Child Development Specialist, Child Development Services

Wayfinder Family Services • San Leandro, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Wayfinder Family Services provides early intervention in person to children from birth to age 6 with visual impairment or multiple disabilities. The program aims to help young children maximize any vision they have and reduce developmental delays, while also teaching parents to provide therapeutic stimulation and advocate for their child’s education and care. The primary focus of the Child Development Specialist is to provide specialized services to families of young children with vision impairments and/or multiple disabilities from birth through five years of age. This role involves providing home instruction, developing lesson plans, offering resource information, making referrals to local community-based organizations, advocating for the client’s family, and partnering with parents and caregivers to empower them as advocates for their child. The ultimate goal is to reduce the need for special education and increase independence for children with disabilities.

Requirements

• A minimum of a B.A., B.S. degree in Special Education, Child Development, Orientation and Mobility, Infant or Early Childhood, Social Work, or another related field from an accredited university is required.
• Valid CA Driver License with a minimum of three (3) years good driving history and must be approved by the agency’s insurance carrier to drive agency vehicles.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual (Spanish), preferred.
• Familiarity with services available to infants, young children, and their families with vision loss and multiple disabilities in California preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct intervention in the child's natural environment: home, at a center-based site, or a hospital.
• Coordinate your schedule to meet the family's needs, ensuring the weekly visits are met as authorized by the Regional Center or School District.
• Conduct functional vision and developmental assessments using observation, parent interviews, authentic assessment strategies, and formal assessment tools. Per the frequency of the Regional Center, assessments include but are not limited to Oregon, DAYC-2, and HAWAII (HELP). Frequency includes but is not limited to every 3, 6 or 9 months.
• Participates in developing and implementing each child’s Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) and outcomes in collaboration with the family and education team, providing progress reports as required by each Regional Center or Local Education Agency.
• Assists and supports family in transitioning to the public school system or appropriate preschool setting (Birth to 3 children).
• Actively collaborates with community-based providers of related services, including medical and educational providers, to help identify children with vision loss and developmental delays and provide access to services as part of Child Find.
• Completes and maintains client case files and client database, including : Face Sheet, Home Visit Log Notes, intake forms, Developmental Profile, Family Program Plan, Physician Reports, Correspondence, Reports of Medical Visits, IFSPs, IEPs, assessments, and Medi-Cal documentation.
• Other duties as outlined in the position description.

Benefits

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) policy, 11 paid holidays, plus five winter holidays
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match up to 4%
• Employee referral program: Encourage your colleagues to join us
• Education tuition assistance program: Invest in your career development
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible
• Flexible spending account (FSA) plans
• Training and professional development

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level