Early Head Start Teacher Advocate

Are you passionate about helping children and families? Do you have an degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field? Do you have experience with infants and toddlers? Then the Early Head Start Teacher Advocate position is for you! Come to work for one of Oregon’s 100 Best Non-Profits where all your insurance premiums are 100% paid, even during furlough periods and you’ll never have to work another weekend!

Locations: Redmond

Compensation: $25.96 or $28.26/hour, depending on education (plus .50 for Bilingual Spanish) - Union represented

Hours: 40 hours/week, subject to normal school year furloughs (furloughs are approximately a total of 12 weeks per year)

Benefits: 100% premium paid Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance, Agency paid Retirement plan (up to 6 %!), almost 2 weeks of paid vacation accrued within first year, plus 14 paid Holidays annually and a separate sick leave accrual.

Overview of Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The Early Head Start Teacher Advocate develops strong nurturing relationships with children and families, encourages family engagement in their child's learning, and works with families to provide or initiate family services in a classroom setting and through home visits and conferences. This position will cultivate and implement a developmentally appropriate learning environment with lesson plans, working with parents/guardians on individualized curriculum and family engagement, instruct other classroom staff and volunteers throughout the day, plan and carry out home visits, conferences, case management and family services.

The right fit for this position will have a passion for building relationships with families and their children, excellent documentation skills, attention to detail, patience, be able to self-manage daily schedules as well as work in a team environment, be reliable and have great communication skills.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum degree requirement: Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field (human development, child and family studies, social work, sociology/psychology, education) with comparable coursework to a CDA credential, and have been trained or have equivalent coursework in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler development.
• Diploma and transcripts are required to validate credentials and to verify ECE/related coursework
• Within 18 months of hire, obtain Family Service Certificate if not reflected in coursework required above
• One year experience as a lead teacher in an infant/toddler or preschool classroom preferred (Early head Start/Head Start Preferred)
• One year experience in a social services field, or home visiting experience preferred
• Must be able to obtain Teaching Strategies GOLD interrater reliability certificate within 90 days of hire and maintain throughout employment
• Current or past Early Head Start/Head Start parent preferred

· Must be available for a flexible work schedule to accommodate family needs, may include some evening or weekend hours

· Must be able to develop and maintain positive, cooperative, and respectful relationships with staff, family and community members

· Frequent kneeling, stooping, bending, and sitting on the floor to attend to children’s needs. This position is rated as active and occasionally requires the individual to lift 50 pounds

· Must be able to ride a school bus with children for assigned periods of time

· Must have an initial health examination and a periodic re-examination (as recommended by health care provider) to assure that the employee does not, because of communicable diseases, pose a significant risk to the health or safety of others, that cannot be eliminated or reduced by reasonable accommodation

· Required prior to date of hire and throughout employment:

· Valid driver’s license

· Proof of current auto insurance

· Food Handler’s Card

· Current enrollment in the OR Office of Childcare Central Background Registry (CBR)

· Access to reliable transportation

· Within 60 days of hire, Pediatric CPR/First Aid certification is required

Above certifications must be kept current to remain employed