Home Visitor - Cook Site - 12 Month Position

Springfield Urban League•Springfield, IL

About The Position

SUMMARY: The Head Start Home Visitor is primarily responsible for providing opportunities for parents to increase their knowledge of early childhood growth and development of the total child, and how to instruct their children in the home environment and preparing them for kindergarten. The HS Home Visitor will also be responsible for empowering parents to meet various social services, health, nutritional, and educational needs in the family; and for providing group socialization opportunities for all children and families. will provide a creative atmosphere for the growth and development of the total child.

Requirements

Minimum Educational Standards: an associate degree in early childhood education or a related field, Home Visitor CDA, or willingness to obtain a Home Visitor CDA within the first year of employment. Must also have two (2) years college education and/or experience in social services or related field.
Must meet the State of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Licensing Standards for working at a Head Start Center
At least 21 years of age
Must have received a Health Food/ Sanitation certificate or be willing to obtain one.
Ability to communicate and work well one on one with parents, children, staff, and community agency personnel, and with a team.
Flexible and adaptable nature
Ability to pass a medical examination identifying freedom from communicable disease.
Ability to lift at least 40 pounds.
Must have a current Illinois Driver’s License, reliable transportation for self and others for use in program activities, and proof of car insurance required by the State of Illinois
Willingness to learn and uphold Springfield Urban League Head Start Policies and Procedures and have a positive attitude toward direction.
Ability to adequately complete program records and reports, organize time and materials effectively, understand written program materials.

Responsibilities

Sign in/out daily when arriving or departing from any SUL facility.
Schedule weekly home visits. These schedule visits should be flexible to meet the family’s needs. Any visits outside the Monday- Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm time frame must be discussed with the supervisor.
Maintain 85% home visit attendance and document all home visits, attempts, and other direct client contacts.
Plan, complete, facilitate, and document the early childhood portion of the weekly home visit.
Prepare home visit reports, lesson plans that reflect the learning goals of the individual child.
Complete and enter the required information about the child, family and visit by the end of the week.
Provide educational information on child development to the parents as well as showing different teaching activities the parents/ caregiver can do with their child to ensure that their child will be Kindergarten ready. In addition to educating the parent/ caregiver the significance of early childhood education and that they are the first and best educator for their child.
Complete developmental screenings and ongoing assessments for each child.
Advocate for parents/ caregivers of children with special needs and make referrals to the Special Needs coordinator and help facilitate the IEP process. Have knowledge of inclusionary practice and help the parents/ caregivers advocate for their child as they transition into public school.
Provide a nutritious snack, per nutrition curriculum, and encourage tooth brushing after every meal, and demonstrate / encourage tooth brushing after every snack.
Track health requirements of all enrolled children ensuring that each family has a medical home and that all required health screenings, immunizations, physicals, and dentals are up to date.
Organize and plan for bi-weekly group socializations. This will include, but may not be limited to these duties: developmentally appropriate lesson plans, order appropriate meals/ snacks, order transportation, bus monitor, set up and clean up the socialization site, proper care of equipment and materials, plan and set up appropriate field trips, create food bags/ door prizes for families, prepare parent meetings/ training, and provide an appropriate, supervised, safe environment and meet sanitation needs.
Assists with recruitment and enrollment of eligible children within assigned areas, including application and enrollment assistance.
Participate in an individualized employee training needs assessment; enhance professional development by attending workshops, trainings, conferences, and meetings.
Track the use of home visit materials/activities and maintain proper care of the items.
Be able to understand the needs and interests of individuals with various backgrounds and become knowledgeable in the language spoken by the families in the program.
Orient families to the program using a warm and honest approach to the family’s life and circumstances. Make sure the family understands the scope of the program and what they can expect from the Home-Based Head Start program as well as from the home visitor. Convey the expectations that the program has of the family in order to receive the full benefit of being a participant in Head Start.
Works with parents and caregivers, providing information and supportive services as needed. This includes conducting a Family Assessment with each enrolled family and negotiating/implementing an Individualized Family Partnership Agreement with them. This includes completing required contacts and paperwork for the services provided to each assigned family.
Plan, complete, facilitate, and document the family development portion of the weekly home visit.
Promote parent involvement in all aspects of the Head Start program, including group socializations, training opportunities, and Policy Council.
Teach families about what is an in-kind and how to complete an in-kind; collect them weekly.
Links families with community agencies; models for and teaches parents and caregivers how to advocate for their own children.
Provide transportation when necessary for families to various appointments needed for the child development and/ or family development. Make sure your supervisor is aware and it is well documented.
Attends staff meetings, training sessions, Family Committee Meetings and Community Service Provider Meetings as recommended by the Family Resource Development Coordinator.
Share your knowledge of resources with colleagues.
Facilitates families’ engagement and participation with program management staff (as appropriate); extend family communications, referrals and supportive services in a given Coordinator’s area.
Prepares and submits completed records and reports accurately on a timely basis per Work Plan Guidelines
Makes appropriate referrals for families and children and follows up on referrals to determine if services were received and needs were met.
Turn in monthly attendance to supervisor and provide follow-up documentation on families with attendance issues.
Provides crisis intervention services to Head Start families within the scope of the agency’s resources.
Distributes information regarding adult education, employment, male involvement, and family involvement to Head Start families.
Offers updates regarding local social service and health service-related resources for families.
Helps identify medical and dental issues and makes referrals to health agencies.
Ensures that all records and documentation is up to date in the child’s file and in ChildPlus system.
Consults with supervisor on child abuse and neglect issues and fulfills mandated reporter duties per State of Illinois laws.
Maintains confidentiality and professionalism at all times.
Work as a team with all program staff to ensure the families’ needs are being documented and addressed.
Be willing to complete field supervision with the supervisor and other agency staff when appropriate.
Performs other duties as assigned, with consideration given to the priority of direct services to families