Staff, Programs – Family Assistant

About the role

The Staff, Programs – Family Assistant supports the Headstart program by serving children from birth through five years of age. This role strengthens family engagement, supports child health and development, and connects families to vital resources.

Responsibilities

• Strengthen family engagement and advocacy through parent meetings, community collaborations, and ongoing communication.
• Ensure compliance with Head Start health and performance standards, including monitoring physicals, immunizations, and screenings.
• Partner with assigned families to identify needs, establish family goals, and connect them to appropriate Northside and community resources.
• Support positive family outcomes through regular communication, referrals, and completion of Family Partnership Agreements with quarterly updates.
• Carry out collaborative home visits to address educational and social service needs and strengthen home-school connections.
• Maintain high program quality and compliance through accurate, timely, and confidential documentation and mandated reporting.
• Contribute to program accountability and improvement by participating in trainings, self-assessments, and federal reviews.
• Promote child well-being by observing and interacting with enrolled children and supporting their overall development.
• Maintain full enrollment by recruiting, enrolling, and accurately maintaining records and waitlists for eligible children and families.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree (AA) in Human Services or a related field required; Bachelor’s (BA) degree in Social Services, Child Development, or a related field preferred.
• Family Development Credentials (FDC) required or ability to obtain within a specified timeframe.

Skills

• Working knowledge of government regulations, including Head Start performance standards.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret professional journals, general periodicals, technical procedures, and program regulations.
• Strong written communication skills, including correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and the ability to organize documentation accurately.
• Effective verbal communication skills to engage families, community members, managers, regulatory agencies, and groups in both individual and group settings.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to address practical challenges in environments with limited standardization and multiple variables.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Excellent work ethic.
• Commitment to working in a mission-driven organization.
• Demonstrated personal ethics and values.
• Cross-team collaboration and cooperation.
• Team player who works well with a diverse group of people.

About Northside

Northside Center for Child Development serves more than 5,500 children and families across New York City each year through high-quality, outcome-driven behavioral health, early childhood education, and enrichment services. Founded in 1946 in Harlem, Northside has been a cornerstone of the community for eight decades, leading the way in integrating education and mental health to support children’s development. Northside’s founders, Drs. Kenneth B. and Mamie Phipps Clark, were renowned, pioneering psychologists whose groundbreaking research was instrumental in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education landmark Supreme Court decision that declared school segregation unconstitutional. Their belief in the worth, dignity, and potential of every child continues to guide Northside’s mission and inspire its work today. Northside is driven by its vision and principle, “Each Child…First Chance.”