Family Engagement Specialist Lealman YMCA Preschool Academy

Family Engagement Specialist

Family support and engagement in early childhood education is a collaborative, strengths-based approach that brings together families, educators, and community partners to support comprehensive child development and lifelong success. Families are essential partners in their child's education, and research indicates that children's school performance improves when parents become active and effective partners. The Family Engagement Specialist builds positive working relationships between families and childcare staff, supports meaningful engagement beyond events, and helps centers implement evidence-based curricula and best practices for family engagement.

This role also connects families with community resources, community health centers, schools, and home-based supports through regular contact, referrals, and follow-up as needed.

Duties:

• Meets with families to assess social service needs and help develop goals for stability, education, and engagement.
• Engages families in activities and events and helps them identify resources that address a range of social service needs.
• Connects families with essential programs and services, including the Department of Human Services, Adult Basic Education, Pinellas County Economic Development Commission, and other appropriate agencies.
• Builds and maintains cooperative working relationships with prospective families and community partners.
• Coordinates with center staff to align family partnership goals with classroom efforts and support an integrated child and family curriculum.
• Maintains regular contact with families to support connections to community resources, community health centers, schools, and home-based services.
• Participates in team planning, implementation, and evaluation of family and community engagement goals and objectives.
• Recruits prospective families and assists with enrollment.
• Works with local agencies to connect families with community services.
• Provides health, safety, and family literacy activities for parents, as appropriate.
• Develops knowledge of community resources and visits major service agencies at least twice a year to support service delivery and update the community resource guide.
• Documents family support efforts, tracks partnership activities and outcomes, records and monitors referrals, follows up as needed, and submits required reports.
• Assists families with referrals, monitors follow-up needs, and helps ensure children receive scheduled Ages and Stages Questionnaires and Ages and Stages Questionnaires:
  Social-Emotional screenings.
• Actively develops new community partnerships based on community members' needs and interests.
• Collaborates with Y staff on onsite activities, such as Boo Bash, Healthy Kids Day, and the Neighbor to Neighbor Christmas program, to raise awareness and encourage participation.
• Attends all workshops and meetings required by the supervisor.
• Maintains strict confidentiality regarding children, families, and staff in accordance with established policies and procedures, including recognizing situations that require confidentiality.
• Provides backup classroom coverage for preschool

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Social Work, Human Services, or a related human services field.
• At least one year of experience working with children and families in a social services setting.
• Knowledge of social and health services available in Pinellas County.
• Proficiency with basic computer skills and data entry processes.
• Knowledge of family-centered practices.
• Excellent written, verbal, and organizational skills.
• Ability to make recommendations and develop implementation strategies.
• Demonstrated success building relationships and trust with children, parents, and community members, preferably in a diverse and educationally under-resourced community.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel throughout Pinellas County.
• Completion of MODS trainings, including Infant and Toddler Practice, UDAP, and Safe Sleep Practice, required upon hire.
• First Aid and CPR certification within six months of assignment; successful completion of a Level II background screening and drug screening before hire.

Pay & Perks:

Full-time, $22.00 – $24.00 per hour (based on experience). FREE YMCA membership for employee and discount for family. FREE Before and After School child care. 403(b) savings plan and 12% Employer funded retirement plan upon eligibility. Career advancement & growth opportunities. Paid trainings & Free CPR and FA certification.

Work Location:

Lealman YMCA Preschool Academy
-5175 45th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33714