community to provide appropriate supports to all Head Start families
• Facilitate student transition to school age program
• Ensure confidentiality of information as required by federal, state, and local mandates
• Maintain proper documentation of contacts and follow-up with parents, students, and agencies

Qualifications

• BA or BS degree in Social Services, Education or Psychology required; degree in Social Work strongly preferred
• Bilingual & Biliterate strongly preferred
• Bicultural strongly preferred
• Valid Driver's License & reliable transportation required
• Current police, child abuse, and FBI fingerprint clearances within 1 year required

Pay

Salary Project, HS1: $30.20/hr. - $38.60/hr. // $45,300/yr. - $57,900/yr. Placement on band is based on years of direct experience in a comparable role.

Schedule

Monday - Friday, 7.5 hours per day, 200 days per year