Family Advocate

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Provides services to Head Start families in compliance with Head Start Performance Standards. Carries out goals, policies and activities designed to implement social service and parent involvement objectives.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:  Recruits and enrolls eligible children into Head Start, including children with disabilities.  Assists parents in completing original enrollment applications when needed.  Encourages parent involvement in the Head Start program, both in the classroom and in the home.  Provides information and opportunities for parents to access community involvement activities and interests.  Organizes and initiates Parent Committee meetings at assigned Head Start centers.  Attends Parent Committee meetings.  Creates agenda and ensures all minutes, in-kind and attendance are recorded and documented.  Makes referrals to families on issues related to the child or his/her family.  Follows-up with family in a timely manner.  Receives disabilities and pre-referral request documentation from teaching staff and sends to Site Supervisor for determination.  Schedules and completes home visits.  Completes classroom visits weekly to assigned classrooms.  Follows procedures to maintain full enrollment.  Contacts parent/guardian of any child who is absent three (3) consecutive days or is irregular in attendance.  Documents all contacts.  Assists parents in arranging transportation to appointments at various social or medical agencies.  Maintains all case management files for individual children and families.  Ensures entire application process for each assigned child and family enrolled in Head Start is completed accurately and in a timely manner.  Inputs data into ChildPlus database including, but not limited to, in-kind, attendance, enrollment applications, and family information.  Generates in-kind.  Reviews monthly in-kind for assigned classrooms.  May provide classroom coverage as needed.