Easterseals Head Start/Early Head Start provides high-quality, family-centered education for children birth to five years old. We collaborate with 40+ early childhood programs located in the city of Chicago and suburban Cook County to promote school readiness in young children of all abilities from families with incomes below poverty guidelines. Easterseals also directly operates two Early Learning Centers in Head Start/Early Head Start in Chicago and in Hickory Hills.

For more information about our organization, please visit us online at www.eastersealschicago.org.

Under the direction of the Family and Health Coordinator, the Family and Health Advocate provides direct services to the families at assigned sites. The Family and Health Advocate works collaboratively with sites and delivers enrollment, family engagement, and health services and activities that fulfill all Head Start and Early Head start requirements. Family and Health Advocates with approved specializations utilize their bilingual language skills to communicate effectively with children and families with a home language other than English.

This position is located at the Easterseals Early Learning Services Headquarters at 1939 W. 13th Street, Chicago 60608.

MAJOR FUNCTIONS/ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Maintain full enrollment of Head Start/Early Head Start children at assigned sites
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with administrative and teaching staff at all assigned sites.
• Develop and maintain a regular schedule of site visits to ensure implementation of Head Start/Early Head Start services. This will include after-hour events, such as parent workshops.
• Provide assistance to other component areas through regular contact with assigned families and collection of needed documentation.
• Maintain complete and accurate records in the COPA system, including, but not limited to, Child Health Histories, Family Partnership Agreements, Family Needs Assessments, enrollment dates, case notes, and follow-up. Develop and implement a tracking system for component areas.
• Work with Family and Health Coordinator, center directors, and parents to assure that enrolled children maintain current physicals and up-to-date immunizations including all well-baby visits, vision, hearing, and dental screenings.
• Assist with updating, reviewing, and monitoring health/mental health/social services/enrollment files for all enrolled children.
• Assure that growth and developmental charts are completed.
• Coordinate, monitor, and maintain safety practices and up-to-date first aid kits for the classrooms.
• Participate in all regularly scheduled meetings. Work with Family and Health Coordinator to create partnerships with local organizations and set up Community Partnership Agreements and Linkage Agreements with community organizations.
• Provide social service/health/nutrition resources and referrals to families as per Family Partnership Agreements.
• Participate in annual community needs assessments and maintain complete and updated Community Resource Binders at each site.
• Work with staff and Mental Health Consultants/Specialists to identify specific children/classrooms needing mental health services and assist with follow-up with families.
• Implement site-level parent committee & work with them to schedule meetings/workshops/training. Distribute information about governance to Head Start sites via copies of minutes and other information distributed at Parent Policy Council meetings. Attend PPC meetings on an as-needed basis and attend all site-level parent meetings and events.
• Willing to have a flexible schedule (early morning appointments/meetings and late evening appointments/meetings will occur on a regular basis).
• Work with sites to recruit parents to participate in site-level Parent Committees and agency-wide Parent Policy Committee (Chicago) or Policy Council (Suburban).
• Submit all required paperwork accurately and in a timely manner.
• Participate in ongoing enrollment and recruitment campaigns.
• Ensure that attendance is accurate and entered into COPA on a daily basis.
• Turn in site verification forms each time off-site and maintain outlook calendar.
• All other duties as assigned.

Education/Certification:

• If hired after 11/7/16: Bachelor’s degree or higher in social work, human services, family services, or counseling; or, a bachelor’s degree in another field with one of the following to be earned within 18 months of hire: Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Family Specialist Level 5 credential; or Family Development Credential.

Experience Required:

• Bilingual in Chinese.
• Head Start Performance Standard.
• MS Office.

Vehicle/Transportation Requirements:

• Valid driver’s license.
• Auto insurance, safe vehicle.
• Reliable vehicle.

Skills/Abilities:

• Ability to read, write and speak Chinese.
• Able to work well with all levels of the organization, partner sites, other agencies, and funding source personnel.
• Demonstrates the ability to conceptualize and articulate program outcomes.
• Able to manage multiple projects.
• Well organized, highly detail-oriented, and accuracy driven.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and supervisory skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

ADA: Easterseals will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. Unless exempted by the Americans with Disabilities Act, all persons hired for this position are required to possess the ability to perform the physical tasks necessary to treat clients, i.e., bending, floor-sitting, etc., as well as to have the ability to lift up to 50 pounds frequently.

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