Family Support Specialist

Start Early; Beach Park (IL); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Plans

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

Holistic Wellness Program

Professional Development Program

401k Contribution

Paid Volunteer Days

6 months paid parental leave

Job summary

Start Early Lake County seeks a Family Support Specialist to build strong community partnerships and provide essential family support. You will develop Family Partnership Agreements, monitor progress, and recruit families into Start Early programs to ensure timely enrollment.

The role requires bilingual Spanish proficiency, a relevant bachelor’s degree, and a commitment to diversity and inclusive practices. A master’s in social work is preferred or obtainable within 18 months of hire.

Qualifications

• Bilingual Spanish preferred; read, write, and speak Spanish proficiently.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Human or Family Services, Counseling or related field.
• Master’s Degree in Social Work preferred or within 18 months of hire, obtain a Gateways Family Services Credential or Social Work Credential.

Responsibilities

• Identify and develop community partnerships to support family access to resources.
• Develop and maintain supportive relationships with families to promote self-sufficiency.
• Collaborate with families to establish Family Partnership Agreements and monitor progress.
• Recruit and enroll families into Start Early Lake County programs.
• Perform recruitment activities to build waitlists or fill vacancies within 30 days.
• Design and monitor family development initiatives and encourage parent involvement.
• Conduct periodic home visits to assess family needs and resources.
• Coordinate with internal team to monitor and coordinate services for children.

Skills

Bilingual Spanish

Effective communication

Relationship building

Diversity & inclusion

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work / Human or Family Services

Master’s Degree in Social Work (preferred)

Job description

Description

We have openings in Beach Park, IL.

Start Early Lake County provides high-quality care, best-in-class education, and a stimulating learning environment to children from birth to five years old in Lake County, Illinois. As a program that serves low-income families, Start Early's research-based program helps children develop the literacy, language, early math, and social-emotional skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.

We are recruiting individuals who want to join us in this mission and share a commitment to our core values of appreciation & respect, empowerment, diversity, excellence, learning, and communication.

When you join our team as a Family Support Specialist, you will:

• Identify and develop community partnerships to help support family access to additional community resources in the following core areas:
  • Activities/strategies that promote and enhance the parent-child relationship
  • Activities/strategies that engage parents in discussions about their child’s growth and development
  • Providing parents with information and opportunities to learn about concrete things they can do to promote their child’s learning
  • Activities/strategies that encourage parents’ involvement in the education of their child and in their child’s school both at Start Early Lake County and in the K-8 system. This includes helping parents recognize and expect "quality education"; know how to access quality elementary schools; and learn how to advocate for a quality education for their child
  • Activities and strategies that support parents in achieving family and community outcomes
• Develop and maintain meaningful, supportive and educational relationships with families to help promote self-sufficiency skills and positive outcomes for their children.
• Collaborate with families to establish comprehensive Family Partnership Agreements.
• Monitor progress toward family goal completion.
• Recruit and enroll families into programs at Start Early Lake County.
• Perform at least three forms of recruitment per month to increase interest in the program and to assist in building a waitlist or filling vacancies within 30 days.
• Design, implement, and monitor family development initiatives; encourage parent involvement through regular family meetings and provide adult education opportunities throughout the program.
• Conduct periodic home visits to assess the family's resources and needs.
• Collaborate with the internal team to monitor, track, and coordinate services for children.

Requirements

• Bilingual Spanish Preferred (Must be able to read, write, and speak Spanish proficiently).
• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Human or Family Services, Counseling or related field.
• Master’s Degree in Social Work preferred or within 18 months of hire, obtain a Gateways Family Services Credential or Social Work Credential.
• Obtain 15 hours of continuing education annually.
• Communicate effectively and work well with parents, staff, and various professional community groups.
• Deep commitment in advancing diversity and inclusion into organizational routines and practices.
• Optimally establish and maintain effective relationships with customers and gain their trust and respect.
• Comfort and experience in handling risk and uncertainty to move work forward.

Salary

Salary: $51,825-$62,000. This position has the potential for a sign-on bonus and travel stipend.

Our generous benefit plan includes:

• Comprehensive Health Plans
• Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
• Holistic Wellness Program
• Professional Development Program
• 401k Contribution
• Paid Volunteer Days
• 6 months paid parental leave and much more.

Start Early is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to our core values by creating an inclusive environment for all staff.