Family Engagement Specialist

Position Summary Under the direction of the Associate Executive Director, the Family Engagement Specialist is responsible for ensuring families receive the services they need to support their children’s health development, school readiness, and early school success. Responsibilities include case management, crisis intervention, community outreach services, and providing resource and referral information to enrolled families. Essential Functions The Family Engagement Specialist, with the Center Director, plans, directs, and manages the family engagement activities of the Learning Center program. Coordinates efforts to increase the quality, quantity, and access of family resource services. Builds relationships with families and professionals who specialize in Family Involvement/Engagement. Assists with enrollment duties, conducts family appointments, and ensures completion of required paperwork. Facilitates orientation meetings with parents to inform them of their responsibilities, opportunities, and rights while encouraging their participation in the Learning Center program. Assists parents in identifying their families’ strengths and needs, setting family goals, and encouraging them to meet these needs. Acts as an advocate for parents, providing appropriate referrals for services through developing partnerships with service providers for counseling, health and dental care, and emergency assistance or intervention. Coordinates and encourages parent participation in leadership groups, parent meetings, as program volunteers, and opportunities to be involved in the CPPI (Foundations For Success) Steering Committee. Participates as an active team member in interdisciplinary planning for children and families, and other cross‑component coordination. Identifies family strengths and plans/advocates around family goals. Attends mandatory meetings and trainings. Attends career‑building trainings. Ensures that all admission/enrollment requirements are met for each student. Relates effectively with children, families, community members, and staff from diverse backgrounds. Schedules family conferences as appropriate or requested by the family. Builds relationships and collaborates with other community agencies. Advocates on behalf of low‑income, diverse families. Maintains accurate written and computerized reports in a confidential manner. Allows flexibility in the position to ensure quality care. Actively participates in all data collection processes. Ensures that all grants' guidelines and scope of work are met. This list of responsibilities is not meant to be all‑inclusive and may be adjusted to meet the operational needs of the agency and the Learning Center program. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in early education, social work, or related field, plus 3–5 years’ experience working with families with young children. Complies with health requirements for staff according to EEC regulation 7.09(11). Has an ability to work with a diverse population and exhibits core YMCA values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. Training in trauma‑informed care is preferred but not required. Training in child and family engagement is preferred but not required. Bilingual skills in both English & Spanish are required. Excellent relationship‑building skills. Must have, or be willing to earn, and maintain First Aid and CPR training. Work Environment & 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. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit, stand, or reach for extended periods of time, move around the work environment independently, push, pull, or lift up to 25 pounds for short periods of time. The employee is exposed to noise and fluctuating temperatures. #J-18808-Ljbffr