Family Engagement Specialist

(This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, knowledge, or abilities associated with this position, but is intended to accurately reflect the principal job elements.)

• Complete student enrollment process of eligible children which includes collecting all family data for various content areas: family engagement, health, education, parenting, nutrition, transition, disability, mental health, etc. The data must be entered into ChildPlus adhering to confidential policies and procedures.
• Secures written releases from parents for providing screenings, medical and dental follow-ups, administering medication, field trips, and transition activities.
• Coordinate with other program staff and community agencies to assist families in meeting program health requirements.
• Ensure health requirements for each child are complete and update as needed/required. Maintain health requirements history.
• When needed, assist parents in finding a medical home, removing barriers (setting appointments, transportation, appointment reminders, etc.) and follow up.
• Review and discuss with parents the results of health care visits after services have been provided.
• Maintain accurate health plans for each child on your caseload with a chronic illness, nutrition concern or other health issue. When administrating medication is required, ensure proper documentation is collected from parents/guardians and that the prescribed medication is up to date and stored properly at the center.
• Initiates individual family partnership agreements with parents to identify and continually assess services and resources that are responsive to each family's interests and goals. Develop a comprehensive profile of each family.
• Support families in addressing challenges (mental illness, substance abuse, disabilities, family violence) that affect their well-being, by discussing issues and/or linking them to community resources.
• Develop and sustain relationships with families by maintaining frequent contact (home visits, phone calls, informal contacts) with them.
• Meet federal, state, and program documentation requirements by maintaining accurate, objective, complete, timely, and well-organized child and family records.
• Document and communicate with parents on such matters as absentees, appointments, meetings, parenting training, and other activities as needed.
• Submit enrollment requests to drop or transfer students.
• Ongoing monitoring of attendance at the preschool center, classroom, and child levels.
• Ensure students with chronic absenteeism are placed on an Attendance Action Plan to improve attendance.
• Support families in fostering safe, healthy, and nurturing home environments by demonstrating and applying knowledge of the issues they face (housing, employment, access to services). Provide educational content on these issues via take-home notices, emails, text messages, social media, etc.
• Performs non-complex health procedures (hearing, administering medication, finger sticks, first aid, etc.) when necessary or required.
• Observes children for indications of illness, injury, neglect, and child abuse and confer with Family Engagement Coordinator and Center Manager regarding action to be taken.
• Must assist in transporting children for services and assist in ensuring all children are delivered to their destinations safely after school.
• Incorporate new and updated policies, procedures, and requirements from other Content Areas, the Head Start Program Performance Standards, and other regulatory entities as it relates to the services provided to students and their families.
• Assists in securing in-kind contributions and volunteers for the program.
• Must attend all Parent Committee meetings, center staff meetings, staffing, IEP meetings, and other parent functions.
  
• Ensure compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards, agency’s Personnel Policies and Procedures, state/federal regulatory authorities, and the Family Engagement Content Area’s Standard Operating Procedures.
  
• Performs any other task deemed necessary by the supervisor.