Family Advocate (Early Head Start - Queens)

Rising Ground•Queens, NY

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Founded as an orphanage in 1831, Rising Ground has been at the forefront of evolving community needs. Driven by the belief that each of us can thrive when life has hope and opportunity, Rising Ground provides caring support and proven paths to positive change, helping children, adults, and families rise above adversity, and each year, Rising Ground is a positive force in the lives of more than 72,000 individuals annually. We do this through 101 programs across 138 sites, throughout New York City and Westchester. Our strong belief and commitment to diversity is shown not just through our work with supported persons but is integral to the building of a strong staff that reflects the communities we serve. Rising Ground is headquartered in New York City. Role Overview The Family Advocate provides leadership and oversight of family engagement and support services, ensuring families receive comprehensive, culturally responsive, and coordinated services aligned with Head Start Performance Standards. This role supports and monitors family service delivery, case management practices, and the timely completion of family partnership agreements, referrals, and follow-up services. The Family Advocate collaborates closely with program leadership and multidisciplinary staff, including education, health, mental health, and disabilities teams, to promote child and family well-being, strengthen parent leadership and advocacy, and support successful transitions for children and families. Additionally, the Family Advocate utilizes data to inform continuous quality improvement efforts, ensures compliance with documentation and reporting requirements, and serves as a key liaison between families, community partners, and the program to foster positive outcomes and family self-sufficiency.

Requirements

Minimum requirement is an AA degree/ certificate in social services or related field
Bilingual (Spanish) preferred
Three-five years in the field of early childhood
Excellent oral and writing skills
Authorized to work in the U.S.
Ability to work in-person in New York City (NYC)
Ability to travel to other Rising Ground Sites (if required)
Ability to travel within the community and do visits

Responsibilities

Responsible for assisting families to advocate for community-based services.
Identifies community resources to address specific family needs.
Works with parents to apply for entitlements, Leads workshops on how to apply for services; assists with referrals to community-based services.
Screens parents for eligibility based on program criteria and completes screening forms for review.
Assists with enrollment for eligible families.
Responsible for 1305 ERSEA.
Monitors the waiting list and assures the list is updated each month.
Ensures that the program is at full enrollment year-round.
Oversees enrollment of new children and families.
Writes, reviews and revises Family and Community Partnership work plans annually.
Monitors the work plan.
Establishes policies and procedures for the social services portion of the program for parents and staff that support the effective implementation of these services.
Establishes relationships with community partners and identifies resources that can be made available to families by developing linkages with these community resources.
Participates in home visits on a regularly scheduled basis, and an as needed basis
Other related duties as assigned by supervisor