Early Head Start Family Advocate

Department: Head Start

Exemption Status: Non-Exempt

Pay Grade(s): 8-9 ($26.97 - $38.69 DOE)

Reports To: Early Head Start Manager

Purpose: The Family Advocate provides family support services to empower families enrolled in the Early Head Start program. Services include transition support for families enrolling and exiting from services, referrals and linkages to other community service agencies, assistance in family goal setting and identification of family strengths, interests, and needs. The Family Advocate will conduct family visits, facilitate family nights and parent training, and assist the local Parent Committee in fulfilling their responsibilities. The Family Advocate will ensure implementation of the Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework (PFCE) and will follow requirements of the Head Start Program Performance Standards.

Essential Functions

• Facilitate the Family Partnership Agreement with individual families. Facilitate family visits, family nights, and parent trainings. Provide assistance to the local Parent Committee, as needed.
• Assist the Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance (ERSEA) Coordinator with outreach activities to recruit eligible children and families.
• Develop a component Workplan that specifies goals, objectives, and timelines for ensuring the implementation of the PFCE Framework.
• Assist the Head Start Health and Safety Coordinator in following up on any referrals or communication with families around completing the required health and dental screenings and staying up to date on an ongoing continuous source of preventative health care.

Family Visits and Family Plans

• Establish partnerships with parents that are respectful, culturally responsive, and nonjudgmental.
• Provide a minimum of two family visits, with monthly contacts, for each family throughout the year and provide additional family visits as appropriate.
• Support families in their leadership and advocacy efforts regarding their child’s education.
• Assist parents in identifying and addressing their family’s goals, strengths, and needs.
• Responsible for entering all family communications in the Child Plus database.
• Must be willing and able to flex schedule for evening and weekend work to accommodate parent schedules for family visits, Parent Committee meetings, and Parent Experiences.
• Must be able to provide own personal transportation to meet work schedule requirements including but not limited commuting to and from work, between work locations, attending family visits and delivering supplies as necessary.
• Work to connect families with local resources including making referrals, providing such as bus tokens and may include picking up and dropping off food supplies if no other options are available.
• Meeting with the Early Head Start Manager and the teaching staff to work collaboratively with families and ensure timely communication is shared.
• Assist Teachers in establishing a Parent Information Board in the classroom(s).

Parent Committee Meetings and Trainings

• Ensure the establishment of a local Parent Committee, election of local Parent Committee officers and a Policy Council representative and alternate.
• Assist and support parents to schedule, attend and participate in monthly Parent Committee meetings and selecting topics, beyond the required topics, for parent experiences.
• Work in collaboration with the Early Head Start Manager to implement the Early Head Start Policies and Procedures.

Community Partnerships

• Assist in updating the local community resource list for staff and families.
• Develop new and strengthen existing partnerships with local stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain an on-site community resource file.

Center Support

• Participate in staff meetings.
• Communicate observations, concerns, and important information about children and families during EHS team meetings or more urgently if needed.
• Contact families of absent children within the hour of the beginning of class to enquire why the student is absent.
• Conduct a family visit when a child has a series of unexcused absences.
• Participate in Parent/Teacher Conferences twice a year with the teaching team if requested.
• Assist teaching teams with coordinating open house events and parent orientation.

Other Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain constructive and cooperative working relationships with others.
• Implement and maintain professional boundaries with others.
• Use office equipment, computers, and computer programs including but not limited to Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point, Child Plus, Bright wheel, and a variety of website services to effectively enter data, create spreadsheets, and process information, and to develop documents, and program and training materials.
• Participate in regular check-in meetings with the Early Head Start Manager.
• Participate in case management meetings for assigned families as requested.
• Attend all staff meetings, and all required training.
• Must pursue an ongoing professional development plan including formal training certification or college degree as recommended by the program.
• Abide by Tlingit and Haida Head Starts policy on confidentiality.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent attendance and ability to arrive on time for each shift.
• Ability to disengage from social media and all non-work-related cell phone activities while at work.
• Ability to read, comprehend, and follow established policies and procedures.
• Ability to work with families both in work settings and in their homes.
• Ability to independently manage work time well, prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Ability to establish good rapport with people of diverse cultures and belief systems.
• Demonstrated intermediate level of computer skills necessary to use and create documents and reports, spreadsheets, workshop materials and slide presentations, and to enter data into intricate database programs and proficient use of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Outlook.
• Ability to independently utilize the internet to seek knowledge and implement new skills.
• Ability to respond quickly to children’s needs and emergency situations.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to establish and maintain professional boundaries with others.
• Proven ability and willingness to be self-directed in problem solving and decision-making and perform basic assignments with little or no direct supervision while also working effectively as a team member.
• Must be able to demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills including expertise in cross-cultural communication.
• Professional public speaking skills necessary for parent meetings and providing training for adults.
• Must have, or have the ability and willingness to earn, at a minimum, a credential or certification in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or a related field.
• Familiarity/experience with Head Start philosophy.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED
• Credential in social work, human services, family services, counseling or a related field or willingness to obtain a credential within eighteen (18) months of hire.
• 1 year experience working with young children and/or parents
• Must be 21 years of age and have a valid Alaska Driver’s License with reliable personal transportation.

Preferred Qualifications

• AA or BA degree in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or a related field.
• Two to three years of experience working in Social Services, Family Services, or Mental Health fields.
• 1 year experience providing crisis intervention, counseling, and providing self-help skills training for adults.

Physical Requirements

• The majority of work is performed in a professional office setting and is generally sedentary, requiring routine walking, standing, bending, and carrying of items weighing less than 40 lbs.

Work Environment

• Some travel may be required on small aircraft or ferry.
• Certain positions at Tlingit and Haida may have exposure to certain hazardous materials or conditions. The supervisor will review these if applicable.