Family Service Advocate

Family Service Advocate

The Family Service Advocate guides families in their efforts to become more self-sufficient, to promote children's learning and development, to set achievable goals by engaging in the Family Partnership Process and to become strong advocates for themselves and their families while providing an environment that encourages them to grow and reach their fullest potential. The Family Service Advocate ensures that families receive the support and services described in the Head Start Performance Standards in accordance with policies, procedures, and the philosophy of the MPP Board of Directors and the Head Start Policy Council.

Essential Duties:

• Uses the Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework to assess and identify family strengths and needs as directed by the Office Head Start in accordance with the following family engagement outcomes: family well-being, parent-child relationships, families as lifelong educators, families as learners, family engagement in transitions, family connections to peers and community, and families as advocates and leaders.
• Invites families to engage in a Family Partnership Process early in the program year which includes an assessment of the family’s needs, interests and strengths, links to community resources, and an option for families to set goals and to enter into a Family Partnership Agreement.
• Encourages parents to engage in their children’s education, learning and development while supporting individual parent-child relationships.
• Maintains monthly two-way communication with families while establishing a professional relationship of trust, respect, reliability, and support and then building upon that relationship to help Head Start families meet their own goals.
• Secures resources and provides crisis intervention services.
• Maintains accurate up-to-date documentation for all Family Service activities to include but not limited to; Baseline, Mid-Year, and End-of-Year Family Assessments, Ongoing Family Partnership Processes, Monthly contact, Absenteeism, Emergency Contact Update forms, Classroom Transfers and Nutritional documentation as needed.
• Monitors children’s health assessments as required by the Head Start Performance Standards. Provides assistance to families in acquiring the necessary health and dental screenings and any additional services that may be required in order to help the child to maintain optimal health.
• Monitors weekly attendance for absenteeism. Contacts families when children are more than one hour tardy for school without prior notification and conducts a home visit when children are absent for two (2) consecutive days without prior notification.
• Uses computer for data entry, and communication with staff, families and community members.
• Assists families in the program enrollment process.
• Assists in transitioning from Early Head Start to Head Start from home into the program and from other community based early childhood programs into a Head Start program or vice versa, as well assisting in transitioning Head Start students to Kindergarten.
• Maintains a good working relationship with Head Start’s Community Partners. Has a working knowledge of exparte’s, voluntary placement agreements, and custody agreements.
• Possesses and demonstrates the ability to work both individually and as a cooperative team member.

Requirements:

• High School Diploma or equivalent, required.
• Willing to attain a credential or certification in social work, human services, counseling or a related field within eighteen months of hire, required.
• Bachelor’s degree or Associate’s degree in Sociology, Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, Human Services or a related field, preferred.
• Valid Driver License.

Macon Program for Progress is an Equal Opportunity Employer