Head Start - Rv - Rfa , Ii

Job Description

Head Start - Crookston, MN, 1407 Erksine St., Crookston, Minnesota, United States of America

SUMMARY OF PRIMARY FUNCTION:

The Recruiter & Family Advocate, at the local level, serves as the program recruiter, social services and parent involvement aide, child/family advocate, and primary liaison between families, the community, other service agencies. The Recruiter & Family Advocate assists in assuring program goals are met and practices comply with Head Start Performance Standards and other program components.

• Identifies, recruits, and enrolls eligible children/families in comprehensive child/family programs including Head Start and Early Head Start.
• Proactively establishes contacts and connections with public and private community agencies to facilitate effective program operations and follow‑up.
• Enhances family/community awareness of the program through local advertising.
• Contacts local community agencies and secures their permission to recruit children/families on their premises.
• Explains to families the educational, health, nutritional, and social benefits of the program and informs them of their civil rights.
• Requests and records information on all documentation necessary to certify eligibility.
• Provides information to parents about the various program services and their child’s program activities.
• Provides appropriate translation/interpretation necessary for effective communication.
• Provides communication and coordination with families, and public/private community agencies to disseminate all program information, which relates to or involves the families.
• Maintains informed of family patterns, needs and issues. Identifies and proposes changes in services to meet needs. Communicates needs and issues to Family & Community Services Manager.
• Fully understands all forms pertaining to the job and how each form is to be correctly completed.
• Contacts potential employers (growers-farmers, nurseries, contractors, Human Resources/Personnel Managers, etc.) in order to provide leads regarding location of children.
• Conducts personal interviews with heads of potential households and other sources, completing the application.
• Obtains parent/guardian/self-signature for all eligible families/individuals.
• Determines family eligibility based on an interview with the head of household or another responsible person.

• Serves as the primary liaison between families, the community, other service agencies and the local project.
• Acts as a direct communication link between the project and families.
• Acts as a liaison/link between the school/community and the community/migrant/low income population.
• Serves as liaison between Center staff and the family of a child with a suspected/diagnosed disability throughout the process of identification and diagnosis of the disability, local service planning, implementation and follow‑up.
• Develops/ updates community resource directory to provide for families.

• Makes contact with both mothers and fathers, as applicable to develop ongoing relationships.
• In partnership with families, develops and supports plans that describe families’ strengths, resources, and needed services.
• Conducts culturally and linguistically responsive outreach and recruitment to parents and expectant families.
• Provides intake and orientation materials to families that are culturally and linguistically appropriate.
• Connects families with opportunities that support safety, financial literacy, health, and family wellness.
• Links parents to training that contributes to self-sufficiency and to reaching goals around their education and/or career training.
• Talks with families about their vital role in their children’s health, development and learning.
• Supports Health Staff in supporting parents in advocating for their child’s health.
• Offers learning materials for children and parents that reflect families’ cultures, encourages family members to visit, observe, and volunteer in the program.
• Provides families with appropriate information, training and connections to future early care and educational settings and kindergarten to help facilitate the transition…