Family Support Specialist - Bilingual

Socket.dev; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 33,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision insurance

PTO 3+ weeks in first year

11 paid holidays

401(k) with match

PSLF eligibility

Leadership development opportunities

Mentorship

Job summary

Brightpoint invites you to join our team of mission-driven staff dedicated to creating an equitable world where children and families thrive. The Family Support Specialist serves as the first contact for families applying for Early Childhood services, verifying eligibility and coordinating enrollment to maximize well-being.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree or credentials, bilingual English/Spanish, and a driver’s license.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in listed fields; educational plan may substitute per policy.
• Gateways Level 5 Family Specialist Credential or equivalent required.
• Preferred: at least 1 year of experience with culturally diverse families.
• Knowledge of child growth/development and parent-child relationships preferred.
• Valid driver’s license, insurance, and reliable vehicle required.
• Ability to communicate in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Recruits families with children for enrollment in the program, including evening and weekend events (in-person or virtual).
• Completes and obtains essential documentation to validate eligibility and secures necessary forms.
• Coordinates placement of eligible children in center-based or home-based programs with supervisors or director.
• Establishes trusting, nurturing relationships with clients/participants.
• Participates with the multidisciplinary team to extend support services based on needs.
• Monitors attendance and participation, contacting parents to justify absenteeism and creating participation plans.
• For Center Based Only: reports absences of three days or more for follow-up.

Skills

Experience with diverse families

Bilingual: English & Spanish

Child development knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Family and Consumer Science, Family Studies or Counseling

Gateways Level 5 Family Specialist Credential or equivalent Family Development Credential

Job description

Brightpointinvites you to join our team of mission-driven staff who share a common vision: an equitable world where all children and families thrive in strong communities. As a leader in the human services sector for 140 years, we aim to advance the well-being of children by investing in families and strengthening communities through data-informed, collaborative, and preventative solutions.

Family Support Specialistserves as the first point of contact for families who apply for center-based Early Childhood services at Brightpoint. The Family Support Specialist is responsible for participant eligibility, identifying the needs of children and families, and coordinating, enrolling and tracking participation in services to maximize the child and family’s well-being. As a Family Support Specialist, you will recruit families with children for enrollment in the program, complete and obtain all essential documentation to validate eligibility, coordinate the placement of eligible children and establish trusting, nurturing relationships with program participants.

Candidate qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Family and Consumer Science, Family Studies or Counseling required.
• Gateways Level 5 Family Specialist Credential or equivalent Family Development Credential required.
• A minimum of one (1) year of experience working with culturally diverse families preferred.
• Knowledge and understanding of normal child growth/development and parent-child relationships preferred.
• Valid driver's license, insurance, and a reliable vehicle required.
• Ability to communicate in both English and Spanish required.

(Candidates without the required degree/credentials may be considered with an approved educational plan)

Job Responsibilities:

• Recruits families with children for enrollment in the program, engaging in scheduled recruitment outings on a regular basis, including evening and weekend recruitment events (in-person and/or virtual).
• Completes and obtains all essential documentation to validate the eligibility of all applying families and secures all essential documentation, including the selection criteria form, to ensure that the most eligible families are enrolled in the program.
• Coordinates the placement of eligible children, in the center or home-based program, with the assigned Supervisor, Manager and/or Director.
• Establishes trusting, nurturing relationships with clients/participants.
• Participates with the multidisciplinary team to ensure that all support services are extended to families based on their needs.
• In alignment with the attendance protocol, monitors absenteeism/participation of children, contacts parents and/or conducts team meetings with parents to discern justification for absenteeism/ participation and creates participation plan, as appropriate.
• For Center Based Only: Reports absences of three days or more to Family Support Services Supervisor or assigned Site or Program Supervisor for further follow-up recommendations.

Job details:

• Compensation: Hourly: Range is between $24.04 - $28.40 per hour, offers are commensurate with experience and bilingual candidates may receive additional compensation. The salary range provided represents our current estimate for this role at the time of posting and is subject to change. The final salary will be determined based on a range of factors, including but not limited to, a candidate's relevant experience, education, qualifications, skills, certifications, and alignment with organizational needs. We are dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to fostering a diverse workforce while providing equal opportunities for all candidates.
• Benefits: Medical/dental/vision insurance, 3+ weeks paid time off in the first year including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day (PTO increases with tenure); 11 paid holidays, supplemental insurance options, 401(k) with match more benefits details here.
• Location:Center Based (1701 West 63rd Street)
• Schedule: Full-time, hourly; general business hours with some flexibility required for special projects and evening/weekend recruitment events.
• We don’t just hire talent—we grow it: Emerging Leaders will have access to leadership development opportunities and one-on-one mentorship.
• Student Loan Forgiveness: Brightpoint is an approved agency for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).