Family Support Advocate (FSA)

Job Description

Job Description

Are you passionate about early education for children and their families? Growing Futures is now hiring a full-time Family Support Advocate. This position will work as a liaison between the family and the childcare providers. The Family Support Advocate will assist parents in identifying family strengths and needs, setting self-sufficiency goals, and accessing community support agencies. The Family Support Advocate supports families in the application, enrollment and selection process.

Who Are We?
Growing Futures Early Education Center offers Early Head Start, Head Start, and Community Child Care options for children 0-5 and their families. Enrolled families also have access to a variety of comprehensive support services including health and nutrition services, mental health, dental health, family advocacy, and family engagement opportunities.

What we can offer you:
Growing Futures offers a full range of benefits such as Medical, Dental, Vision, employer-paid Life, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Retirement Savings Plan, and Supplemental Life Insurance. We also offer 10 paid federal holidays, a paid week of Spring Break, a paid Winter Break, and up to 13 days of PTO in your first year!

Education Requirements:
An Associate's Degree or a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, or a related field such as Human Services, Social Work, or Psychology.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintain a minimum, monthly contact with assigned caseload via telephone or group activity to promote partnership and provide for regular communication.
• Develop family partnerships and set family goals. Monitor and track goal completion progress throughout the length of program services.
• Ensure that families are meeting the minimum 30 hours per week of approved activities during the available childcare hours on a monthly basis.
• Assist families with applying for the program, both over the phone and in-person.
• Assist in maintaining full enrollment.
• Encourage family and parent involvement in all program activities.
• Complete two home visits per program year with the families on your caseload, once in the fall and once in spring.
• Communicate regularly with administrators and staff on a regular basis.
• Communicate and document all information shared by the family in regard to their eligibility with the Kansas Division of Children and Family Services (DCF) with Early Head Start & Head Start Administrators and teachers onsite.
• Responsible for monthly policy council meeting monitoring.
• Refer families to other staff, such as the Mental Health Specialist, Health and Nutrition Specialist, etc. as needs arise.
• Attend Child and Family Reviews, trainings, and appropriate professional development activities designed to promote collaboration documentation.
• Document all family contact and track family follow-up needs, and Family Goals in Child Plus.
• Immediately inform the Family Support Specialist of any possible enrollment changes.
• Responsible for welcoming families into the program prior to the child’s first day in the program.
• Provide crisis intervention as needed and assist other staff with critical families.
• Coordinate transition services among families and agency’s programs.
• Assist in recruitment of new families.
• Monitor and track attendance for enrolled children on caseload.
• Work in conjunction with the Family Support Specialist to facilitate Parent Committee and other parent involvement activities.