Family Advocate

Cape Community Association for Pre-School • Livermore, CA

17d • $24 - $26

About The Position

CAPE Inc, Community Association for Preschool Education – Livermore and Hayward, CA CAPE, Inc. has a wonderful opportunity for Family Advocate, Full Time (FT), in Hayward locations Position is Non-Exempt, Full Time (40 hours/week), 12 months Pay Rate: Commensurate with experience and education Minimum $24.35/hour Maximum $26.00/hour Eligible for signing bonus of $1,500.00, group benefits plans including medical, dental, vision, life insurance and retirement plan; paid Holidays, vacation and sick days; educational assistance Reports to Supervisor, Support Services Agency Overview: CAPE, Inc. headquarters is in Livermore, and provides early childhood education services (Head Start and Early Head Start preschool programs) in Livermore, Dublin, Pleasanton, and Hayward areas. CAPE offers a cohesive environment for passionate people who want to make a significant contribution to early childhood education, social/emotional development and early childhood mental health. Position Overview: Family Advocates work collaboratively as part of an integrated service team to assist enrolled families in the development of Family Partnership agreements and to provide comprehensive, integrated services in the areas of child development/education, health, mental health, nutrition, parent involvement, social services and disabilities services.

Requirements

• BA or AA degree in Early Childhood Education, Social Work, Psychology or related field
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with low-income adults and children, and experience with ethnic and cultural minorities
• Two years related work experience
• Familiarity with community resources for families and children
• Possession of a valid California driver’s license, reliable transportation and valid vehicle insurance
• Good clerical skills and Microsoft Word/Windows, and Child Plus
• Ability to work within the philosophy of the CAPE program
• Ability to interact effectively
• Effective communication skills – both oral and written
• Strong analytical and organizational skills
• Ability to function independently with minimum supervision
• Teamwork/Effective interpersonal relationship with co-workers
• Professionalism; flexibility
• Comprehension of job-related responsibilities
• Detail-oriented; Customer service oriented

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience in a Head Start or State Preschool program
• Bi-lingual skills; especially Spanish/English; Farsi/English, Vietnamese/English preferred

Responsibilities

• Meet with families regularly to establish a positive and supportive relationship
• Support families in the identification of family strengths and needs and in determining family goals
• Inform families of and refer them to available community resources in the areas of social services, health, mental health and career development. Follow up on referrals to assure delivery of services
• Serve as a resource for CAPE parents, informing, counseling and referring through conversations at school, over the phone, on home visits or in the office
• Assist families in completing Family Profile and other family assessments
• Assist in enrollment of eligible children
• Participate in regular case management meetings
• Follow up on issues identified at case management meetings
• Provide written reports to the Integrated Service Team Leader monthly
• Follow up on child absences as directed
• Serve as an advocate for families with community agencies, helping them access resources
• Assist with arranging or provide transportation to appointments when necessary
• Document referrals, family contacts and home visits utilizing Child Plus
• Conduct home visits with enrolled families as necessary.
• Confer with site staff and Integrated Service Team Leader regarding suspected child abuse, and assist in making the report to Child Protective Services if required.
• Maintain classroom bulletin boards and parent resource centers
• Work with family to complete Nutrition Assessment
• Obtain a CCFP application from each family and income verification
• Make necessary nutrition referrals, i.e. WIC after consulting with Nutrition Specialist
• As directed: request needed medical and dental records from providers and refer to providers for necessary services or follow up. Assist family with scheduling and coordinating appointments
• Work with families to complete Health History
• Assist with arranging transportation to appointments or provide when necessary
• Follow up and track referrals to ensure delivery of services including data input into Child Plus
• Provide health education to parents on home visits, at preschool sites, at center parent meetings and at parent education meetings
• Attend meetings, workshops and health related trainings as requested or appropriate
• Ensure that all required screenings are performed with required time frame
• Assist with the Health Fair
• Provide referrals for counseling or therapy and document in Child Plus as necessary
• Assist families with arranging transportation or provide transportation to appointments
• Follow up on referrals to ensure delivery of services
• Provide crisis intervention
• Assist with preparation for parent support or education groups
• Attend all staff meetings and trainings as required or requested
• Assist in all major CAPE events
• Assist in maintaining children’s case files
• Continue career development through classes, workshops, etc.
• Participate in regularly scheduled group supervision

Benefits

• group benefits plans including medical, dental, vision, life insurance and retirement plan
• paid Holidays, vacation and sick days
• educational assistance
• signing bonus of $1,500.00

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree