Family Advocate

Sonoma Community Action Network•Santa Rosa, CA

11h•$23 - $29

About The Position

The role of the Family Advocate is to reach out to households with children 0 to 5 years old to assist parents in obtaining knowledge of child development and the skills necessary to support school success. The Family Advocate will provide age-appropriate experiences to enhance children’s readiness skills for school by encouraging social-emotional and language development. The Family Advocate also works with school personnel, early care and education providers, health professionals, and Via Esperanza Family Resource team to support school readiness and family well-being concepts in the community. The Family Advocate participates in department programs as assigned.

Requirements

Excellent bilingual language skills, in speaking, reading, and writing (English/Spanish strongly preferred
Excellent interpersonal communication skills and the ability to build strong relationships.
Develops and maintains a positive team working environment with staff.
Detailed oriented with strong organization and time management skills.
Ability to to express and implement basic problem solving techniques.
Cultural humility - ability to interact productively with persons of all economic, ethnic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds
Intermediate proficiency with Word processing and Google Docs.
Intermediate proficiency with spreadsheets, preferably Google Sheets.
Ability to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment with minimal supervision and multiple deadlines.
Uphold and act in alignment with the Mission, Vision, and Values of the agency as stated above.
Valid California Driver's License and a properly insured vehicle for use on the job
Prior to beginning work, must be able to pass the background check DOJ.
Current TB clearance (within one year).
MMR, Tdap vaccinations required and Flu shot highly recommended.
High School Diploma or equivalent
12 units ECE
1-2 year’s experience in working with children 0-5 in a structured, professional setting

Nice To Haves

An AA Degree preferred or one to two years' experience in the Child Development field, or any similar combination of education and experience.
3+ years’ experience in the nonprofit sector
Experience working with adults as a teacher/coach and knowledge of strategies for providing adult education.

Responsibilities

Promotes Family Involvement in their children’s lives and schools.
Works with school staff to make the school welcoming to parents and families to increase their participation as their child’s advocate in school.
Conducts outreach activities to enroll families and actively encourages retention in program/s.
Works with families to access and receive quality early care, childcare, and education experiences before entering kindergarten.
Prepares for and facilitates weekly programmatic responsibilities as assigned. This may be virtual or in person presentations.
Informs parents about the impact of early years on children’s long-term development and educational opportunities; assists parents to provide developmentally appropriate learning activities for their children, and encourages parents to read daily and converse with their children.
Provides participating families with information regarding health, dental, mental health, and community resources and assists families to obtain culturally and linguistically appropriate services and resources.
Assists parents to access early screenings and interventions or provides screenings as determined by program needs, for developmental delays and other special needs.
Conducts home visits if assigned; assesses living and learning conditions to ensure that children are in a safe and healthy environment.
Conducts and/or assists with Pasitos groups at various sites if assigned.
Maintains updated records, collects data, enters data, writes reports, and correspondence as trained and directed.
Works collaboratively with all team members as well as community-based and government agencies to facilitate delivery of services to children and families.
Attends and participates in weekly staff planning meetings.
Completes required trainings, including those specified in the program models.
Assists the Thriving Families Department in program implementation.
Occasional weekends and/or evening hours required.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Medical insurance through Kaiser or Sutter 80-95% paid by the employer for employee premiums plus 50% paid by the employer for dependent coverage
Elective dental, vision insurance, FSA and Accident insurance.
Employer paid $10k of life insurance with expandable options
Employer paid Long-term Disability Insurance
401(K) plan with 2% contribution and an additional 1% matched contribution after one year of service
Employee assistance program, CalPerks
3 weeks vacation (4 hours accrued per pay period) based on full time work, increases at 5 years of service
96 hours sick time per year (4 hours accrued per pay period) based on full time work
1 floating personal day
15 paid holidays