P.S. 8 - Luis Belliard (465 W 167th Street)

$35,604-$53,665/year

Position Summary:

The Family Advocate III is responsible for ensuring positive family and child outcomes through strong family partnerships and community engagement. Family Advocates connect their work to a child and a family getting ready to be successful in Kindergarten and in life. They support the center in meeting and exceeding Head Start Program Performance Standards and other relevant regulatory requirements, maintaining detailed records across relevant areas. This position reports directly to the Program Director and is supported by the Central Leadership Team.

Essential Duties

With support of the Program Leadership, and Central Team, the Family Advocate works to ensure the following:

Strategic Oversight

Understand and promote the organization’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values to ensure alignment with organizational policies and procedures
Provide leadership in implementing family engagement strategies that align with Head Start Program Performance Standards.
Ensure that family engagement practices are regularly monitored and evaluated for effectiveness.

Family Engagement

Adhere to the Family Engagement policies and procedures as outlined in the Early Childhood Policy and Procedure Manual
Pursue positive goal-oriented relationships with families in support of strong family and child outcomes
Provide necessary support to families based on their strengths and needs, including but not limited to appropriate referrals, moral support and coaching, accompanying to appointments, and other forms of direct assistance
Regularly monitor COPA reports to ensure data is accurately captured in timely manner
Track and monitor children’s medical records and work with parents to ensure continuity of care
Support children and families through the special needs process
Conduct a minimum of two home visits per year, per child, with additional visits as needed
Participate in child case conferences and parent teacher conferences where required
Support families during a crisis
Facilitate parent workshops
Recruit new families for our program through tabling, advertising in the school community, and hosting recruitment events

Community Engagement

Foster effective and strategic community partnerships in order to meet the needs of families
Identify opportunities for parent workshops and link families to relevant resources
Represent Children’s Aid at relevant neighborhood events, such as community/resource fairs, etc.
Seek and maintain current knowledge of services offered in the community that can benefit families
Share highlights of families, kids, staff, and community partners
Educate and engage our online social media community with the EC Instagram committee

Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, Attendance

Identify eligible families and support them through the application and enrollment process at Children’s Aid
Familiarize with eligibility and enrollment requirements for program models relevant to funding streams at respective sites
Monitor children’s attendance and provide supports to minimize absences
Maintain accurate and complete records in both physical and electronic files. Ensure confidentiality of client records and information at all times

Record Maintenance, Screening and Assessment

Adhere to the Assessment and Screens policies and procedures as outlined in the Early Childhood Policy and Procedure Manual
Provide feedback to the team with respect to child and family development that may require additional focus
Oversee and maintain accurate records on each child

Data Analysis

Collect, analyze, and report on data related to family engagement and child outcomes to inform continuous improvement efforts.
Utilize data to identify trends, gaps, and areas for improvement in family services and support.
Ensure that all data is accurately recorded and maintained in compliance with organizational and regulatory standards.

Professional Development

Maintain comprehensive knowledge of Head Start Program Performance Standards (particularly the Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework and its requirements), DOH regulations, city guidelines, and CA Early Childhood policies and procedures
Participate in offered trainings, workshops, in-service days, and/or all-staff conferences
Maintain proof of attendance in professional activities
Complete all Early Childhood required trainings
Engage in self-assessment and reflection coaching experiences such as completing self-assessment surveys, video recording, coaching, and collaboration sessions.

Minimum Qualifications: The Family Advocate must have qualifications that satisfy Federal Head Start requirements, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Article 47 regulations.

Depending on one’s education and certification, a Family Advocate may fall into one of the following categories:

Family Advocate I: Must possess a High School Diploma and a *Family Development Associate (FDC) credential.
Family Advocate II: Must possess an Associate’s Degree or equivalent credits (in any area*). Depending on the nature of the degree and relevant experience, it may be required to have a Family Development credential (FDC) or be enrolled in a FDC credential program that will be completed within 18 months, which is a condition of employment that cannot be extended.
Family Advocate III: Must possess a Bachelor’s Degree (in any area*). Depending on the nature of the degree and relevant experience, it may be required to have a Family Development credential (FDC) l or be enrolled in a FDC credential program that will be completed within 18 months, which is a condition of employment that cannot be extended.
Family Advocate IV: Must possess a Master’s Degree in Social Work.
Staff who work directly with families on the family partnership process have within eighteen months of hire, at a minimum, to obtain a Family Development Associate credential or Degree in social work, human services, family services, counseling or a related field.

Key Competencies:

Experience advocating for families and a passion for doing so
Advanced bilingual speaker in English and Spanish
Excellent, verbal, written and non-verbal communication skills
Self-motivated with a professional approach, resourceful and reliable
Very strong computer skills, outlook calendar, data entry, and database experience
Excellent organizational and time management skills
Energetic and a strong collaborator, with great capacity to prioritize and juggle multiple projects efficiently
Must abide by privacy laws, including HIPAA, etc.

It is the policy of Children's Aid to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and is dedicated to maintaining a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. Children's Aid will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on any basis, including race, creed, color, national origin, ethnicity, alienage or citizenship status, gender/sex (including pregnancy), disability, religion, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, familial status, caregiver status, military status, marital or partnership status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking, predisposing genetic characteristics, arrest or conviction record, credit history, unemployment status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Children’s Aid is committed to complying with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Children’s Aid will conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of all allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or any violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy in a confidential manner and will take appropriate corrective action, if and where warranted. Children’s Aid prohibits retaliation against employees who provide information about, complain about, or assist in the investigation of any complaint of discrimination or violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.

The incumbent is expected to work a schedule, whether in-person or hybrid, as determined by the department's needs to facilitate effective collaboration with the team. This flexibility is essential for maintaining seamless communication, fostering teamwork, and ensuring the smooth operation of the department's processes. The position's requirements are subject to periodic review and adjustment based on organizational needs and changes in work dynamics.

Children's Aid

New Jobs

Bilingual English/Spanish Family Advocate III