Essential functions: Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance - Promote and recruit for all NMCAA 0-5 programs in collaboration with the Recruitment and Health Specialist Coordinator (R & H).
- Coordinate with the R&H to ensure that openings are filled in a timely manner.
- Complete enrollment with new families.
- Provide information about the benefits of, and support families in maintaining regular program attendance and engagement at home visits and socializations.
- Partner with your PSC to support 46 offered visits for each enrolled family
- Document and track home visit attendance.
Child Screenings and Assessments - In collaboration with each child's parent, and according to the Head Start Program Performance Standards and NMCAA's EHS/HS Home Based program guidelines, complete developmental screenings and assessments to identify concerns regarding a child's developmental, behavioral, motor, language, social, cognitive, and emotional skills.
- If applicable, assist parents in understanding a disability diagnosis and collaborate with diagnostic professionals to identify appropriate service(s) to ensure that each child's needs are met.
- If a child is eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), partner with parents and the local agency responsible for implementing IDEA to collaborate and coordinate services.
Education and Early Childhood Development - In collaboration with parents, and using information from ongoing assessments, plan individualized weekly home visits that enhance secure parent-child relationships, promote the home as a learning environment and reflect the critical role of parents in the development of their children.
- Implement the Parents as Teachers (PAT) home visiting curriculum with each enrolled child/family.
- Write developmentally appropriate goals for each enrolled child including those with an IFSP, IEP, or ISP (ISP goals are reviewed quarterly).
- Collaborate with the Coach to provide group socializations and parent committee meetings in accordance with NMCAA's guidelines and the Head Start Program Performance Standards.
- Work with mental health consultants/staff to provide support to families as needed and/or connect families with mental health services in the community.
- Conduct transition activities of each enrollee when moving onward to the next educational setting.
- Use Smart Teach as an online tool to support PAT in establishing developmentally appropriate objectives and learning strategies for each enrollee.
- Use Smart Teach as an online tool to record observations of enrolled children and quarterly assessments of each enrolled child.
Child Health and Safety - Assist families in building partnerships to access community-based health, social services, childcare and education/job training opportunities.
- In collaboration with the R&H, support families in addressing barriers to meeting EHS/HS requirements and identify common gaps in service and barriers to success.
- Maintain health and safety guidelines at all socialization experiences and other program activities.
- Accomplish the Home Safety Checklist with each enrolled family, supporting the family in making their home as safe as possible.
- Collaborate with parents to promote children's health and well-being by providing medical, oral, nutrition and mental health education support services.
Community Partnerships - Establish community and outside agency professional contacts as needed to support the family and child's well-being (ISD, Early On, mental health support, etc.) and team with other community agencies that enrolled families are currently working with to address family needs, strengths, and goals to avoid duplication of effort.
- Attend outside agency events, trainings, and growth opportunities to strengthen professional relationships and increase knowledge of available resources.
Family Partnerships - Using designated program tools, assess EHS family strengths and needs related to the family engagement outcomes as described in the Head Start Parent Family and Community Engagement Framework.
- Implement the family partnership process in collaboration with each enrolled family to support family well-being and offer individualized family partnership services based on family interests, needs, and aspirations. Document family goals and needs identified in Child Plus.
- Assist Family Engagement Specialist in maintaining an up-to-date community resource directory by providing information regarding resource changes and/or the addition of new services and programs.
- Assist families in achieving identified goals by reviewing individual progress and revising goals and strategies on a monthly basis at a minimum.
- Link families as appropriate with Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency programs, community resources and service providers, and on-going health care systems to problem solve barriers and address family needs.
- Support the Family Engagement Specialist and Coach in planning, implementing, and promoting family engagement activities for enrolled families and/or waitlisted families.
Facilities, Materials and Equipment - Ensure that home visit materials are safe and in good repair.
- Support the Coach to ensure the socialization environment, equipment and materials are age appropriate, safe and in good repair through ongoing monitoring and use of the Safe Environment Checklist.
Management Systems and Procedures - Attend monthly recaps, staff trainings, Early Head Start meetings, community meetings and participate in professional growth opportunities as specified by your direct supervisor, the Program Services Coordinator (PSC).
- Establish an ongoing communication system with your PSC to ensure supervisory support when any concerns arise around family or staff safety.
- Establish ongoing communication with your Coach to ensure ongoing professional development.
- Maintain confidential, accurate and up-to-date child and family files per the Home Based File Checklist.
- Attend all PSC designated regional meetings to discuss trends in families and community, share resource information, and/or coordinate other shared roles such as newsletters, workshops, socializations.
- Adhere to scheduled work hours as required. Socializations and parent committee meetings may require evening and weekend hours. Staff must adjust weekly schedule when this occurs so as not to exceed allotted weekly work hours.
- Perform other incidental and related duties as required and assigned.
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