The Family Service Coordinator (FSC) manages a caseload of families participating in the Head Start and/or Early Head Start program, providing ongoing support, in partnership with families, that is responsive to their needs. The FSC develops trusting partnerships with families. The FSC supports families in using family strengths to build skills for self-sufficiency, improved quality of life and parenting interactions that help children become ready for school and life.
The FSC assists families in identifying and reaching their own goals. In collaboration from families, other program team members, and community partners, the FSC supports families in developing skills for leadership and advocacy for their children. The FSC documents all family development services to show a clear picture of the families’ needs, strengths, and growth.
The FSC has direct responsibility for tasks associated with the Eligibility, Recruitment, Selections, Enrollment, and Attendance (ERSEA) requirements of the Head Start Program Performance Standards, including the proper determination of family eligibility, ongoing recruitment, and selection of families, preservation of full enrollment and support for regular attendance of children.
As a front line representative of Save the Children, the FSC is required to ensure the safety and security of Head Start children and families with whom they encounter, and adhere 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 help prevent child abuse in every situation by striving to minimize risk to children through mental awareness and good practice. 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.
- Engage families as full partners in assessing their needs and strengths, and prioritizing their needs and interests according to their own values; ensure there is an appropriate fit between families’ needs and interests and program services.
- In coordination with the Manager of PFCE, ensure that vacancies are filled within 30 days, eligibility is properly determined, enrollment includes 10% children with special needs, recruitment is active/ongoing and that funded enrollment is achieved and maintained.
- Support each family in developing a Family Partnership Agreement so the family is able to understand and use goal development as a valuable life skill.
- Have regular home visits with families to build on competence in the areas of: understanding attachment and child development, self and family advocacy, developmental transitions, parents as a child’s first teacher, life management skills and family wellness.
- Make and consistently follow up on referrals related to: Family Partnership Agreement goals, strengths/needs assessment items, children with special needs, family health, job and education services and other services related to wellness and family sustainability.
- Strengthen community collaborations to support families by: maintaining current knowledge of community resources, sharing community service information with families and building relationships during attendance of interagency meetings, community events and other scheduled meetings with community partners.
- Promote a unified approach to sharing child information with families by engaging in joint planning with teachers and other specialists to prepare for home visits and other family interactions.
- Participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings.
- Meet program documentation requirements by maintaining accurate, objective, complete, timely and well-organized child and family records, both electronic and hard copy.
- Actively participate in opportunities for continuous professional development.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, children, families and outside agencies.
- Effective communication, problem-solving, organizational and time management skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bilingual preferred (English/Spanish or English and other languages used by children and families).