Family Advocate-Center Based

Job Details

Enrichment Services Program, Inc.

Job Title: Center Based Family Advocate

Department: Early Childhood & Family Services

Classification: Non-Exempt

Job Reports To: Center Manager

Job Summary:

The Center Based Family Advocate (CBFA) will establish a mutual partnership and shared expectations with families and empower them to be advocates for their children. The CBFA will cultivate a welcoming environment for families that not only prepares the child for school readiness success but encourages adults to achieve their life’s goals. The CBFA will recruit children for the Head Start program and ensure that Head Start program services and community resources are available to enrolled children and their families. The CBFA will work with families to develop a strength-based plan of action to meet their needs and will lead center-based family engagement activities that increases families’ knowledge of their role in their child’s early learning education.

Major Responsibilities/Activities:

The CBFA responsibilities primarily fall within the following core functions; although s/he may perform other tasks based upon program needs:
A. Promote Family Environments that Enhance Children’s Development
B. Support Families to Meet Self-Identified Goals
C. Engage Families To Support One Another
D. Enhance Program Collaboration
E. Maintain Accurate and Timely Record Keeping and Reporting

A. PROMOTE FAMILY ENVIRONMENTS THAT ENHANCE CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT

Engage families as partners in their children’s healthy development and school readiness

1. Participate in outreach, recruitment and attendance follow up activities to engage families in our program; and to motivate their active participation.
2. Engage families in the Family Engagement Contract process in order to build relationships and shared accountability for promoting children’s development.
3. Individualize family engagement and relationship-building to be appropriate to families’ cultural context, as well as respectful of family circumstances.
4. Engage families in individualized, in home and group experiences to enhance parent/child interactions that research shows foster school readiness through consistent family routines, positive guidance and discipline, experience rich home environments and literacy activities.
5. Utilize in-classroom time and home visits to build deeper understanding of the relationship between children’s development and their home environments; as well as to model and coach families in positive parent/child interactions

B. SUPPORT FAMILIES TO MEET SELF-IDENTIFIED GOALS

Engage in a process of collaborative partnership building with families of children receiving center-based (Early) Head Start services.

1. Utilize family self-assessment information to assist families with self-identified goals to enhance self-sufficiency in areas such as education, employment housing and access to community resources
2. Identify and access services and resources responsive to family interests and goals and follow-up with parents to ensure that services met their expectations and needs.
3. Analyze self-sufficiency data and utilize data/results to plan and coordinate a variety of parent cohort groups that support one another to achieve self-sufficiency goals.
4. Coordinate or refer families to opportunities for continuing education, employment training and other employment services through formal or informal networking in the community.
   
   
   C. ENGAGE FAMILIES TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER

Foster a sense of community and sense of belonging among families in order to strengthen social capital

1. Conduct group and center-based workshops and activities designed to build social capital and create a welcoming program community committed to family engagement in children’s learning and development.
2. Cultivate family leadership and support their advocacy efforts through participation in program governance bodies such as delegate Parent Committee and grantee Policy Council, as well as neighborhood and community based advisory groups.
3. Work in conjunction with center staff and families to plan and conduct a wide variety of family engagement activities that provide opportunities for families to support one another.

D. ENHANCE PROGRAM COLLABORATION

Build relationships that will enhance communication and collaboration among internal and external stakeholders

1. Work side by side with health, early learning and disabilities and other members of the family engagement team to support families to be fully engaged in all aspects of our program.
2. Develop effective communication and collaborative strategies with teaching teams to encourage family engagement in home learning activities, including individualizing activities based upon family interests and children’s developmental status.
3. Establish and maintain working relationships with community partners to strengthen access to resources and training identified as priority goal areas by families.

E. MAINTAIN ACCURATE AND TIMELY RECORD KEEPING AND REPORTING

Effectively manage workload and ensure accurate record-keeping and documentation

1. Maintain accurate electronic and hard copy records and case notes to support positive child and family outcomes.
2. Document efforts to assist families to identify their strengths, needs and self-sufficiency goals through completion of Family Self-Assessment, Family Partnership Agreement, and case notes.
3. Record, monitor and follow up on referrals for support services for reporting requirements.
4. Submit reports as needed and requested, such as monthly summary tracking reports, etc.