Family Advocate

Regina Coeli Child Development Center•Covington, LA

About The Position

The Family Advocate promotes Head Start family wellness and parent engagement and supports implementation of the family engagement process. The role serves as a liaison between classroom and home settings in education, child development, health, and mental health. The Family Advocate works with families to identify strengths and needs, establish family partnership goals, connect families with community resources, support transitions into educational settings, and encourage regular attendance and family literacy. The position also supports parent and community engagement, prevention and early intervention, health follow-up, and accurate documentation in the PROMIS database and children's files. The role may include assisting with classroom needs, bus monitoring, and other duties as requested. The position reports to the Center Director and is classified as hourly/non-exempt.

Requirements

High school degree or GED.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Intermediate computer skills, including keyboarding, computer literacy, and familiarity with databases, word processing, internet, and email.
Ability and willingness to handle sensitive family situations in a non-threatening and professional manner.
Ability to collaborate with community resources and working knowledge of local community resources related to Family Services.
Ability to prioritize and manage workload and deadlines.
Ability to work independently while maintaining professional boundaries and confidentiality.
Ability to exercise tact and discretion in interactions with staff, children, and families.
Frequent decision-making and problem-solving ability.
Ability to work as a team member with staff, parents, and community resources.
Flexible schedule to accommodate family needs, which may include some evenings.
Pass a criminal background check and physical examination; complete a tuberculosis test every three years with negative results.
Maintain current First Aid and CPR certification.
Valid driver's license and driving record compliant with RCCDC insurance carrier requirements.
Regular kneeling, bending, and sitting on the floor to attend to children's needs; occasional bending, stooping, and lifting up to 50 pounds; frequent driving.

Nice To Haves

At least two years of professional-level experience in a family social services setting is preferred, including knowledge and experience with community resources for referrals to families in need of services.
Knowledge of early childhood education and intervention is preferred.

Responsibilities

Follow Head Start Program Performance Standards, State of Louisiana licensing requirements, the RCCDC written work plan, and agency policies and procedures.
Maintain open, friendly, and professional relationships with staff and families, respecting culture, diversity, and ethnicity.
Participate in annual program self-assessment and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
Welcome families and share information about transitioning into Head Start or other educational settings when a child is not eligible.
Help families develop Family Partnership Goals by identifying strengths and needs, completing follow-up, and recommending, supporting, or referring families to relevant community resources.
Maintain regular contact with families according to their needs through phone calls, group activities, home visits, and classroom visits.
Provide crisis intervention related to basic needs such as housing and utilities, and document it in the database.
Prepare and distribute requested follow-up information to families in a timely manner.
Assist with transitions of children and families into their next educational setting.
Promote family literacy and work with parents to establish and maintain regular child attendance.
Work flexible hours to meet families' needs.
Participate in recruitment activities for assigned sites.
Assist the Center Director with planning and facilitating parent orientations.
Coordinate parent meetings and help parents take leadership roles.
Encourage parent participation in Parent Committee meetings, field trips, policy council, and classroom activities.
Provide content for parent memos and flyers as needed.
Advocate and collaborate with community agencies to support child, family, and agency outcomes.
Maintain regular contact with children in classroom settings and ongoing communication with teaching staff about relevant home information and children's classroom performance.
Provide information about Head Start health and nutrition requirements and support families with immunizations, physicals, dental care, and nutrition screenings and follow-ups.
Ensure completion of health screenings for assigned sites, including measurements, vision, hearing, and blood pressure screenings.
Complete ongoing applications and enrollment accurately in the PROMIS database.
Document and track follow-up needs, Family Partnership Goals, and health, dental, nutrition, hearing, and vision concerns in PROMIS and in the child's master file or case notes.
Document all parent contacts and home visits in PROMIS.
Document consultation with teachers regarding specific family concerns.
Report and document suspected child abuse or neglect.
Assist with breaks, bus monitoring, and other classroom needs as requested.
Attend team meetings and trainings.
Assist with generating In-Kind.
Perform other duties as requested.
Pass a criminal background check and physical examination, and complete a tuberculosis test every three years with negative results.
Maintain current First Aid and CPR certification; training is provided.
Maintain a valid driver's license and a driving record that complies with RCCDC insurance carrier requirements.
Travel frequently by driving to provide program support.