Family Advocate

Kids; Anchorage (AK); On-site; USD 29,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Kids in Alaska is seeking a compassionate Family Advocate to join our Head Start team. The role focuses on empowering families, supporting enrollment, and promoting child development and school readiness.

The Family Advocate builds strong relationships with families, connects them with community resources, and assists with documentation and follow-up while ensuring attendance and engagement in classroom activities.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 months of experience working with parents or families.
• If no related degree, obtain a credential within 18 months of hire.

Responsibilities

• Family Engagement & Goal Setting: Help families set and achieve personal and developmental goals through the Family Partnership process.
• Enrollment Support: Guide families through the application and enrollment process, ensuring all required documentation is completed.
• Health & Wellness: Support families in accessing medical, dental, and mental health care; ensure all health records are up to date.
• Community Resources: Connect families with local resources and provide follow-up to ensure their needs are met.
• Parent Involvement: Encourage participation in program events, decision-making bodies, and educational opportunities.
• Classroom Support: Regularly assist in classrooms to stay engaged with children’s development and support transitions.
• Attendance Monitoring: Promote consistent attendance and lead interventions when attendance issues arise.
• Documentation & Communication: Maintain accurate records, update databases, and ensure timely communication with families and staff.

Skills

Family engagement

Enrollment support

Community resources

Child development knowledge

Education

High School Diploma/GED

Associate Degree

Bachelor Degree

Graduate Degree

Family Development Credential

Job description

We are seeking a compassionate and motivatedFamily Advocate to join our Head Start team.The Family Advocate plays a vital role in supporting family well-being, engagement, and school readiness by developing positive, goal-oriented relationships with families. This position focuses on empowering parents, connecting families with community resources, and helping them set and achieve goals related to child development, health, and family life.Family Advocates also support families through the Head Start enrollment process, assist with follow-up services, and foster long-term family success.

This role is crucial in supporting family well-being, child development, and school readiness by building positive, goal-oriented relationships with families. The Family Advocate acts as a liaison between the family, Head Start program, and the community, offering guidance, resources, and follow-up support throughout the child’s time in the program.

Key Responsibilities:

• Family Engagement & Goal Setting: Help families set and achieve personal and developmental goals through the Family Partnership process.
• Enrollment Support: Guide families through the application and enrollment process, ensuring all required documentation is completed.
• Health & Wellness: Support families in accessing medical, dental, and mental health care; ensure all health records are up to date.
• Community Resources: Connect families with local resources and provide follow-up to ensure their needs are met.
• Parent Involvement: Encourage participation in program events, decision-making bodies (like the Policy Council), and educational opportunities.
• Classroom Support: Regularly assist in classrooms to stay engaged with children’s development and support transitions.
• Attendance Monitoring: Promote consistent attendance and lead interventions when attendance issues arise.
• Documentation & Communication: Maintain accurate records, update databases, and ensure timely communication with families and staff.

Starting salary dependent on education and is non-negotiable: For employees that do not hold a related degree, within 18 months of hire one must obtain a credential or certification in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or a related field.

Must have 12 months of experience working in similar position with parents or families.

High School Diploma/GED: $20.78 per hour

Family Development Credential: $22.25 per hour

Associate Degree: $ 23.80 per hour

Bachelor Degree: $25.47 per hour

Graduate Degree: $27.25 per hour

Additional Information about this position:

• There is a 10-step wage scale built into this position that occurs annually.
• This is a non-exempt position with a 90-day introductory period.
  
• There is a leave blackout period for this position from July 15th - September 15th of each year. During this time, no leave longer than 2 days will be approved unless there are exceptional circumstances. This is an in-person position only. Remote work not available.

If you’re passionate about supporting families, connecting them with vital resources, and being part of a team that values compassion and community impact, we’d love to hear from you. For more information about the amazing work we do please go to https://www.kcialaska.org/ .