Early Childhood Navigator

Healthy Community Initiative•Faribault, MN

61d•$22 - $25•Onsite

About The Position

Growing Up Healthy, a program of the Healthy Community Initiative (HCI), seeks a Bilingual Early Childhood Navigator to work with families who have very young children to help them overcome obstacles that prevent kindergarten readiness. This role supports efforts to increase the number of children who complete early childhood screening before turning four years old and enroll and persist in preschool or other high-quality early learning opportunities. The Navigator will reach out to and support caregivers/parents of young children from prioritized low-income neighborhoods in Faribault, identify and document barriers to accessing early learning opportunities, and help families troubleshoot these barriers. The position involves planning and facilitating events, supporting parent/caregiver education and training, assisting with program and scholarship applications, completing home visits, connecting families with early childhood screening and other community resources, and providing follow-up after well-child checks. The role also requires building relationships with partners, tracking data, participating in grant work plans and reporting, and contributing to continuous process improvement. The Navigator will serve as a member of the Rice County Ready for Kindergarten network and support other HCI programs as needed, maintaining flexibility and positive communication.

Requirements

Bilingual in English and Spanish or Somali
Ability to work evening and weekend hours
Experience working with diverse children and families
2-5 years of experience in community outreach, family home visiting, early childhood education, individual family support, or a related field
Ability to meet the physical demands of the position, including lifting/carrying up to 40 pounds as well as regular sitting, typing, walking, standing, climbing stairs, bending, kneeling
Proficient in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word, and Excel) and Google Suite
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent interpersonal skills
Highly organized with superior attention to detail
Excellent ability to multi-task and troubleshoot issues
Ability to work with minimal supervision and as a member of a team
Capable of completing work on time in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a positive attitude
Passion for equity and social justice
Willingness to maintain the standards, carry out the purpose, and adhere to the policies of the Healthy Community Initiative
Must possess and maintain a valid Minnesota driver’s license and auto insurance and be able to travel throughout Rice County
Maintenance of a cell phone is an expectation of employment

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Faribault Public Schools and Rice County organizations and resources

Responsibilities

Reach out to and support caregivers/parents of young children from prioritized low-income neighborhoods in Faribault
Listen for, identify and document barriers and challenges families face to accessing preschool or early learning opportunities, and help families troubleshoot barriers to preschool enrollment and persistence. Engage families as much as possible in the process of identifying collaborative solutions
Plan and facilitate Summer Evenings in the Park and other neighborhood-based early childhood mobile hub events throughout the year to promote programs for young children and families
Work alongside Family Friend Neighbor Coordinator to recruit new participants
Support parent/caregiver education and training, including policy advocacy and also parenting skills (plan training sessions or workshops for caregivers and parents, promote training opportunities, etc.)
Assist with preschool/early childhood program and scholarship applications
Complete home visits and individual meetings with families
Connect families with early childhood screening; follow-up with children who attend screening to support them to enroll in preschool and/or access early learning opportunities
Refer families to community resources and services; assist families to complete application forms or other paperwork (as needed) in order to receive services; follow up with families to ensure services were received
Provide follow-up connections after well-child checks with local healthcare clinics
Build positive working relationships with agency and program partners, and ensure effective, timely communication with individuals and organizations central to this work
Track data completely and thoroughly using Growing Up Healthy’s data tracking system
Participate alongside teammates in monitoring grant-funded project work plans and outcomes; support grant reporting
Participate in Making Meaning of Multiple Data Sets and other data analysis exercises and support the team’s continuous process improvement activities
Serve as an active member of the Rice County Ready for Kindergarten network
Support other HCI-supported programs when needed; remain flexible and adapt as part of the team; maintain consistent, positive communication with team members, families and community partners