Family Advocate

Job Overview

This position is responsible for the oversight of Case Management services for Early Head Start and or Head Start children and families through referral, advocacy, and brokering in AVANCE’s Early Head Start or Head Start program to ensure compliance with the underlying principles and goals of Performance Standards, program goals and objectives, and the needs of the community.

• Promotes and models the organization’s Core Values.
• Follows program confidentiality policies concerning information about children, families, and other staff members.
• Adheres to Head Start's requirements pertaining to families, directly assess strengths and needs of the family, and completes individual partnership agreements and family service plans.
• Monitors family files to ensure follow-up of family referrals and coordinates resources for staff to access with outside community agencies and individuals.
• Serves as an advocate or broker to link the family resources and services needed.
• Complies with all social work data requirements and schedules for assessments and service plans and maintains up to date contact documentation.
• Prepares need assessments and participates in staffing to formulate a set plan of action to support staff efforts to meet participants’ needs.
• Implements the Head Start Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework.
• Provides peer mentoring to other advocates on family engagement strategies.
• Collaborates with ERSEA to participate in outreach, recruitment, and attendance to include attendance tracking and follow ups to engage families and support their active participation in the program. Completes applications and enrollments for interested families and ensures that all family documentation is accurate and complete.
• Collaborates with health to ensure children are up to date on EPSDT requirements, receive health follow ups on medical conditions and identifies medical and dental homes.
• Develops relationships with parents to create welcoming program environments that incorporate the unique cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds of families in the program and community.
• Collaborates with AVANCE Caminos al Futuro Program to refer families for continuing education, employment training and other employment opportunities in the community.
• Cultivates parent leadership through participation in program governance opportunities such as Policy Council, Parent Committees and Advisory Committees.
• Collaborates with team to provide crisis intervention as warranted. Integrates parent and family engagement strategies into all systems and program services to support family well‑being and promote children’s learning and development.
• Maintains continuous contact with families in crisis to ensure appropriate resources are received, assists with referrals to community resources which meet their needs, and follows up with families to ensure services met their expectations and needs.
• Collaborates with teachers, home educators, and family support staff to share information with each other and other content areas as appropriate to ensure coordinated family engagement strategies with children and families in the classroom, home, and community.
• Collaborates with health, nutrition, disabilities, and mental health to support families to be fully engaged in all aspects of the program.
• Establishes regular communication with Health, Nutrition and Disabilities Coordinators/Managers to provide personalized support to families of children with chronic health conditions and special needs to include goal setting and building of family advocacy skills to provide a full scope of services.
• Maintains accurate electronic and hard copy records and case notes to support positive outcomes. Documents all efforts made to assist families with strengths, needs, partnerships, referrals, and services obtained.
• Submits tracking reports as needed and ensures all PIR data is up to date in data system per caseload.
• Participated in assigned meetings, events and trainings as required.
• Conduct Home Visits for attendance and as needed.
• Collaborates with education staff for annual Home Visits.
• Conducts sensory screens in collaboration with…