Family Services Worker

The Community Group; Massachusetts; On-site; USD 42,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

The Community Group is seeking a Family Service Advocate to support the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership program in Massachusetts. You will establish trusted relationships with families, recruit participants, and help coordinate monthly Policy Council meetings with the EHS team.

You’ll promote family engagement, perform regular case management, and ensure families access health, nutrition, and other services. Occasional evenings or weekends may be required.

Qualifications

• Experience working with at-risk families and infants and toddlers.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is required.
• 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.
• Occasional night or weekend activities required.
• Reliable transportation is required; and
• Family Service Advocate Certification or equivalent within 18 months of hire.

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 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 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 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
• Participate in professional development opportunities (e.g., EEC StrongStart trainings, Family Service, ERSEA, Office of Head Start)
• Adhere to Early Head Start Policies and Procedures
• Maintain up-to-date CPR and First Aid training
• Adhere to and implement Subpart B and Subpart C Head Start standards related to infants, toddlers and preschool age children

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Advocacy

Communication

Bilingual English/Spanish

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Job description

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

The Community Day Care 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.

The Role

• 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 [Special Note: all in-person meetings will be virtual during Covid-19 public health crisis];
• 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:

• Experience working with at-risk families and infants and toddlers;
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is required;
• Bachelor's degree preferred;
• 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;
• Occasional night or weekend activities required;
• Reliable transportation is required; and
• Family Service Advocate Certification or equivalent within 18 months of hire.

The Community Group is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting, retaining, developing and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to their race, gender, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship status, veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited 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.