Head Start Family Service Worker

Position Summary: Provide family/community partnership services for families enrolled in Head Start. Monitor compliance in accordance with Head Start performance standards. Recruit and enroll children. Facilitate ethnically responsive approaches to problem solving for children and families. Participate in development of parent education materials and classes. Coach parents to learn and/or develop the skills for effective parenting and develop problem solving skills and skills to improve and reinforce self-sufficiency. Assist other program staff in ensuring that the center exemplifies and maintains a quality child development program. Some evening and weekend hours may be required. Position contingent upon funding.

Reporting Relationships:

Supervisor: Parent, Family, & Community Engagement Specialist

Direct Reports: None

OtherRelationships: Program Director, Education Specialist, & Health Specialist

Essential Job Functions: Family Support and Engagement

• Guide parents in accessing strengths, needs, and goals of families in the establishment of Family Partnership Agreements; follow-up completion of the Agreements.
• Engage effectively with parents, staff, and community members who are educationally, economically, culturally, and racially diverse and/or whose first language may not be English- speaking.
• Recruit and support enrollment for Head Start children and families.
• Assist in facilitating child transitions from Early Head Start to preschool, classroom to classroom; work with parents and areas schools to facilitate transitions from preschool to kindergarten.
• Coordinate and plan parent meetings, parent education classes, and parent involvement activities, in conjunction with the other staff.
• Provide case management to families including providing resource and referrals for families and following up on referrals; ensuring parents have access to resources that extend the child’s learning into the home environment; and encouraging parents in activities that support self-sufficiency.
• Make attendance calls to homes of absent children and enter notes as appropriate; conduct home visit

after three consecutive days of a child’s absence; follow up on attendance and tardiness concerns.

• Assist parents in learning the skills necessary to advocate for their children’s services.

• Conduct Head Start home visits according to program requirements.
• Communicate with children/parents, the general public and the community.

• Respond to questions and concerns from parents, licensing representatives, and the community in a timely and professional manner.

• Cooperate with other program staff in coordinating the day-to-day operations of the center to ensure a safe and healthy environment for children and staff and smooth operational functioning of the center.
• May perform other tasks as assigned by the Management Team to meet unusual staffing conditions: those tasks may include but are not limited to, changing classrooms, cooking or working in the kitchen to prepare or serve meals, clean and put dishes away, riding the Head Start bus.

Essential Job Functions: Operational

• Collect and compile report data as required by Head Start Performance Standards and program policies.
• Collect and compile report data related to enrollment, recruitment, selection, eligibility, attendance, and Family Service as required by Head Start Performance Standards and program policies.

• Enter information/data into ChildPlus, and other data management systems as required by program policies.

• Work with other program staff to assure compliance with requirements of child care licensing, Head Start Performance Standards, child abuse and neglect reporting, and all other program policies.

• Maintain and update all children’s files in consultation with the PFCE Specialist.
• Assist in the documentation of the program's required non-federal/in-kind match.
• Comply with all program, state and federal policies, rules, and regulations regarding confidentiality.
• Participate in regularly scheduled meetings.
• Comply with program, state, and federal training and professional development requirements.
• Attend on-going training to maintain State of Nebraska licensing level and program requirements (may include evenings or weekends).

• Maintain professional and effective working relationships with co-workers and program staff.
• Effectively resolve conflict; remain calm in a very busy or emergency situation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Position Qualifications / Certificates / Licenses:

• Minimum of an Associate’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Early Childhood Education, or related field.
• Valid State of Nebraska driver’s license with current State of Nebraska automobile insurance with at least minimum liability requirements.
• Proficient knowledge of child development and parent engagement.
• Basic math ability.
• Clear understanding of verbal, written and oral communication.
• Compliance with other regulatory requirements as applicable.
• Pass criminal background check and post-employment medical examination.

Desired Qualifications / Skills / Licenses / Certifications:

• BA in, Social Work, Human Services, Early Childhood Education, or related field.
• Experience working with children and families.
• Pediatric First Aid/CPR.
• Bi-lingual or basic understanding of Spanish.

Condition of Employment:

• Individuals who do not meet and/or continue to comply with education and or professional development requirements may be dismissed or moved to another position as appropriate.

Essential Physical Requirements:

• Safely lift a child or children with total weight of approximately 50 pounds.
• Conduct activities involving substantial standing, walking and moderate sitting; stooping kneeling, bending, crouching, crawling, twisting, and reaching on a frequent basis.
• Must be able to stoop, bend and kneel on the floor without assistance.
• Must be able to assist with bus transportation.
• Push, pull, playground equipment, art supplies, manipulate office equipment, etc.
• Participate in routine conversation in person or via telephone and distinguish telephone radio/pager signals, alarms and other auditory tones.

Environmental Conditions:

• Typical office environment.
• Children’s indoor classroom environment.
• Playground
• Bus
• Individual family homes.

Equipment Used:

• Office Equipment: Telephone, cell phone, IPad, computer, fax, calculator, copier, and similar office equipment.
• Use of mild cleaning chemicals.
• Light cleaning equipment: Vacuum cleaner, plunger, mop, broom.
• Educational materials: Art supplies, toys, reading materials, other learning materials and supplies.
• Outdoor equipment: playground equipment, pull wagons.