Family Advocate - Marlboro Pike

Easter Seals Serving DCIMDIVA•District Heights, MD

7h•Onsite

About The Position

The Family Advocate will work as a member of a team whose primary role is to engage all families to partner with us to promote children’s healthy development and school readiness. The Family Advocate uses knowledge of the principles of family engagement to support families in their roles as their child’s primary educator, encourages parent/child interactions that promote children’s school readiness and healthy development, and enhances family well-being. In this role, the Family Advocate will provide more intensive and targeted support to vulnerable families and families of children with chronic health conditions and special needs in order to ensure that our engagement strategies meet their specialized needs. The Family Advocate will work as part of the program’s broader team to expand family engagement strategies that will create a sense of belonging and shared community among families, with the goal of enhancing the relationships and support that families provide to one another in their shared aspirations for their children and themselves. The position may involve reassignment of caseload and/or center location as deemed necessary for program operations.

Requirements

Associate or Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Human Services, Family Services/Engagement, Counseling or a related field preferred, OR AA or BA in another field with a commitment to complete Family Services/Certificate/Credential within 18 months of hire. We will also consider candidates with a High School Diploma with 3 years experience working in the community with families and a completed Family Development Certificate or Credential
Experience, training, and skills with assisting the parents of young children to advocate for their families
Experience working in low-income diverse communities preferred
Physical exam and background checks are required for this position.
Must have reliable personal transportation as travel from site to site is required.
Travel required locally or long-distance up to 10% of the time for work-related meetings and functions.
Must have a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.
A passion for achieving positive child and family outcomes through high-quality family engagement
Ability to interact effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.
Demonstrated computer literacy skills, using MS Office applications and other basic data systems including internet navigation.
Must be honest, dependable and able to meet deadlines.
Self-motivated and able to work independently.