The Family Service Specialist ensures implementation of the Head Start Education program services for children, families, and pregnant women in order to provide high-quality services and support.
The Family Service Specialist reports directly to the Center Director or Family and Community Engagement Manager and works as a member of the local center’s coordination team. As a member of the coordination team, the Family Service Specialist is responsible for creating and nurturing strong collaborations with staff at all levels and families to ensure that program standards, compliance, and quality are of the highest standards.
As a front line representative of Save the Children, the Family Service Coordinator is required to ensure the safety and security of Head Start children and families that he/she comes in contact with adhering to the agency’s values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity, and Integrity.
As a Save the Children employee who will come into contact with children on a routine basis, you are expected to prevent child abuse in every situation by striving, through mental awareness, good practice and training to minimize risk to children. You must take positive steps to protect children who may be a subject of concern and report and respond to any instance of child abuse and promote training and awareness around all child safeguarding obligations.
- Family and Community Relations and Public Affairs
- Data Collection and Management
- Supervision and Training
Responsibilities and Impact
- Provide support to all families within his/her caseload, including relationship development, developing Family Partnership Agreements, goal-setting process, and assisting to obtain necessary community services and supports
- Works closely with the Center Director, teachers, Family and Community Engagement Manager and all content areas to assure successful collaboration in maintaining children/family files and privacy.
- Work collaborate with Center Directors and other center staff for child recruitment and maintaining a consistent enrollment for the program.
- Enters and assists in tracking information regarding ERSEA, health, education, mental health/disabilities and family service information. Work with the Information Specialist to enter and track information regarding family services and ERSEA (Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance).
- Ensure regular communication with families regarding screening, assessments, and surveys in order to provide needed information regarding medical, nutritional, educational, and social services as needed to ensure that all requirements are met according to Head Start Performance Standards while maintain strict confidentiality.
- Assist in the monitoring and reporting of family-related services to appropriate Head Start superiors.
- Responsible for maintaining full enrollment, with a 72-hour turn around to fill vacancies, program-wide; performing up-to-date recordkeeping and data entry.
- Submit accurate information in a timely manner, including: written documentation, scheduled reports, and mandated reports.
- Serve as advisor and support for family services to the teaching staff.
- Attend case coordination meetings with appropriate staff, to fully integrate services.
- Participate in an individualized continuing education plan including CPR and First Aid.
- Ability to effectively demonstrate sound judgment, using discretion as it relates to individual cases.
- Maintains open communication with management regarding case load and progress to build effective working relationships within the organization, works independently and as a team member.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
- A minimum, a credential or certification in social work, human services, family services, counseling or a related field. advanced degree preferred.
- 2 years: General knowledge of program management, planning, reporting, budgeting, administration, purchasing systems management, supervision/personnel management, and public relations.
- General knowledge of program management, planning, reporting, budgeting, administration, purchasing systems management, supervision/personnel management, and public relations.
- Ability to supervise staff and manage a multifaceted program, multi-task, work independently and as part of a team, and exercise professional judgment.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with agency staff, children, families, and outside agencies.
- Effective communication, problem-solving, organizational, and time management skills.
- Ability to perform medium to heavy physical work exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds frequently and up to 5-10 pounds constantly, performing such activities as sitting, crawling, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping. This also includes some duties that require repetitive action and motion skills, keyboarding and computer use.