Family Support Specialist, ECEAP Program

Family Support Specialist, ECEAP Program Job Details

Starting Date: Aug 17, 2026
Location: Wahluke School District, Mattawa, Washington

Position Summary: The Family Support Specialist (FSS) promotes the success of children by partnering with families to strengthen protective factors, reduce barriers, and support healthy child development and school readiness. The FSS provides comprehensive family support services through ongoing family engagement, recruitment, enrollment, case management, community collaboration, and coordination of health, developmental, and social services. The Family Support Specialist works collaboratively with teachers, administrators, specialists, and community agencies to ensure children and families receive integrated, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed services that align with Washington State ECEAP Performance Standards, DCYF requirements, district policies, and best practices in family support.

Responsible to accurately maintain necessary records and submit required reports in a timely manner.

• Contribute to the development of positive communication, mutual respect, mutual support, competence and creativity among all members of the ECEAP staff.
• Organize and conduct ongoing recruitment to ensure full enrollment in the ECEAP program. In collaboration with other site staff, participates in ongoing recruitment.
• Organize and conduct enrollment activities, interview parents to determine program eligibility, verify income and obtain necessary parent permission for ECEAP activities.
• Collaborate with site staff, organize and conduct parent orientations to ECEAP, including orienting parents on their rights and responsibilities in ECEAP and explaining relevant ECEAP policies and curriculum approaches.
• Assist families in recognizing their strengths and supporting them in setting goals and planning how to meet the goals through the development of a Family Partnership Plan. Work in partnership with families to overcome barriers, meet their stated goals and achieve economic success and prosperity. Provide family support services through at least three hours contact with each family during program year.
  
  Collaborate with mental health professionals in addressing mental health issues of enrolled children and their families. Work with diverse populations and access interpreters and the Language Line as needed.
• Visit home of families as appropriate for the purpose of enrolling children in program, interviewing parents, informing parents of school and/or community resources and providing child development and parenting information.
• Collect and identify health and nutrition information including medical, dental, immunization records and other information from parents and health providers for the purpose of providing health summaries and information reports to center staff and coordinators and refer to health treatment as appropriate.
• Develop individualized child health and/or nutrition plans, as necessary, for the purpose of supporting the child’s success in school. At the end of the school year, evaluate and document in child’s file the family’s experience with working on their child’s health plan.
• Provide support to families experiencing a crisis and refer them to emergency assistance and crisis intervention providers, as appropriate.
• Partner with parents for the purpose of assisting with access to health providers, obtaining exams, identifying obstacles to completing exams and securing appropriate treatment and follow-up on referrals for children. Promote parent, staff and community partnerships in the ECEAP program through various methods (parent meetings, parent leadership, Parent Professional Development opportunities, newsletters, parent trainings, home visits, Policy Council, volunteer opportunities and other strategies).
  
  Encourage parents to participate in the decisions concerning the education of their children and support families involved in site leadership activities.
• Provide or assist with providing health screening, immunization verifications, and outside agency referrals (e.g. hearing, vision, immunization compliance, height/weight…