Home Educator (Sobre Ruedas)

Job Overview

This position serves as a resource and support for parents while acting as a facilitator for learning in a home-based program. It is also responsible for teaching parents and caregivers enrolled in the AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program how to create educational toys using the AVANCE Toy-making Manual, in alignment with AVANCE's Parenting Curriculum.


Job Responsibilities

This role focuses on promoting and modeling the organization's Core Values while actively encouraging parents of newly enrolled children to participate and stay engaged in program activities. It involves collaborating with parents to develop individualized family plans, fostering a caring, professional relationship built on mutual trust and respect. Additionally, the role supports parents in strengthening their understanding of child development by providing guidance on how children grow and learn. This includes planning and facilitating child-centered educational activities that address each child's intellectual, physical, emotional, and social development.

This role also supports parents in understanding health and nutrition by incorporating education on these topics into the program and coordinating with staff and parents. Key responsibilities include providing information, making referrals as needed, assisting parents in accessing community resources, and supporting them in problem-solving. The position requires ensuring that home visits meet program requirements, with Home Educator conducting the required 30-minute visits per program participant. Additionally, Home Educators must organize at least two group socialization activities, in accordance with program guidelines.

This role involves managing an assigned caseload, developing and implementing home visit plans focused solely on parents or legal guardians, and organizing socialization activities for children that promote peer interaction through age-appropriate activities. These activities may take place in classrooms, community facilities, homes, or on field trips, with the home educator providing supervision while parents either observe or actively participate. The socialization activities are designed to encourage parental involvement, allowing them to observe, volunteer, or engage in specific activities with their children. Additionally, the role ensures compliance with nutritional guidelines by providing appropriate snacks and meals during group socialization sessions.

Additionally, the role involves preparing for toy-making lessons by creating handouts and acquiring necessary supplies and maintaining inventory records. Responsibilities include sewing, cutting, and preparing toy-making materials, as well as maintaining a sample exhibit of all AVANCE toys. Conducting toy-making sessions and reinforcing AVANCE Possibility Sheets are key duties, alongside maintaining sign-in sheets for these sessions. Additionally, the position includes performing other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Education

Required:

• Associate degree in Early Childhood Education or in a related field, or a CDA (Child Development Associate) with at least 18 hours of early childhood development completed.

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or in a related field with at least 18 hours of early childhood development completed.

Work Experience

Required:

• A minimum of six months in a licensed childcare facility or in a public/private school or early childhood facility or has completed an early childhood degree program where practicum(s) were required. For PCEP Home Educators a minimum of work experience is not required, AVANCE provides training and support for PCEP.

Preferred:

• For EHS Home Educators a minimum of one (1) year of experience in a licensed childcare facility or in a public/private school or early childhood facility or has completed an early childhood degree program where practicum(s) were required.

Additional Skills Required

• First Aid and CPR training.
• Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office software applications with advanced skills using Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish - Oral and Written).
• Demonstrated ability to achieve high performance goals and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail.
• Very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders, including staff, board members, external partners, and donors.
• Emotional maturity.
• Highly resourceful team player, with the ability to be extremely effective independently with the capability of managing numerous simultaneous projects.
• Forward-looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions.
• Strong analytical, presentation, verbal and written communication, problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to generate, analyze, evaluate, and summarize reports.
• Ability to travel to various training sessions and to assigned caseload homes.
• Must have dependable transportation daily, valid driver's license, a clean driving record (subject to annual MVR check and policy), current auto liability insurance and be bondable by AVANCE, San Antonio, Inc.

Disclaimer(s)

This is not necessarily an all-inclusive list of job-related responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements or working conditions. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. Nothing in this job description forms or is intended to form a contract of employment. Neither shall the content in this job description be interpreted to conflict with, or to eliminate or modify in any way, the "at will" employment status of AVANCE San Antonio employees. Employment remains on an "at-will" basis.

Travel

50-80% annually on average - mostly local with frequent long distance.

Equipment


Computer, computer software programs and peripherals, resource materials and equipment, copier, fax, and other equipment applicable to the position.


Working Conditions

Mental and Physical Demands

General office and sedentary. Regularly required to sit; use hands to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Use of personal computing equipment.


Maintain emotional control under stress; work with interruptions and deadlines; walking, standing, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing; occasional: lifting/carrying, pulling/pushing 10-30 pounds. Work evenings and weekends as needed.

Environmental Factors

Occasional exposure to biological hazards (communicable diseases, bacteria, insects, mold, fungi, etc.). Occasional exposure to weather related conditions when working in outside environment/neighborhoods and events.


ADA/ADAAA Statement

AVANCE is committed to equal opportunity in employment for persons with disabilities and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended, and any other applicable state and federal laws. Accordingly, AVANCE does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities regarding application, hiring, advancement, discharge, compensation, training or other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. Moreover, it is AVANCE's policy to provide reasonable accommodations in employment to qualified individuals with disabilities so that they can perform the essential functions of the job, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of AVANCE's business or would change the essential functions of the position. Retaliation against an individual with a disability for utilizing this policy or seeking a reasonable accommodation is prohibited. Individuals with any questions or requests for accommodation should contact the Human Resources Department.


EEO/AAP Statement

AVANCE values diversity and is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law. It is also our goal to employ and advance in employment women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, and to treat qualified individuals without discrimination on the basis of their physical or mental disability or veteran status.