Home-based Educator

 

 

 POSITION: Home Based Educator 

 

REPORTS TO: Home Based Supervisor or Home Based Manager 

 

POSITION SUMMARY: 

 

Under the direction of the Home Based Supervisor and/or the Home Based Manager, the Home Based Educator delivers the full range of Early Head Start services through weekly home visits to enrolled families and twice monthly group socializations. 

 

MAJOR FUNCTIONS/ACCOUNTABILITIES: 

 

• Build trusting relationships with families, facilitate parent-child interactions, and support parents in their role as their child's first and primary teacher. 
• Maintain a fully enrolled caseload of 12-14 EHS children/pregnant women (12 families maximum) through ongoing recruitment, eligibility determination, and development of a waiting list; fill vacancies within 30 days. 
• Provide one 90-minute home visit (add hour for each additional enrolled child) per week per family and provide a minimum of 46 visits per family per year. 
• Integrate all Early Head Start components during home visits (early childhood development, disabilities/inclusion, mental health/social emotional, health, nutrition, and dental health, parent/family engagement and social services). 
• Utilize Parents As Teachers (child/family curriculum) and My Teaching Strategies online system (ongoing assessment tool). 
• Plan and evaluate with parents the activities for home visits and group socializations based on each child's assessment and identified family needs; document on home visit form. 
• Generate developmentally appropriate individual lesson plans utilizing MTS and parent input and facilitate parent's implementation of lesson plan with their child at home visits. 
• Complete ASQ and ASQ-SE screenings, observations, and MTS checkpoints within designated time frames. 
• Share screening results with parents and conduct re-screenings, referrals, and follow-ups as needed. 
• Accompany and support families at IFSP/IEP meetings and through the process of enrolling their child in services; support parents in advocating for their goals for their child. 
• Utilize child outcome data to guide lesson planning and developmentally appropriate activities. 
• Utilize IFSP/IEP to support children with disabilities. 
• Work with parents to ensure that enrolled children maintain remain up-to-date on well-child visits, physicals, immunizations, EPSDT-required screenings, vision and hearing, heights and weights, and dental exams; follow up with families and doctors' offices as needed. 
• Provide social service/health/nutrition resources and referrals to families as per Family Partnership Agreements. 
• Work with Social Emotional Specialist/Consultant and Nutritionist to identify specific children/parents needing social emotional and/or nutritional supports and assist with follow up with families. 
• Coordinate with Health Manager to provide a two-week postnatal visit to mother and child. 
• Recruit parents to participate in program-level Parent Committees and agency-wide Policy Council. 
• Plan and provide 22 group socializations over the course of the program year. One socialization monthly will include a Parent Committee meeting. 
• Collaborate with parents, Head Start centers, and other community preschool programs to transition children to Head Start or other preschool programs at age 3. 
• Enter home visits into COPA on a weekly basis. 
• Maintain complete and accurate records in the Child Plus system, including, but not limited to: demographic information, health information, enrollment dates, family assessments, family goals, referrals, and services, case notes, and follow-up. 
• Maintain complete and accurate child/family binders. 
• Utilizing Child Plus, implement tracking to ensure required timelines are met. 
• Submit all required paperwork accurately and in a timely manner, attend all required meetings, and maintain Outlook calendar. 
• Participate in Enrollment/Recruitment Campaign, annual self-assessment, community assessment, and PIR. 
• Develop linkages with community organizations. 
• Contribute to the achievement of Program Goals and School Readiness Goals and promote a culture of safety. 
• All other duties as assigned. 

 

 

 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

 

Education/Certification: 

 

• Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, family services, counseling or a related field; or, if bachelor's degree is in another field, must be able to earn the Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Family Specialist Credential Level 5 within 18 months of hire 

 

 

 

and 

 

• Home Based CDA, Infant Toddler CDA, or minimum of 12 credit hours in ECE or child development 

 

 

 

Experience Required: 

 

• 3 years combined experience in home visiting and Early Head Start, with at least 1 year experience in a home visiting program 
• Bilingual ability (English/Spanish or English/Arabic) may be preferred or required for some positions 
• MS Office 

 

 

 

Vehicle/Transportation Requirements: 

 

• Valid driver's license. 
• Auto insurance, safe vehicle. 
• Reliable vehicle. 

 

Skills/Abilities: 

 

• Able to establish rapport and build trusting relationship with families. 
• Demonstrates a non-judgmental, compassionate, and culturally sensitive approach to working with families. 
• Demonstrates a communication style that is open, adaptable, reflective, engaging, honest, and culturally sensitive. 
• Ability to visit families in home and community settings, and to work flexible hours, including evenings, to meet family needs. 
• Ability to engage in reflective learning practices and to utilize constructive feedback in order to inform work with families. 
• Ability to work well with all levels of the organization, partner sites, other agencies and funding source personnel. 
• Demonstrates the ability to conceptualize and articulate program outcomes. 
• Ability to manage multiple projects. 
• Well organized, highly detail oriented and accuracy driven. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 
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