Family Services Assistant

Family Services Assistant

Under general direction, this position connects families to Head Start and Early Head Start with the appropriate health, nutrition, special needs, and mental health services through the integrated program services component and ERSEA system. This position manages a caseload and implements activities related to Early Head Start, Head Start, and state-funded programs. This position develops relationships with parents to encourage trust and respectful, ongoing two-way communication between staff and parents to create a welcoming program environment that incorporates the cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds of the families in the program and community. This position collaborates, with families, in a family partnership process that identifies needs, interests, strengths, goals, and services and resources that support family well-being, including family safety, health, and economic stability. This position encourages parent involvement and opportunities for parents to volunteer in the program.

Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Initiates outreach activities to ensure recruitment of eligible children.
• Conducts family assessments to determine eligibility for program services.
• Recruits, establishes a waitlist and enrolls eligible children into the program to obtain and maintain 100% enrollment.
• Provides resources to families for emergency assistance or crisis intervention and follow-up.
• Serves as a liaison between the Head Start/Early Head Start and state programs and community-based agencies to enhance services.
• Engages families in the Family Partnership process for each family to identify needs and strengths provide resources as needed and establish a family goal.
• Obtains signed permission slip for and ensures all health and nutrition screenings are completed, including but not limited to audio and visual testing.
• Assists family in arranging appointments and follow-up visits as needed (i.e., medical, dental, social services agencies, and local education agencies).
• Follow up with families on requirements for the age-appropriate schedule of well childcare, developmental screenings (audio/vision), dental care and immunizations.
• Conducts hearing and vision screenings and height/weights measurements to facilitate appropriate referrals.
• Initiates referrals for services aligned with Plaza de la Raza's policies and procedures.
• Establishes and maintains direct communication between the family, site staff, and content area coordinator/specialist.
• Monitors child's attendance and initiates a parent conference to discuss frequent absences of a child and to problem solve obstacles to regular attendance.
• Inputs and monitors all relevant Child and Family data through the record-keeping system established by Plaza de la Raza.
• Ensures compliance with ERSEA through maintenance of an ERSEA file for each enrolled child and monitors files against data input to ensure accuracy and completion.
• Ensures compliance with Health and Safety requirements and monitors child's health file to ensure required timelines and/or follow-up is completed.
• Participates in the parent orientation, interdisciplinary team, child's IEP/IFSP (if requested), parent meetings, and monthly center meetings.
• Participates in Transition planning for children entering and exiting the Early Head Start/Head Start, and state programs.
• Submits monthly, monitoring reports and corrective action to supervisor.
• Assists other staff in conducting home visits when necessary.
• Attends monthly training and conferences as required by the agency and/or grantee.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge of: Head Start Performance Standards, funding terms and conditions for California funded programs, including Title 5 and 22, grantee GIMS and the Head Start School Readiness Framework. The principals of a Family Partnership Agreement, the Referral process and family dynamics, Child Care Licensing requirements, principles and practices of social service and health services available in the local community, Family and Community Engagement Framework to support family well-being. Practices to strengthen relationships between parents and their children, and ongoing learning and development activities/opportunities for parents and children.

Ability to: Implement requirements across all funded programs, follow agency policies and procedures, grantee GIMS, maintain working relationships with staff, children, parents, outside agencies, maintain confidentiality of child and family information, work with a culturally diverse population, awareness and sensitivity to individual differences and cultures, communicate effectively both orally and in written form, implement family engagement strategies, demonstrate respect for individuals and groups with varied cultural, racial, ethnic, religious, and linguistic identities and backgrounds be flexible to work various schedules based on program and/or family need.

Education: Associate degree or a Family Development Credential (FDC) and a High School Diploma.

Experience: One year of experience in parent involvement or social service setting assisting economically and socially disadvantaged families.