Children, Youth and Family Advocate

YWCA Seattle King Snohomish•Lynnwood, WA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish is on a mission to eliminate racism and empower women. Through housing, advocacy, and supportive services, YWCA partners with families and communities to build stability, opportunity, and belonging. Children’s Services plays a critical role in this work by supporting children and youth impacted by housing instability and systemic inequities. The Youth & Family Advocate – Computer Lab Support is a trauma-informed, child- and family-centered advocacy role that supports children, youth, and caregivers living in YWCA housing programs. This position centers on advocacy, relationship-building, and coordination with families, schools, and community partners to reduce barriers to stability, education, and wellbeing. The role also includes responsibility for supporting a small, structured computer lab during after-school hours. The computer lab functions as a supportive access point for homework completion, digital literacy, and supervised learning rather than as a stand-alone technology program. Advocacy, safety, and youth development remain the primary focus of the position. All work is grounded in YWCA’s mission to eliminate racism and empower women, with an explicit commitment to racial justice, equity, and trauma-informed practice. This position has a social justice component allowing for critical thinking around how the external systems impact the work that we are doing through the lens of racism and intersections with poverty. As an equal opportunity employer, we highly encourage people of color to apply. Note: This position is fully onsite and includes short, local travel throughout South Snohomish County and provides Children’s Services support across multiple YWCA housing sites, including Aunt Bette’s Place (Lynnwood), Trinity (Lynnwood), Pathways (Lynnwood), and Victorian Woods (Mountlake Terrace).

Requirements

3 to 5 years of experience working with children, youth, and families in social services, education, housing, shelter, or community-based settings.
Strong grounding in trauma-informed care and awareness of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
Knowledge of or willingness to learn education systems and school-based advocacy, including McKinney-Vento protections.
Ability to build trusting relationships across cultures, identities, and family systems.
Familiarity and comfort with basic technology used in a community computer lab setting, including computers, printers, common educational platforms, and online learning tools.
Ability to support youth with basic troubleshooting, navigation of educational websites, and safe, appropriate technology use.
Ability to work closely and effectively with children of varying ages in whole-family settings.
Ability to work effectively with individuals of differing skills and backgrounds.
Ability to work some evenings.
Reliable transportation and a Washington Driver’s License.
Strong communication, organization, and collaboration skills.
Commitment to racial equity, social justice, and anti-racist practice.

Nice To Haves

Mental health, education, or youth development background.
Experience working in housing, shelter, or family support programs.
First Aid/CPR certification or ability to obtain.

Responsibilities

Provide trauma-informed, strengths-based advocacy to children and youth and partner closely with parents and caregivers.
Assess developmental, educational, and social-emotional needs of children and youth and help coordinate appropriate supports.
Serve as a trusted adult and consistent presence for youth in the community.
Act as an education liaison, supporting school enrollment, attendance, and engagement, including advocacy related to McKinney-Vento protections when applicable.
Collaborate with families, case managers, schools, and service providers to reduce barriers to learning and stability.
Maintain timely, accurate, and confidential documentation, case notes, and required reports.
Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings and community collaborations in support of family stability.
Design and support age-appropriate, culturally responsive activities for children and youth that promote safety, connection, and learning.
Create a welcoming and inclusive environment that supports youth from diverse cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds.
Support youth in academic goal-setting and, for older youth, early career and post-secondary exploration.
Coordinate volunteers, interns, and community partners supporting youth programming.
Supervise daily after-school computer lab hours, ensuring a safe, respectful, and structured environment.
Support youth with homework completion, online learning platforms, and basic digital skills.
Provide basic guidance on computer use, internet safety, and educational tools.
Coordinate equitable access to computers and Wi-Fi during open lab hours.
Monitor equipment functionality and submit IT or maintenance requests as needed.
Track attendance and participation during lab hours.
Partner with YWCA staff to promote youth and family services within the housing community.
Assist with outreach, communication, and distribution of program information in culturally responsive ways.
Ensure program spaces are clean, safe, and aligned with safety and confidentiality standards.
Uphold YWCA policies, values, and social justice commitments in all interactions.