Home Visitor

Tri-Valley Opportunity Council•Crookston, MN

About The Position

The Home Visitor provides in-home instruction and group socialization experiences for parents, guardians, and children to support parents and guardians in their role as their child’s first teacher. The role maintains ongoing contact with families, integrates services into the family setting, and helps recruit potential parents by sharing information about program services and benefits available to enrolled children and families. The Home Visitor conducts weekly 90-minute home visits, plans developmentally supportive learning experiences with parent input, and facilitates group socialization activities. The position helps families access community resources and follow-up services, coordinates with other agencies and program staff, supports families in crisis, and maintains accurate records and confidentiality. Work also includes attending meetings and professional development, communicating scheduling and family-status changes, and meeting family needs with flexibility, including evening availability. Education and experience qualifications vary by level, from a high school diploma or GED with the ability to obtain a Home-Based CDA credential (Home Visitor I) to a relevant master’s degree, with three years of Head Start or early childhood education experience required for certain related-field degrees (Home Visitor V). Pay depends on qualifications and experience.

Requirements

Proof of a valid driver’s license and current vehicle insurance coverage.
Comfort working with computers and willingness and ability to learn program-specific systems.
Demonstrated competency in planning and implementing home-based learning experiences that effectively implement the home-visiting curriculum and promote children’s progress across the standards.
Knowledge of community resources and ability to connect families with appropriate agencies and services.
Flexibility in work times and days to meet family needs, including evenings.
First Aid and CPR certification, obtained within 90 days of hire if needed and maintained during employment.
Home Visitor V: Master’s degree in Social Work/Human Services, Early Childhood Education/Child Development, or Family and Consumer Science; alternatively, a master’s degree in a human-services-related field and three years of experience working in a Head Start or early childhood education program.
Home Visitor IV: Bachelor’s degree in Social Work/Human Services, Early Childhood Education/Child Development, or Family and Consumer Science; alternatively, a bachelor’s degree in a human-services-related field and three years of experience working in a Head Start or early childhood education program.
Home Visitor III: Associate degree in Human Services, Early Childhood Education/Child Development, or Family and Consumer Science.
Home Visitor II: Home-Based Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or comparable credential.
Home Visitor I: At least 18 years of age and a high school diploma or GED; ability to obtain a Home-Based CDA credential within 18 months of hire or placement in the position.

Responsibilities

Conduct weekly 90-minute home visits with young children and their families.
Build respectful, ongoing partnerships with parents and guardians and seek their input when planning home visits.
Plan home visits that support parents and guardians as their children’s primary educators, and carry out the child-development curriculum in home and group settings.
Help families locate community resources, schedule appointments, obtain follow-up services, and access medical and dental services.
Support collaborative family partnership agreements and encourage parental efforts and opportunities for engagement.
Act as a liaison and advocate between community resources and Head Start families.
Coordinate services with other agencies, including for children with disabilities, and attend IEP meetings as applicable.
Provide intervention for families during a crisis and develop professional working relationships with human-service agencies.
Facilitate group socialization experiences and other family activities, including bi-monthly socializations for infants and toddlers and their primary caregivers.
Plan and set up schedules, room arrangements, and environments appropriate to children’s needs and program curriculum.
Plan varied activities that give children opportunities to explore and experience, while meeting the needs of children with diverse abilities and backgrounds.
Consult with service areas and site staff about enrolled children and inform the office and site of schedule, staffing, and family-status changes.
Complete documentation of home visits, socialization experiences, and other relevant activities; maintain accurate data in Child Plus and MyTeaching Strategies.
Maintain confidentiality of family records and information.
Attend meetings, staffings, training, and professional development activities as appropriate.
Contact the Center Manager when a family misses home visits or has irregular attendance under the Attendance Policy.
Maintain First Aid and CPR certification; obtain it within 90 days of hire if not already certified.
Recruit potential parents by providing information about program services and benefits.