Family Engagement Specialist - Head Start/Early Head Start

The Family Engagement Specialist is responsible for providing family support services to enrolled Head Start and Early Head Start children and their families through regular contact, home visits, family partnership activities, and community referrals. In addition, the Family Engagement Specialist serves as a daily classroom and playground liaison — supporting fidelity to classroom management practices, communicating with parents about each child's individualized educational goals, and ensuring safety practices are followed during outdoor and gross motor activities.

The Family Engagement Specialist helps families identify goals, access resources, and strengthen their ability to support their child's growth, health, safety, and school readiness. The position aligns with the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), the Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework, and the Office of Head Start (OHS) Program Excellence indicators, modeling practices used by high-performing Head Start grantees that have achieved Program Excellence designation.

The Family Engagement Specialist serves as an advocate for, with, and on behalf of program participants and their families. In all responsibilities, the Family Engagement Specialist supports the agency's equity, diversity, inclusion, and trauma-informed service efforts.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Reports to: Center Director

Supervises: No supervisory responsibilities

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Conduct regular home visits, family contacts, and follow-up contacts with assigned families.

B. Recruit and enroll eligible families as assigned, and support attendance and engagement efforts.

C. Provide family support services that strengthen parenting, family stability, and family well-being.

D. Collaborate with families to complete family strengths and needs assessments and family partnership agreements.

E. Support family goal setting and help families connect to resources that address housing, employment, food security, transportation, education, and other needs.

F. Promote parent engagement in classroom activities, policy council, family events, and program governance, consistent with the PFCE Framework.

G. Communicate regularly with parents about their child's individualized educational goals, developmental progress, and alignment with the program's School Readiness Goals across

the five domains (approaches to learning; social and emotional development; language and literacy; cognition; and perceptual, motor, and physical development).

H. Partner with teaching staff to share family insights that inform individualized goal setting, lesson planning, and classroom strategies for each child.

I. Observe daily classroom practices to ensure that approved classroom management strategies (including positive behavior supports, established routines, the curriculum's behavioral expectations, and CLASS-aligned teacher-child interactions) are being implemented with fidelity; report concerns to the Education Manager and supervisor.

J. Be present during outdoor playground time daily to ensure that all safety measures are being followed, including active supervision, name-to-face counts, equipment safety checks, weather-appropriate practices, and emergency response readiness.

K. Monitor and support children's health status, including medical and dental homes, physical health, mental health, developmental screening follow-up, immunizations, and nutritional needs.

L. Work closely with Health Services staff to help ensure completion of required health screenings, follow-up appointments, referrals, and documentation.

M. Reinforce health education with families related to nutrition, oral health, safe sleep, injury prevention, medication safety, and disease prevention.

N. Support health and safety practices in the home and in program settings, including emergency preparedness, safe child supervision, reporting concerns, and other program-required health and safety procedures.

O. Serve as a liaison between families and community resources, including medical providers, mental health providers, dental providers, social service agencies, and other supports.

P. Assist with crisis intervention, problem solving, and referrals as needed.

Q. Maintain accurate, timely documentation of family contacts, referrals, follow-up, attendance concerns, classroom and playground observations, and other required records.

R. Maintain confidentiality of all family and child information.

S. Participate fully in supervision, team meetings, case conferences, training, and professional development, including training that supports OHS Program Excellence indicators and continuous quality improvement.

T. Perform other duties as assigned and delegated by supervisor.

STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE

A. Must have strong relationship-building and engagement skills with families.

B. Ability to communicate effectively with parents, children, teaching staff, and community partners.

C. Strong organization, time management, and follow-through skills.

D. Knowledge of community resources and family support systems is helpful.

E. Working knowledge of HSPPS, the PFCE Framework, and OHS Program Excellence expectations, or willingness to develop this knowledge through training.

F. Ability to recognize when classroom management and playground safety practices are not being followed and to communicate concerns through the appropriate chain of command.

G. Must be able to work independently and manage a caseload while maintaining a consistent classroom and playground presence.

H. Must respond appropriately to cultural, linguistic, and family differences.

I. Maintains confidentiality and demonstrates sound judgment.

J. Speaks clearly and listens effectively.

K. Writes clearly and maintains accurate records.

L. Works well as part of a team and supports program goals.

M. Demonstrates professionalism, flexibility, and dependability.

N. Shows initiative, empathy, and a strengths-based approach.

O. Represents the agency positively and supports diversity and inclusion.

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

A. While performing the essential functions of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, and use hands and arms.

B. The employee may occasionally be required to bend, stoop, kneel, climb stairs, run short distances during active playground supervision, and lift up to 40 pounds (including the ability to assist a child).

C. The employee will be exposed to outdoor weather conditions during playground supervision.

D. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND CONDITIONS

A. Combined office, classroom, playground, and community/family-home environment.

B. The noise level varies from moderate (office) to elevated (classroom and playground).

C. Work schedule varies based on family needs, caseload, classroom schedules, and program events.

D. Flexibility is required to accommodate home visits, family meetings, classroom presence, playground supervision, and outreach activities.

E. Reliable transportation and a valid driver's license are required.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND TRAINING

A. Associate degree in human services, social work, family studies, early childhood education, public health, or related field preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.

B. Minimum of 1–2 years of experience working with children and families in a human service, education, or health-related setting.

C. Experience with case management, family engagement, referrals, and community outreach preferred.

D. Familiarity with Head Start School Readiness Goals, classroom management practices, and active supervision standards preferred.

E. Knowledge of maternal/child health, child safety, family systems, and child abuse/neglect risk is preferred.

F. Ability to work with families from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds.

G. Strong written, oral, and computer skills.

H. Valid driver's license and reliable transportation required.

I. Bilingual skills preferred.

EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS

A. Computer and peripherals.

B. Phone and other communication tools.

C. Agency database or child/family records system.

Salary : $43,000 - $45,000