Family Advocate (Head Start)

Position Type : Non-Instructional

Date Posted : 10 / 29 / 2024

Location :

Itinerant Title : Family Advocate

Reports To : Family Engagement Coordinator or Head Start Director's Designee

Position Job Summary :

The Family Advocate (FA) 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, encourage parent / child interactions that promote children's school readiness and healthy development, and enhance family well-being. In this role, the Family Advocate will provide more intensive and targeted support to families based upon their individualized 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. The Family Advocate will provide direct services to a caseload of approximately 40 families, communicating with families in an effective format that is most accessible.

Job Responsibilities

The Family Advocate's responsibilities primarily fall within the following core functions, although s / he may perform other tasks based upon program needs :

• Promote Family Environments that Enhance Children's Development
• Support Families to Meet Self-Identified Goals and Needs
• Engage Families to Support One Another
• Enhance Program Collaboration
• Maintain Accurate and Timely Record Keeping and Reporting

PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTS THAT ENHANCE CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT

Engage families as partners in their children's healthy development and school readiness.

SUPPORT FAMILIES TO MEET SELF-IDENTIFIED GOALS / NEEDS

Engage in a process of collaborative partnership building based upon supporting relationships with families of children receiving Head Start services.

ENGAGE FAMILIES TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER

Foster a sense of community and sense of belonging among families in order to strengthen social capital

ENHANCE PROGRAM COLLABORATION

Build relationships that will enhance communication and collaboration among internal and external stakeholders

MAINTAIN ACCURATE AND TIMELY RECORD KEEPING AND REPORTING

Effectively manage workload and ensure accurate record-keeping and documentation

Minimum Qualifications :

Salary and Terms of Employment : 10-month work year Local 3429 BOE Paraprofessionals, Group 2 ($36,344)

Evaluation :

Performance will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the Board of Education's policy on evaluation of personnel and the Head Start Program Performance Standards guided by the Family Advocate Success Rubric

NOTE : The above description covers the principal duties and responsibilities of the job. The description shall not be construed as a complete listing of all duties or a contract. In all cases, these relationships, functions, and applications are subject to change as necessary.