Home Visitor

*Position will serve Marion & Lake County*

JOIN THE ECS TEAM

At ECS, we help underserved children in Northeast and Central Florida build a solid foundation for educational success. Give a child a better start, and you dramatically increase the child’s odds of being a better person – of having a better life. Partner with us to we create opportunity so that the children we serve can achieve their full potential.

ECS has career opportunities available in several counties throughout Northeast and Central Florida. Thank you for your interest in a career with Episcopal Children’s Services.

ECS offers a competitive benefit package which includes:

• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• 403(b) plan with 5% employer match
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Long-term & short-term disability insurance
• Employer-paid life insurance
• Paid holidays
• Generous paid time off
• College tuition assistance
• Career development

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Primary responsibilities: Provide training and technical support to help parents improve their parenting skills and to assist them in the use of the home as the child’s primary learning environment. Responsible for introducing, arranging and/or providing Head Start services to home based families.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Recruit children/families, interview applicants, complete applications and enter applications into ChildPlus.
• Provide at least 1 home visit per week per family lasting for a minimum of 1 and ½ hours each.
• Work with families to jointly plan the content of each home visit.
• Assist families in providing learning opportunities that enhance their child’s growth and development.
• Onboard and engage families using the approved parent engagement application.
• Ensure all home visits over the course of each month contain elements of all Head Start program components.
• Model best practices and strategies to promote the cognitive, language, social, emotional, and physical development of children.
• Conduct observations of parents and families and provide constructive feedback to assist them in fostering the growth and development of their child.
• Provide training and assistance to parents and families in the implementation of age appropriate activities for their child.
• Collaborate with parents to regularly assess each child’s development, maintain documentation of child assessment, and submit assessment results/reports to supervisor as requested.
• Ensure that safe practices are followed to prevent injuries to children or self.
• Maintain sanitation and hygiene procedures.
• Participate in case management meetings regarding children’s health and development.
• Provide a warm, nurturing, loving and positive environment, using positive guidance techniques and upholding the ECS Discipline policy.
• Develop nurturing relationships with each child that encourages his or her social and emotional development.
• Maintain all federal, state, local and accreditation standards. These may include those set forth by NAEYC, APPLE, ECS, DCF and Early Head Start.
• Provide and encourage effective communication and relationships with families so that parents feel comfortable talking about their children.
• Encourage parent involvement in all aspects of the program.
• Inform parents concerning their children’s progress formally and informally, which may include parent notes, portfolios, and parent conferences.
• Provide leadership in following best practices in the field of early childhood education.
• Communicate regularly with other support staff in order to better serve children and families, including attending staff meetings, trainings, and sharing information.
• Provide, at a minimum, two group socialization activities per month for each child that emphasize peer group interaction through age appropriate activities in a Head Start classroom, community facility, home, or on a field trip.
• Follow all nutrition requirements specified in the performance standards and provide appropriate snacks and meals to the children during group socialization activities.
• Ensure all home-based children are screened according to Head Start requirements.
• Maintain accurate child files for all children in caseload.
• Work with the Head Start support staff to ensure children receive the health, mental health, and/or special needs services they may be eligible for.
• Collaborate with designated center staff in planning and attending monthly parent meetings, workshops, training, and other parent involvement activities.
• Submit accurate Home Visitor reports each month.
• Work with families to develop Family Partnership Agreements, set goals and timelines and provide referrals to community agencies.
• Work with families to ensure that children are up-to-date with all required health and dental screenings and examinations and document in child’s files.
• Perform other job-related functions as required.

(These essential job functions are not to be construed as a complete statement of duties performed. Employees will be required to perform other related marginal duties as required.)

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIP:

• This position reports to the Home-Based Services Manager.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• High School Diploma or GED and a Home-based CDA credential; or
• High School Diploma or GED and an Infant Toddler CDA or FCCPC and a Family Development Credential; or
• A degree with 8 semester credits in early childhood education, human development and/or family sciences or a related field*

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

• Demonstrate competency to plan and implement home-based learning experiences that ensure effective implementation of the home visiting curriculum and promote children’s progress across the standards described in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five, including for children with disabilities and dual language learners, as appropriate, and to build respectful, culturally responsive, and trusting relationships with families.
• Bi-Lingual (English/Spanish) skills highly preferred
• Knowledge of standards set forth by Head Start, DCF, NAEYC, APPLE and any other agency to which the agency commits
• Structured child-focused home visiting that promotes parents’ ability to support the child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development
• Knowledge of early childhood development with respect to children from birth through age 3
• Effective strengths-based parent education, including methods to encourage parents as their child’s firth teachers
• Methods to help parents promote emergent literacy in their children
• Ability to demonstrate problem solving skills, counseling skills, and empathy toward needs of parents and strategies for helping families coping with crisis
• Knowledge of community resources and skills to link families with appropriate agencies and services
• Knowledge of applicable safety and abuse-reporting procedures
• Knowledge of the relationship of health & well-being of pregnant women and prenatal & early child development
• Ability to effectively provide information in a positive, informative and patient manner
• Ability to work independently with little direct supervision
• Ability to use the computer effectively
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Ability to maintain confidential information
• Ability to plan and organize work as well as maintain records and prepare reports
• Ability to safely transport families to appointments, Central office, etc. when necessary

LICENSES, CERTIFICATION OR REGISTRATIONS:

• Valid driver’s license and proof of automobile coverage
• Satisfactory Driving Record (as outlined in Vehicle Driving Policy)
• Complete 15 hours of in-service/professional development training hours each fiscal year (July-June)
• Must have current First Aid and Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

• Works in an office environment when performing administrative functions
• Local travel to multiple homes is required

ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL SKILLS:

• Acceptable eyesight (with or without correction)
• Acceptable hearing (with or without correction)
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

(Reasonable accommodations will be made for otherwise qualified individuals with a disability.)