First Taste Parent Educator

First Taste Parent Educator

The Parent Educator will report to the First Taste Program Supervisor and is responsible for providing parents with information, support, and encouragement on optimal child development during the crucial early years of life. This is done by providing education in the form of personal home visits, group meetings, screenings, and linkages to a network of resources for parents and children. This is a full time position with flexible hours.

Primary duties include:

• Successfully complete the Parents as Teachers training
• Maintain current certification as a parent educator, by completing the required professional development hours for years of service
• Become qualified to administer developmental screenings
• Maintain a case load of assigned families by providing bimonthly home visits
• Organize and assist with program activities
• Adhere to confidentiality practices

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Provide parent education to families through bimonthly home visitation, play groups and family activities to Spanish and English speaking families
• Assess family need and provide developmentally appropriate information, guidance, and support to parents
• Complete all required documentation regarding home visits, attendance records, screening summaries, essential records in a timely and comprehensive manner
• Demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge about what promotes optimal parent-child interaction and infant, toddler, and child development
• Represent agency and program at various community events or meetings
• Coordinate services with other community programs offering services to parents and their children
• Participate in regular, relationships-based supervision with program supervisor and engage in setting personal goals for professional development
• Engage in on-going learning about issues related to cultural sensitivity and competency
• Organize, facilitate and promote First Taste activities
• Fulfill all training requirements and expectations

General requirements of the position include:

• Bachelor's degree in early childhood or related field of study, preferred
• Early Childhood Education background
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred
• Cultural competency
• Effective communication skills and ability relating to strangers
• Effective interpersonal skills and qualities
• Ability to develop trusting relationships with parents as a model for parent-child relationships
• Willingness to establish and maintain appropriate professional relationships with families
• Use time and resources effectively to meet job requirements
• Ability to enter data into computer database regularly
• Ability to create and maintain accurate and complete records of all information collected as well as demonstrating proper documentation of information shared and observed during home visits