Preschool Family Service Advocate

Volunteers of America Southwest - El Centro, CA

Full-time

El Centro, CA

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations

About the position

Volunteers of America is a federally and stated funded comprehensive early childhood education program with a focus on child development that includes a child's cognitive, physical and social emotional growth and development. The program fosters Family Engagement in all areas of a child's development and provides comprehensive resources to low-income families in the areas of health, nutrition and community resources. The Family Service Advocate is a person who links families to Early Head Start and to appropriate health, special needs, nutrition, human services, mental health, education, and parent involvement services, supporting them in making decisions and choices that will help improve their lives. This staff person also works collaboratively with coordinators to implement mandated Federal and State guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for 100% enrollment of eligible children per Enrollment Recruitment Selection Eligibility and Attendance (ERSEA) requirements and Head Start Performance Standards.
• Assist the family to improve the condition and quality of family life.
• Encourages parent participation in the center, home visits, and related activities.
• Makes parents aware of community services and resources and facilitate their use.
• Interacts with families in a manner that is respectful of each family's ethnicity and cultural diversity.
• Communicates in an effective manner with parents and children in their native language, if possible.
• Maintains accurate records as required by the program while ensuring their confidentiality, i.e. child and family information.
• Monitors, Implements, and follows-up with Agency's Child Attendance as per Attendance policy, as needed.
• Attends home visits as necessary with respect to issues on child attendance, recruitment/enrollment, etc.
• Oversees the implementation of all Plan of Actions relating to Court Orders with respect to Child Custody.
• Facilitates parent, and program planning meetings and provides materials/resources.
• Educates parents as to the purpose and need of a complete physical and dental exam for their children, and the overall goals and objectives of the health requirements, and follow-up as needed.
• Collects, updates, and maintain children's health requirements within established timelines, and follows-up when needed.
• Conduct Health Screenings for children.
• Provides resources to families with emergency assistance or crisis intervention, and follow-up.
• Recruitment/Pre-enrollment/Enrollment for eligible families in order to obtain and maintain 100% enrollment at all times.
• Assists Child Development Specialist and Center Child Development Coordinators with Initial Parent Orientation at the beginning of the year.
• Conducts ongoing New Enrollment Parent Orientations.
• Serve as a liaison between Head Start families and community-based agencies to provide necessary services and follow-up as needed.
• Conducts Family Partnership Process Form for each family in order to identify needs and strengths, provide resources as applicable and establish a family goal.
• Refers families to appropriate services i.e. mental health, disabilities, nutrition, health, and follow-up as needed.
• Assists families in arranging appointments and follow up visits, as needed (i.e. medical, dental, court, social services agencies, and local education agencies).
• Weekend and evening work may be assigned as needed.
• Attends trainings and meetings, as scheduled and/or assigned.
• Perform special projects and/or related duties as assigned.
• Travels to Head Start centers, community agencies, conferences, and trainings.
• Ensure compliance with ERSEA by maintaining a complete ERSEA file on each child for assigned site(s).
• Input and track all relevant Child and Family data through the student data base system.
• Reviews all files of assigned families and verifies that entry into data base system is accurate when compared to files.
• Reviews files to ensure that all necessary documentation for the children is in place.

Requirements

• Must have either an associate degree or higher in social work or a related field or a Family Development Credential.
• One year minimum experience paid or in a voluntary basis in a human service agency and/or working with low-income families is required; experience in a preschool setting preferred.
• Proficiency with computer applications such as Microsoft Office, Windows, Internet and Student Information Database System.
• Ability to meet physical requirements of the position per attached Physical Demand Analysis, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice-to-haves

• Bilingual Spanish/English preferred.