Family Support Specialist - Center Based

Brightpoint; Bloomington (IL); On-site; USD 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision insurance

3+ weeks PTO first year

11 paid holidays

401(k) with match

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Job summary

Brightpoint seeks a Family Support Specialist to serve as the first contact for families at the Scott Child & Family Center. The role ensures eligibility adherence, recruits families, and coordinates enrollment and services to boost child and family well‑being and academic functioning.

Qualifications include a Bachelor’s in Social Work or related field or a Family Specialist Gateway Level 5, plus 1 year of relevant experience. Bilingual English/Spanish and a valid driver's license are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or related field required.
• Family Specialist Gateway Level 5 Credential required.
• One year of experience working with families with children under age 5 required.
• Case management experience preferred.
• Knowledge of community resources.
• Valid driver’s license, insurance, and reliable vehicle required.
• Bilingual English/Spanish required.

Responsibilities

• Recruits families with children for enrollment, including evening and weekend events.
• Obtains essential documentation to validate eligibility and ensure enrollment of the most eligible families.
• Coordinates placement of eligible children in center or home-based programs.
• Establishes trusting, nurturing relationships with clients/participants.
• Works with multidisciplinary team to extend support services based on needs.
• Monitors attendance and participation; contacts parents as needed to justify absenteeism.
• Reports absences for center-based or home-based programs as required.
• Provides support to parents, providers and partners to meet funding requirements.

Skills

Bachelor's degree

Family Specialist Gateway Level 5

Experience with families with children

Bilingual English/Spanish

Driver's license

Community resources

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or related field

Family Specialist Gateway Level 5 Credential

Job description

Brightpoint invites 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. The Family Support Specialist serves as the first point of contact for families of our Scott Child & Family Center, and is responsible for carrying out all funding source requirements to confirm participant eligibility, identify needs of children and families, coordinate, enroll and track participation in services to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families, and maximize the family’s well-being and the academic functioning of children.

Candidate Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or related field and/or Family Specialist Gateway Level 5 Credential required.
• A year of experience working with families with children under the age of 5 required.
• Case management experience preferred.
• Knowledgeable of community resources
• Valid driver's license, insurance, and a reliable vehicle required.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) required.

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. For Home-Based only: Reports two consecutive missed visits to Family Support Supervisor or assigned Site or Program Supervisor.
• Provides support to parents, providers and partners to ensure all funding requirements are effectively implemented

Job Details

• Compensation: Hourly: Range is between $20.19-$22.24 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: Onsite - at the Scott Family & Child Learning Center
• Schedule: Full-time, hourly; general business hours with some flexibility required for special projects and evening/weekend recruitment events and flexibility for home visits.
• 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).