Family Advocate

Acelero Learning; Bay St. Louis (MS); On-site; USD 24,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Acelero, Inc. is seeking a dedicated Family Advocate to work directly with families, strengthen parent-child relationships, promote school readiness, and connect families to the resources and support they need to thrive within our Head Start program.

You will enroll families, help achieve attendance and health goals, collaborate with community partners to provide culturally responsive care, and maintain accurate records while participating in meetings and training.

Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or related field preferred; OR AA/BA with commitment to complete Family Services Certificate/Credential within 18 months of hire.
• Experience, training, and skill assisting the parents of young children to advocate for their families; experience in low-income diverse communities preferred.
• Travel is required locally or long-distance up to 10% of the time; must have reliable transportation and a valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Engage families in in-home and group experiences to foster school readiness.
• Manage enrollment records, ERSEA, and reporting; monitor and plan accordingly.
• Support attendance goals and health information collection for families.
• Collaborate with community partners to connect families with resources.
• Assist families with applications and document collection for enrollment.
• Maintain data entry and participate in meetings and trainings.

Skills

Family engagement

Community outreach

Communication skills

Travel coordination

Education

Associate or bachelor’s degree in social work or related field

Family Services Certificate/Credential within 18 months

High school diploma + 3 years community experience

Job description

Are you passionate about empowering families and supporting children's early development? Acelero, Inc. is seeking a dedicated and compassionate Family Advocate to join our team. In this role, you will work directly with families to strengthen parent-child relationships, promote school readiness, and ensure children and families receive the resources and support they need to thrive.

Why Acelero?

Our mission is bold: To design and deliver research and evidence-based approaches to eliminate the gaps between young children's inherent potential and their achievement in school and life. With our partners, we accelerate child and family outcomes that honor all of the aspirations and cultures of the communities we serve.

Our values: Data-Informed Learning; Transparent & Open Communication; Growth Mindset; Championing Equality; Caring Teams & Communities.

Your Role:

As a Family Advocate , you will play a critical role in building strong relationships with families and connecting them to the tools and services that foster success in our Head Start program. You’ll guide families through enrollment, support health and attendance goals, and collaborate with community partners to ensure comprehensive, culturally responsive care.

What You’ll Do:

• Engage families in individualized, in-home and group experiences to enhance parent/child interactions that research shows foster school readiness through consistent family routines, positive guidance and discipline, experience rich home environments and literacy activities.

• Manage responsibilities that fall within the following core functions: ERSEA, record keeping and reporting, on-going monitoring, planning, and implementing, establishing, and maintaining a safe, healthy learning environment, supporting the well-being of children, and encouraging the involvement of the families of the children in our Head Start program.

• Participate in outreach, recruitment and attendance follow up activities to engage families in our program and to motivate their active participation.

• Work directly with families to assist in the completion of applications, collecting any missing documents that support the application process.

• Support families in the completion and collection of health-related information.

• Maintain the funded enrollment level, works with FSC/ERSEA Lead to fill vacancies as they occur, and analyzes enrollment data to inform the planning process.

• Create attendance goals for families whose attendance is below 80%.

• Complete data entry related to the aforementioned areas of responsibility.

• Establish and maintain working relationships with community partners to strengthen access to resources and training identified as priority goal areas by families.

• Participate in assigned meetings, events, and training as required.

What You Bring:

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or a related field preferred, OR AA or BA in another field with a commitment to complete Family Services Certificate/Credential within 18 months of hire. We will also consider candidates with a high school diploma and 3 years of experience working in the community with families and a completed Family Development Certificate or Credential.

• Experience, training, and skill assisting the parents of young children to advocate for their families required; experience working in low-income diverse communities preferred.

• Physical exam and background checks are required for this position.

• Travel is required locally or long-distance up to 10% of the time for work-related meetings and functions; must have reliable personal transportation as travel from site to site is required.

• Must have a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.

When/Where/How Much:

When: Summer/Fall 2026

Where: Harrison/Hancock County

How Much: $20.91/hour

Why You’ll Love Working with Us:

• A meaningful mission that drives real change in the lives of children and families

• A collaborative, inclusive team that values your growth and well-being

• Robust benefits that support your total wellbeing, including:

We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a diverse and healthy workplace.