Family Support Specialist

Agency: Allison’s Infant Toddler Center
Position Title: Family Support Specialist
Position Type: Full Time
Program: Early Head Start/Head Start

Job Summary

The Specialist Program Excellence is responsible for serving 30 Head Start/Early Head Start children and families onsite at our various community site preschools. The Specialist is responsible for the ongoing execution and monitoring of enrollment, family partnerships, health, nutrition, safety and transportation. Your overarching goal is to achieve all program compliance requirements defined in the Head Start Performance Standards, the operational excellence goals of Allison's Infant and Toddler Center and to develop strong working relationships with Head Start/Early Head Start families

Essential

Reports To

Director of Early Learning

Position Functions & Accountabilities

• Develop and maintain professional relationships with administrative and teaching staff at assigned sites; provide support and monitoring to assist sites in meeting the Head Start performance standards and PFA/PI requirements.

• Develop and maintain a regular schedule of site visits (four days per week if assigned to one site, or two days per site per week if assigned to two sites) to ensure implementation of HS/EHS/PFA/PI services and ongoing contact with families. Schedule will include regular after-hours events, such as parent workshops, and frequent and ongoing flexibility (early morning and evening appointments/meetings/home visits as needed) to meet the schedules of families.

• Build trusting relationships with families and provide ongoing support through: significant monthly contact with each family according to the requirements of each program; family needs assessment and goal-setting; referrals and services, follow-up, and advocacy to meet family needs and interests; implementation of Baby TALK parent engagement curriculum.

• Encourage enrollment of eligible families into the PI program by describing the benefits as well as the requirements.

• For families enrolled in PI, meet with each family in their home and/or community location twice per month for one hour, utilizing the Baby TALK home visit model to facilitate parent-child activities, provide developmental guidance, and work on identified goals.

• For families enrolled in PI, utilize the PICCOLO assessment tool and the Baby TALK model to support parent-child interactions.

• For sites with PI, plan and facilitate at least one group parent-child socialization activity per month.

• Implement the Baby TALK model and curriculum to fidelity for families enrolled in PI.

• Promote literacy by increasing families’ access to materials and encouraging involvement in classroom activities.

• Maintain full enrollment of Head Start/Early Head Start/PFA/PI children at assigned sites through ongoing recruitment, eligibility determination, and development of a waiting list; fill vacancies within 30 days.

• Implement attendance follow-up procedures, including home visits as needed, to support regular attendance.

• Work with site staff to ensure that enrolled children remain up-to-date on well-child visits, physicals, immunizations, EPSDT-required screenings, vision and hearing, and dental exams; follow up with families and doctors’ offices as needed.

• Collaborate with teachers and instructional coaches to assist families to understand their child’s development through providing resources and referrals.

• Collaborate with teachers to communicate with the parent when there are developmental, social emotional, or behavioral concerns for which a referral is recommended.

• Schedule SRT (Screening Review Team) and Social Emotional Review Team meetings with the parent and team within the required timeframe and facilitate the meetings.

• Accompany and support families at IEP/IFSP meetings and through the process of enrolling their child in services; support parents in advocating for their goals for their child.

• Work with staff and Social Emotional Specialists/Consultants to identify specific children/classrooms needing social emotional services; participate in planning and feedback meetings; follow up with families.

• Work with sites to encourage parent participation in site-level Parent Committees and agency-wide Policy Council (PC) (Suburban).

• Coordinate parent elections for Parent Committee officers and PPC/PC Representatives.

• Participate with Parent Committees and sites, plan annual Parent Involvement Activity Calendar and Budget, including: annual Parent Orientation; Parent Committee meetings; parent workshops; and parent-child activities. Coordinate and be present for these activities, and compile documentation into PFCE binder.

• Maintain complete and accurate records in the COPA system, including, but not limited to: demographic information, enrollment dates, family needs assessments, family goals, referrals, and services, case notes, and follow-up.

• Maintain complete and accurate child/family binders.

• Utilizing COPA, Tableau, and Smartsheet, implement tracking to ensure required timelines are met.

• Maintain complete and updated Community Resource Board at sites.

• Submit all required paperwork accurately and in a timely manner and attend all required meetings.

• Complete and submit site verification forms and maintain Outlook calendar.

• Participate in Enrollment/Recruitment Campaign, annual self-assessment, community assessment, and PIR.

• Contribute to achievement of Program Goals, School Readiness goals, and PFCE goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or a related field; or, bachelor’s degree in another field with the following to be earned within 18 months of hire: Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Family Specialist Credential.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $32,000.00 - $42,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: Multiple locations