Family Services Worker

The Community Group; Lawrence (MA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

The Community Group is hiring a Family Service Advocate in Lawrence, MA to build strong relationships with families and connect them to comprehensive support outside of the classroom. This role reports to the Family Services Manager and supports Early Head Start services.

Key duties include coordinating monthly council meetings, promoting parent participation, and coordinating with partners to ensure access to health, nutrition, and workforce resources for families with infants and toddlers.

Qualifications

• Bilingual English/Spanish is required.
• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Experience working with at-risk families and infants/toddlers.
• Certification within 18 months of hire.
• Excellent interpersonal and advocacy skills.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain supportive relationships with each family to ensure comprehensive services.
• Participate in family recruitment activities.
• Plan and implement monthly Policy Council meetings; contact parents and partners for participation.
• Encourage family engagement in program activities and decision-making.
• Schedule monthly on-site time with educational partners.
• Organize events with staff and educators for family involvement.
• Conduct regular case management reviews with EHS Management.
• Collect and track attendance data and input into ChildPlus database.
• Assist with obtaining health/mental health, nutrition, and other information from families.
• Deliver parenting trainings as per Ready Rosie curriculum.
• Maintain up-to-date child files for enrolled children.
• Engage in professional development opportunities.
• Adhere to Head Start policies and procedures.
• Maintain CPR and First Aid training; comply with standards.

Skills

Bilingual English/Spanish

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Advocacy skills

Education

Bachelor's degree (preferred)

Family Service Advocate Certification

Experience with at-risk families

Tools

ChildPlus

Job description

Job Details

Job Location: The Community Group - Lawrence , MA 01840

Salary Range: $50,000.00 - $53,000.00 Salary

Job Category: Early Childhood Education & Care

The Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) Program

The Community Group Early - Head Start Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) was established in 2015 to provide early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services to eligible families and their infants and toddlers.

Today, the program serves 72 children and their families through a variety of mixed-delivery care sites and a full range of comprehensive services. The EHS CCP program partners with three of TCG’s EEC state-licensed child care programs: Community Day Learning program at 20 Ballard Way, the Infant-Toddler Teen Parent program at LHS, and 15 Family Child Care providers throughout Lawrence and Methuen.

EHS CCP, along with several community partners, provide many resources including educational, health, nutritional and behavioral services based on the needs of the child and family. The principles of Early Head Start are designed to nurture the relationship between the child and his or her parent and to focus on the strengths of each and every family. EHS parents are encouraged to participate in the Parent Policy Council to support the functions of the programs, approve policies, serve as a leader in the community, and to develop lifelong skills.

Job Summary

The Family Service Advocate plays a crucial role in building relationships with families and connecting families to comprehensive support outside of their child’s classroom. This position reports to the Family Services Manager.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain a supportive relationship with each assigned family in order to ensure children and parents receive comprehensive Early Head Start services;
• Participate in family recruitment activities;
• Plan and implement, with the Family Services Manager and EHS Management Team, all monthly Policy Council meetings; contact parents and community partners to ensure participation and meeting quorum requirements;
• Encourage and support family engagement in a variety of program activities that support child and adult development, including policy and program decision-making;
• Schedule monthly on-site time with all educational partners that is predictable and consistent;
• Organize in conjunction with other EHS staff, Teachers and FCC Educators, opportunities for families to engage in program events throughout the year to reflect the child’s program participation;
• Conduct regular case management reviews with EHS Management Team;
• Collect and track attendance information on all EHS children and input records into ChildPlus database; follow up on absence concerns with families;
• Assist the EHS Management colleagues in obtaining health/mental health, nutrition, workforce, and other information from families
• Execute parenting trainings as indicated in the interests of the parents and their needs and in accordance with program family services curriculum, Ready Rosie;
• Establish and maintain complete child files for each enrolled child;
• Actively participate in professional development opportunities, including but not limited to: EEC StrongStart trainings, Family Service, ERSEA, and Office of Head Start;
• Adhere to Early Head Start Policies and Procedures;
• Maintain up-to-date CPR and First Aid training; and
• Adhere to and implement Subpart B, Early Childhood Development and Health Services & Subpart C, Family and Community Partnership of the Head Start Performance standards related to infants, toddlers and preschool age children.

Qualifications

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is required;
• Bachelor's degree preferred;
• Experience working with at-risk families and infants and toddlers;
• Family Service Advocate Certification or equivalent within 18 months of hire;
• Possesses excellent interpersonal and advocacy skills;
• Excellent written, verbal and organizational skills;
• MUST be able to give and receive constructive feedback and work cooperatively on a team;
• Reliable transportation is required; and
• Occasional night or weekend activities required.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Community Group is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting, retaining, developing, and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to race, gender, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We are dedicated to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment and where employees are treated with respect and dignity.

E-Verify Notice

The Community Group participates in the E-Verify program to determine the immigration and work eligibility status of prospective employees. Please refer to the Notice of E-Verify Participation and the Right to Work documents for more information.