FAMILY ADVOCATE

Easter Seals Serving DCIMDIVA•Washington, DC

11d•$60,000 - $65,000

About The Position

The Family Advocate is a member of the Early Head Start team and engages families as partners in promoting children’s healthy development and school readiness. The role supports families as their children’s primary educators, encourages parent-child interactions, and promotes family well-being. It provides more intensive, targeted support to vulnerable families and families of children with chronic health conditions or special needs, while helping build a sense of belonging and community among participating families. Caseloads and center locations may be reassigned based on program needs. The Family Advocate works with families and program colleagues to support family goals, connect families with community services, conduct home visits and group activities, and strengthen families’ participation in their children’s learning. The position also carries out recruitment, eligibility, selection, enrollment, and attendance processes; maintains accurate family and program records; and coordinates with internal teams and community partners. The role is based at the Bladensburg Road location and requires local or long-distance work-related travel up to 10% of the time.

Requirements

Associate or bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Family Services/Engagement, Counseling, or a related field preferred; alternatively, an associate or bachelor’s degree in another field with a commitment to complete a Family Services certificate or credential within 18 months of hire.
Candidates with a high school diploma, three years of experience working in the community with families, and a completed Family Development Certificate or Credential will also be considered.
Experience, training, and skills assisting parents of young children to advocate for their families.
Physical exam and background checks are required.
Valid driver’s license and reliable personal transportation are required because travel between sites is necessary.
Ability to travel locally or long-distance for work-related meetings and functions up to 10% of the time.
Passion for achieving positive child and family outcomes through high-quality family engagement.
Ability to interact effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
Computer literacy, including MS Office, basic data systems, and internet navigation.
Honesty, dependability, ability to meet deadlines, self-motivation, and ability to work independently.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in low-income, diverse communities.
Associate or bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Family Services/Engagement, Counseling, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Engage families as partners in their children’s healthy development and school readiness through outreach, recruitment, attendance follow-up, and the Family Engagement Contract process.
Individualize family engagement to respect families’ cultural contexts and circumstances, and provide in-home and group experiences that promote positive parent-child interactions, routines, guidance, rich home environments, and literacy.
Use classroom time and home visits to help families understand the connection between children’s development and home environments, and model and coach positive parent-child interactions.
Implement the Shine On, Families curriculum in coordination with education staff, and support DC families with subsidy enrollment and recertifications.
Use family self-assessments and partnership processes to help families pursue self-identified goals in areas such as education, employment, housing, and access to community resources.
Provide more intensive weekly contact to identified vulnerable families, respond to family crises, make referrals, and follow up to ensure services meet families’ needs.
Coordinate or refer families to continuing education, employment training, and other employment services.
Conduct workshops and center-based activities that build social capital, family community, and engagement in children’s learning and development.
Cultivate family leadership and support participation in program governance and community advisory groups.
Collaborate with health, nutrition, early learning, disabilities, and family engagement staff to support families and children with chronic health conditions or special needs.
Coordinate medical and dental home, insurance, and EPSDT determinations and follow-up; help families keep children current with EPSDT requirements and obtain timely evaluation and treatment.
Develop communication and collaboration strategies with teaching teams and community partners to improve family engagement and access to resources and training.
Follow up on program inquiries, maintain prospective-enrollee tracking, and participate in recruitment planning and activities.
Determine eligibility, review applications and documentation, complete enrollment and intake processes, maintain wait lists, enroll families according to selection criteria, and assist with extended-day eligibility and subsidy applications when applicable.
Monitor and follow up on children’s attendance, support attendance data entry as needed, develop attendance goals with families, and assist with Attendance Action Plans.
Maintain accurate electronic and hard-copy records, case notes, ERSEA documentation, family self-assessments, partnership agreements, referrals, reports, and PIR data.
Perform other assigned duties, which may include ERSEA and health responsibilities for advocates with smaller caseloads.