Family Service Specialist

Bilingual differential for qualified candidates.

SUMMARY

The Family Service Specialist (FSS) promotes family well-being and the impact of family engagement in the Early Head Start (EHS) Child-Care Partnership (CCP) program. The FSS will ensure that high quality comprehensive services are provided to children birth to four that support school readiness, in collaboration with parents, primarily in the childcare setting resulting in positive child and family outcomes. FSS will provide families with opportunities to build on their skills and knowledge.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supports and promotes the mission of the Agency: Foothill Family empowers children and families on their journey to achieve personal success.
• Utilizes the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), internal policies and procedures and other resources such as the Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework (PFCE) to ensure child and family outcomes are met.
• Develops and maintains supportive relationships with assigned families and Childcare Partners, fosters two-way communication, promotes parent and family engagement in CCP.
• Facilitates parent orientations with new families, shares information, provides support and displays a knowledge of policies, procedures and the resources available to children and families while enrolled in EHS.
• Serves as the liaison for Parents and supports them to navigate the EHS program and access all the supports and resources available to them.
• Ensures comprehensive services requirements such as health determinations and follow-ups, referrals for nutrition, mental health and disabilities services, family assessments, family goals and transitions for children and families are completed before established due dates.
• Collaborates with families to identify interests, needs, and goals related to the PFCE outcomes. Jointly develops timelines to review progress towards goals and makes revisions as needed.
• The FSS promotes the benefits of regular attendance in the EHS CCP option.
• The FSS completes and documents follow-up conducted related to attendance challenges, including the completion of home visits when needed to address barriers to attendance, including unexpected or chronic absences.
• Conducts monthly family services visits to ensure that resources and supports are provided to families based on need and interest.
• Provides direct support to families through resources and linkage to referrals based on interest and need. FSS conducts follow-up and provides support to families to complete required childcare subsidy forms when needed.
• Develops relationships and partnerships with internal and external community partners to increase the resources and supports provided to families.
• Promotes the impact of parent engagement in early learning and development. Implements family engagement strategies that offer opportunities for parents to volunteer in the program, participate in a parenting curriculum, and serve in the Parent Committee and Policy Council (PC).
• Leads and coordinates monthly Family CCP Socializations that offer educational topics and activities that support parent-child relationships and child development.
• Leads, initiates, coordinates and monitors child and family transitions activities. Collaborates with other service areas as needed to support the successful transitions for children and their families transitioning out of EHS.
• Reports cases related to child abuse and neglect with support and guidance from direct supervisor.
• Reports unusual incidences related to the health and safety of children that involve Childcare Partners or EHS Staff within the required timelines.
• Completes monthly reports and ensures documentation in record keeping system is up to date, accurate in capturing the interactions and support given to Parents, and reflects ongoing communication, follow-up, and collaboration with EHS team members.
• Meets with other EHS service area team members and Childcare Partners as needed for effective communication, planning, coordination, collaboration, joint decision-making, team building, and quality improvement of services provided to children and families.
• Attends trainings, workshops and conferences as approved by supervisor to increase knowledge and skills as needed to provide high-quality services to children and families.
• Prepares for and actively participates in weekly individual and group supervision meetings as scheduled.
• Participates in recruitment efforts to ensure a child waitlist of eligible children with disabilities is maintained throughout the year.
• Displays sensitivity to the service population's cultural and socioeconomics characteristics.
• Performs work in a safe manner at all times and ensures employees are abiding by safety practices; takes action when employees put themselves or others at risk.
• Follows all policies, procedures and legal mandates including HIPAA, client confidentiality, releases of information, protected health information (PHI) and client files.
• Ensures performance and behaviors support the Agency's performance quality improvement (PQI) goals and objectives.
• Reports to work on time and maintains reliable and regular attendance.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in child development, social work, human services, family services, counseling or a related field preferred.
• Family Development Credential and/or must obtain the Family Development Credential within 18-months of hire date.
• Two years of case management experience working in schools or the community providing services to at-risk children and/or families required.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
• Must be able to work some weekends or evenings as needed.
• Sound organizational and time management skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Works well with others within a team setting.
• Effectively represents the agency in the community.
• Effectively and successfully interacts with multi-lingual individuals and families from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds with an equity lens.
• Valid CA Driver's License and maintains insurability on the Agency's auto liability policy (including a minimum of 2 years driving experience after receiving license) and maintains the California state required auto insurance liability limits.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.