Family Advocate

CHILD, Inc. is seeking full-time, full year Family Advocate for our Kent County Head Start/Early Head Start program. Interested candidate must be available to work at any one of our three locations during agency hours of operation.

Family Service Responsibilities:

1. Assists in agency outreach recruitment efforts as requested and spontaneously when engaging with the public.
2. Conducts complete and thorough recruitments and enrollments for all agency programs.
3. Provides comprehensive information regarding children’s individual needs to supervisors to ensure they are aware during the determination of placements and orchestrating any necessary individualized service supports.
4. Provides comprehensive Family Services support to program families and their children through individual meetings with families in their homes and at our centers.
5. Conducts comprehensive assessments of family needs with a Partnership Agreement, and assessment of Family Outcomes utilizing the Parent Gauge program at least twice per year.
6. Provides regularly scheduled and on-demand support to families for their individual concerns and program participation.
7. Remains well informed of community resources and disseminate new information to colleagues and families.
8. Creates, implements, and promotes parent participation opportunities such as governance and parent workshops.
9. Supports families in keeping up to date on all regularly scheduled health and dental events for children, including CACFP nutrition program. Provides resources referrals for other family members when health, dental, or mental health needs are made known to them.
10. Maintains thorough, accurate, and up to date documentation of services provided and communication conducted with families. Fully utilizes the Child Plus data system to create and maintain documentation of program services and required health and family service events.  Ensures the complete storage of required and necessary supplemental documents within the Child Plus program.
11. Organizes information needed for supervision and service review meetings, presents all pertinent information to other participants, and follows up with recommendations promptly.
12. Ensures all policies and procedures related to suspected Child Abuse or Neglect are followed per agency policies and state regulations. Supports other line staff who are filing a CANTS report.  Works with supervisors to ensure that any and all required steps are taken when a concern of possible abuse or neglect arises.  Staff ally with families who are subject to a CANTS report to provide information and emotional support as needed.
13. Greets visitors to the center and ensures only authorized persons enter the building.

Professional Responsibilities: 

1. Demonstrate punctuality, flexibility and dependable attendance.
2. Participate in professional development and in-service trainings.
3. Follow the communicated policies and procedures of CHILD, Inc. and Head Start Performance Standards.
4. Demonstrate professional responsibility and ethical behavior.
5. Assume responsibility in classroom coverage as assigned.
6. Demonstrate ability to use sound judgment and initiative to act without being asked.
7. Demonstrate effective and appropriate interpersonal relationships with children, families and other staff.
8. Maintains the confidentiality of information regarding students, parents and other staff.
9. Perform all other duties as assigned by supervisor

Additional Requirements:

• Must have a minimum of an Associate’s degree in Social Services or related field.
• Availability to work during agency hours of operation at one of our three locations.
• Basic keyboarding and basic computer skills highly desirable.
• Bilingual candidates strongly urged to apply.

Benefits:

• Full individual health and dental coverage for full time employees. Family coverage is available through payroll deduction.
• Eligible to participate in CHILD, Inc.’s 403(b) Individual Supplemental Retirement Annuity Program.
• Group Retirement Annuity Plan with no required employee match.
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and Holiday Pay.
• Mileage Reimbursement

Job Type: 40 hours; Full Year/52 weeks

Starting Hourly Wage: $22.68
*Competitive salary commensurate with experience.

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