POSITION DESCRIPTION
Family Advocate

Department: Head Start
Location: Varies
Covered Position: Yes

Exemption Status: Non-Exempt
Pay Grade(s): 8-9 ($27.51+/Hour DOE)

Purpose: Provides support services to empower families enrolled in the Head Start program. Services include transportation support for families enrolling and exiting from services, referrals and linkages to other community services agencies, assistance in family goal setting and identification of family strengths, interests and needs. The Family Advocate will conduct family visits, facilitate family nights and parent training and assist the local Parent Committee in fulfilling their responsibilities. The Family Advocate will ensure implementation of the Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework (PFCE) and will follow the requirements of the Head Start Program Performance Standards.

Essential Functions. An individual in this role must be able to perform the following functions with or without reasonable accommodation:
• Facilitate the Family Partnership Agreement with individual families. Facilitate family visits, family nights and parent trainings. Provide assistance to the local Parent Committee, as needed.
• Assist the Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance (ERSEA) Coordinator with outreach activities to recruit eligible children and families.
• Develop a workplan that specifies goals, objectives and timelines for ensuring the implementation of the PFCE framework.
• Assist the Head Start Health and Safety Coordinator in following up on any referrals or communication with families around completing the required health and dental screenings and stay up to date on an ongoing continuous source of preventative health care.
Family Visits and Family Plans
• Establishes partnerships with parents that are respectful, culturally responsive and nonjudgemental.
• Provides a minimum of two family visits, with monthly contacts for each family throughout the year and provides additional family visits as appropriate.
• Supports families in their leadership and advocacy efforts regarding their children’s education.
• Assists parents in identifying and addressing their family’s goals, strengths and needs.
• Responsible for entering all family communications in the Child Plus database.
• Must be willing and able to adjust schedule for evening and weekend work to accommodate parent schedules for family visits, Parent Committee meetings and Parent Experiences.
• Must be able to provide own personal transportation and meet work schedule requirements including, but not limited to, commuting to and from work, between work locations, attending family visits and delivering supplies as necessary.
• Work to connect families with local resources including marking referrals, providing bus tokens and may including picking up and dropping off food supplies if no other options are available.
• Meeting with the Lead Teacher and the teaching staff to work collaboratively with families and ensure timely communication is shared.
• Assist Teachers in establishing a Parent Information Board in the classroom(s).
Parent Committee Meetings and Trainings
• Ensure the establishment of a local Parent Committee, election of local Parent Committee officers and a Policy Council representative and alternate.
• Assist and support parents to schedule, attend and participate in monthly Parent Committee meetings and selecting topics, beyond the required topics, for parent experiences.
• Work in collaboration with the Lead Teacher to implement the Head Start Policies and Procedures.
Community Partnerships
• Assist in updating the local community resource list for staff and families
• Develop new and strengthen existing partnerships with local stakeholders
• Develop and maintain an on-site community resource file.
Center Support
• Participates in staff meetings
• Communicates observations, concerns and important information about children and families during team meetings or more urgently if needed.
• Contact families of absent children within the hour of the beginning of class to enquire why the student is absent.
• Conduct a family visit when a child has a series of unexcused absences.
• Participates in Parent-Teacher Conferences twice a year with teaching team if requested
• Assist teaching teams with coordinating open house events and parent orientation

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
• Develops and maintains constructive cooperative corking relationships with others.
• Implements and maintains professional boundaries with others.
• Uses office equipment, computers, and computer programs including but not limited to Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Child Plus, Brightwheel and a variety of website services to effectively to enter data, create spreadsheets and process information and develop documents with the Lead Teacher.
• Participate in case management meetings for assigned families as requested
• Attend all staff meetings and all required trainings.
• Must pursue an ongoing professional development plan including formal training certification or college degree as recommended by the program.
• Abides by Tlingit and Haida Head Start policy on confidentiality.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

NECESSARY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
• Excellent attendance and ability to arrive on time for each shift.
• Ability to disengage from social media and all non-work-related cell phone activities while at work.
• Ability to read, comprehend and follow established policies and procedures.
• Ability to work with families both in work settings and in their homes.
• Ability to independently manage work time well, prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Ability to establish good rapport with people of diverse cultures and belief systems.
• Demonstrated intermediate level of computer skills necessary to use and create documents and reports, spreadsheets, workshop materials and slide presentations, and to enter data into intricate database programs and proficient use of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Outlook.
• Ability to independently utilize the internet to seek knowledge and implement new skills.
• Ability to respond quickly to children’s needs and emergency situations.
• Demonstrate ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to establish and maintain professional boundaries with others.
• Proven ability and willingness to be self-directed in problem solving and decision-making and perform basic assignments with little or no direct supervision while also working effectively as a team member.
• Must be able to demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills including expertise in cross-cultural communication.
• Professional public speaking skills necessary for parent meetings and providing training for adults.
• Familiarity/experience with Head Start philosophy.

Minimum Qualifications (education, experience, skills):
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Credential in social work, human services, family services, counseling or related field or willingness to obtain a credential within 18 months of hire.
• One year experience working with young children and/or parents.
• Knowledge and experience working with Alaska Native cultures, traditions, and history.
• A valid driver’s license and reliable personal transportation.

Preferred Qualifications (education, experience, skills):
• AA or BA degree in social work, human services, family services, counseling or related field.
• Current First Aid/CPR certificate.
• Two or Three years experience in equivalent position.
• One year experience providing crisis intervention, counseling, and providing self-help skills training for adults.

Physical Requirements. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodation:
• The work will require walking on uneven surfaces, standing, bending, twisting, kneeling, crawling, reaching, full range of movement and dexterity in hands, and carrying of items weighing less than 50 lbs.

Work Environment. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job:
• The work is performed in a large variety of settings, including but not limited to indoor office environments, public spaces, outside environments, and personal homes.
• The work performed in a pre-school setting will have a wide variety of children & people with differing functions, personalities, and abilities.
• This work will require exposure to outside weather conditions and driving personal vehicle.