Family Support Worker - Family Services - 30hrs/wk

Easterseals Southern California transforms lives every day. For over a century, Easterseals has championed inclusion and independence—delivering essential services like early childhood programs, autism services, employment and independent living support to more than 29,000 people each year. Through advocacy and education, we break barriers and create opportunities for the one-in-four Americans with disabilities. 

Starting Pay Range: $21 - 24/hr

OVERVIEW OF POSITION: Under general supervision of the Center Director and in collaboration with Family Services Coordinator, implements or facilitates family development, community Integrate parent and family engagement strategies into all program services to support family well-being and promote children’s learning and development. Encourages innovative two-generation approaches that addresses prevalent needs of families across program that leverage community partnerships or other funding sources. Provides comprehensive services to strengthen and support family relationships and provide links to community resources.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTION:

• Enters, maintains, and continuously updates Child Plus data-based family engagement modules, ensuring the production of an accurate Program Information Report.
• Maintains assigned caseload, between 55 - 69 families.
• Collaborates with Content Coordinators and Managers; Recognizes parents as their children’s primary teachers and nurturers and implements intentional strategies to engage parents in their children’s learning and development and support parent-child relationships, including specific strategies for father engagement.
• Develops relationships with parents and structure services to encourage trust and respectful, ongoing two-way communication between staff and parents to create welcoming program environments that incorporate the unique cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds of families in the program and community.
• Provides parents with opportunities to participate in the program as employees or volunteers. Offers opportunities for parents to participate in a research-based parenting curriculum that builds on parents’ knowledge and offers parents the opportunity to practice parenting skills to promote children’s learning and development.
• Conducts family engagement services in the family’s preferred language, or through an interpreter, to the extent possible, and ensure families can share personal information in an environment in which they feel safe. Assists families achieve identified individualized family engagement and works with families to identify interests, needs, and aspirations related to the family engagement outcomes.
• Offer activities that support parent-child relationships and child development including language, dual language, literacy, and bi-literacy development as appropriate. For dual language learners, information, and resources for parents about the benefits of bilingualism and biliteracy.
• Provides parents with information about the importance of their child’s regular attendance, and partners with them, as necessary, to promote consistent attendance.
• Implements a family partnership process that includes a family partnership agreement and the activities described in this section to support family well-being, including family safety, health, and economic stability, to support child learning and development.
• Assist Parents / Legal Guardians in the signing in and out of their children. Follow ups on absences or late arrival of children.
• Provides services and support for children with disabilities, and to foster parental confidence and skills that promote the early learning and development of their children.
• Implements intake and family assessment to identify family strengths and needs related to the family engagement outcomes as described in the Head Start Parent Family and Community Engagement Framework, including family well-being, parent-child relationships, families as lifelong educators, families as learners, family engagement in transitions, family connections to peers and the local community, and families as advocates and leaders, initiated as early in the program year as possible and continue for as long as the family participates in the program, based on parent interest and need.
• Establishes and implements a family partnership agreement process that is jointly developed and shared with parents in which staff and families review individual progress, revise goals, evaluate and track whether identified needs and goals are met, and adjust strategies on an ongoing basis.
• Coordinates parent education and training and support for pregnant women, prenatal education, breast-feeding information, and other health resources.
• Coordinates completion of family strengths and needs assessments within required timelines. Conducts and coordinates with educational staff parent meetings.
• Collaborates with Content Coordinators and identify and incorporate resources into the program, information and/or referrals for families in the following areas: mental health, childcare, substance abuse treatment, education, employment training, income support, transportation, pregnancy, health needs, safety, nutrition, and other topics requested by family.
• Completes assigned recordkeeping duties and responsibilities, tracking reports and data input in a timely manner.

EDUCATION:

• High School Diploma, GED or national equivalent.
• Must possess or obtain credential/certification in Social Work, Sociology, Human Services, Family Services, Counseling, within 18 months of hire.
• Must possess and maintain current pediatric (infant/toddler) CPR and first aid certificate.

EXPERIENCE:

• 1 – 2 years’ clerical and/or administrative support experience is required.
• 2 - 5 years' experience planning and implementing activities for an agency or organization.
• 2 - 5 years' experience developing rapport with diverse families of young children, and community agencies.
• Must complete California-mandated Child Abuse Reporter Training as well as Pesticide Safety Training (per Healthy Schools Act) within 18 months of hire.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office and other related computer software.
• Knowledge of data entry software, Child Plus preferred.
• Ability to communicate effectively, through oral and written skills, and work cooperatively with a variety of individuals, groups, and families.
• Exercise sound judgment, plan, establish and meet timelines.
• Ability to follow and implement, policies and procedures of Head Start Performance Standard, and Head Act and the California Department of Education, Funding Terms and Conditions (Title 5), Child Development Division, the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing (Title 22), and of ESSC, Inc.
• Ability to pass post-offer medical examination and test for tuberculosis.
• Ability to obtain fingerprint clearance per Easter Seals Southern California and/or program requirements.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a criminal record/fingerprint clearance from the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation per Easter Seals Southern California and/or program requirements. Must have sex offender index clearance.
• Maintain driving record in compliance with Transportation Safety Standards, proper auto insurance and vehicle registration.

Carrying/Lifting: Occasional 0-40 lbs.
Standing: Occasional / Up to 3 hours per day
Sitting: Constant / Up to 8 hours per day
Walking: Occasional / Up to 3 hours per day
Repetitive Motion/Activity: Keyboard activity, telephone use, writing.
Visual Acuity: Ability to view computer monitor and read newsprint.
Travel: Locally 50% of the time
Environmental Exposure: Frequent exposure to unpleasant or hazardous working conditions (noise, heat, dust, bodily fluids, etc.) 20-50%of worktime