Prevention Initiative Family Advocate

Prevention Initiative Family Advocate

The Prevention Initiative program, part of SAL Community Services, is the Quad Cities area's leading provider of early childhood care and education. We provide a safe, secure and supportive environment centered on how playing can charge the mind of the children we care for. The role of the Prevention Initiative Family Advocate assists in the administration of the Prevention Initiative program and services. The position supports and engages parents and caregivers through personal visits, group connections, child screenings, and resource networking.

You will:

• Create, plan, and implement engaging and developmentally appropriate monthly parent education activities for children birth to three and their families.
• Encourage and support parent participation and interactions with their child during parent education activities.
• Complete two home visits each year with families on caseload. The first visit at the time of enrollment or within the child's first month. The second visit within 6 months after the first visit.
• Establish rapport and maintain communication with families by reaching out to each family on a monthly basis. Provide referrals for family needs and follow-up with families to ensure their needs have been met monthly.
• Work with the Program Director, the contracted Home Child Care Network (HCCN) partners, and center Family Service Providers (FSP) to ensure vacancies are filled in accordance with the program requirements.

We are looking for team members who:

• Share a love for children and a passion for helping them learn, grow, and thrive;
• Enjoy following a routine, and welcome the in-the-moment changes that come with each day in childcare;
• Believe that early childhood education is the first step to a child's successful future;
• Are passionate about building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for all, and,
• Are professional, kind, and don't take themselves too seriously!

Salary, benefits and perks. Our entire compensation package includes paid time off and paid holidays; health, dental, and vision benefits; 401(k) with employer contribution; and pet insurance. A full list of benefits is available on our website.

Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. This position must obtain required background clearances. Requests for reasonable accommodation as required under applicable law will be considered.

Education and Experience Required: At least one year of experience working with infants and toddlers. Associate's Degree with concentration in the field of Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Social Work or related field Preferred: Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Child and Family Services, Elementary Education, Social Work, Psychology, or other related field of study. Active Illinois State Board of Education Professional Advocate License (PEL) with an endorsement in Early Childhood Education. Three-plus years of experience with infants and toddlers in a licensed childcare setting.

About the Organization

Mission SAL Community Services (SAL) strengthens children, families, and individuals to build and enhance thriving communities.

About Us At SAL Community Services, we provide Support, Advocacy, and Learning in our communities—from childhood to adulthood. Our mission is to strengthen children, families, and individuals to build and enhance thriving communities. Founded in 1970, we have a history of listening to the needs of our community and responding. We have grown from an organization focused on providing quality child care to low-income working families to one that meets a wide variety of needs, from early care and education to crisis assistance and stabilization services. Today, SAL has a bi-state 17 county regional footprint from the Quad Cities to Central Illinois area. We advocate with and for the people we support, the communities we serve, and the solutions we champion, and we offer an inclusive, welcoming community for the people we serve—and our employees.

Learn more on our website.

EOE Statement

SAL Community Services is an equal opportunity employer and believes in equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. Accordingly, all employment decisions are based on the principles of equal opportunity. These decisions include recruitment, selection, promotion, transfer, discipline, compensation, benefits, training and other personnel actions involving persons in all job titles and shall occur without regard to actual or perceived race, creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), color, religion (or for requesting an accommodation for a religious belief), sex, age, ancestry, national origin, genetic information (as defined in Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA)), military status or discharge status, veteran status, qualified disabled veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, transgenderism, marital status, citizenship status, familial status, physical or mental disability (or for requesting an accommodation for a disability), association with a disabled person(s), medical condition (including HIV or AIDS status, cancer related or genetic characteristics) arrest record (unless doing so violates contractual, funding, or licensing requirements), order of protection status, pregnancy (including conditions related to childbirth or breast feeding), homelessness or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Location SAL Community Services Administration Office

Non-Exempt