Family & Community Engagement Advocate at Lutheran Services Florida

Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) envisions a world where children are safe, families are strong, and communities are vibrant.

LSF is looking for a talented Family & Community Engagement Advocate who wants to make an impact in the lives of others.

The candidate may be qualified for the Family and Community Engagement Specialist role if they have a bachelor's degree!

Purpose & Impact:

The Family & Community Engagement Advocate supports and assists families as they identify and meet their own goals through a family-centered case management model for developing and carrying out the program family partnership agreements., including responsibility for child files, enrollment/applications, etc. Assists with the completion of the child health requirements and other required screenings and assessments. Participates in the HS/EHS Quality Assurance efforts.

Essential Functions:

• Coordinates with center staff to integrate family partnership goals with classroom efforts and to ensure integrated child and family curriculum.
• Participates in team management functions of planning, implementing and evaluating family and community engagement goals and objectives.
• Participates in in-service, workshops, conferences and college courses to enhance skills.
• Works cooperatively with local agencies to assist families to linkup with services in the local community.
• Assists with the completion of the child health screening, other required screenings and assessments and is familiar with referral requirements.
• Conducts and documents follow-up on all referrals.
• While respecting family confidentiality, regularly shares information with teachers to ensure coordinated services that meet the needs of individual children and families.
• Provides health, safety and family literacy activities to parents, as appropriate.
• Develops a working knowledge of community resources, and visits, at least annually, with major agencies for service delivery updates and community resource guide updates.
• Attends parent/teacher conferences as requested.
• Attends multi-team development and staff meetings as requested.
• Ensures an appropriate written transition plan is prepared for all children, six months prior to their third birthday.
• Attends all required staff and parent meetings and activities.
• Maintains strict confidentiality at all times with respect to Head Start/Early Head Start children, families and staff in accordance with established policies and procedures, including the ability to recognize situations in which confidentiality is required.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, Attendance (ERSEA)

• Implement, document and report on the recruitment, selection and enrollment of potentially eligible children birth through age 5, pregnant women and their families in collaboration with Health and Family Community Engagement Manager.
• Recruits prospective families and complete the enrollment process.
• Maintain funded enrollment and fill Head Start/Early Head Start vacancies within 30 days.
• Accurately verify and determine eligibility for Head Start/Early Head Start enrollment.
• Monitor attendance and maintain an average daily attendance above 85%.
• Follow up with any families experiencing participation or attendance problems.
• Documents all efforts to assist families, tracks family partnership efforts and outcomes, records, monitors and follows up on referrals, and submits reports as required. Attends all workshops and meetings as deemed necessary by the supervisor.

Parent Engagement

• Coordinate and implement monthly parent committee meeting at your assigned center site(s). Maintain accurate records and documentation (e.g., meeting minutes, agenda, training, sign-in sheet, and PC members’ eligibility paperwork).
• Ensure the elected Policy Council representative and/or alternate for assign center site(s) are in attendance for the Program’s Policy Council monthly meeting.
• Coordinate monthly parent engagement activities through the A Man Everybody Needs (AMEN) and Ladies of Victory and Empowerment (LOVE) support groups.
• Implement a comprehensive, individualized and developmental parent engagement and education program responsive to parent needs, concerns and requests that supports parents in their role as the primary influence in their children’s lives.
• Ensure comprehensive, timely two-way communication between parents, Head Start staff, and as appropriate, community individuals and organizations.
• Encourage parent volunteerism throughout the program.
• Provide parents regular opportunities to work together and with other community members on activities they helped develop and in which they expressed an interest.
• Encourage parents to take an active role in making community services more responsive to their goals and needs.
• Promote full child/family participation in program activities and assist with monitoring and resolution of any problems.
• Assist parents, including pregnant women, with the transition process into Head Start from Early Head Start or other settings, and from Head Start to kindergarten.

Health

• Assists with the completion of the child health screening, other required screenings and assessments and is familiar with referral requirements.
• Promote child and family wellness and the establishment of a medical and dental “home” for each HS infant, toddler and preschool child and each pregnant woman.
• Provide physical/dental/mental health and nutrition education activities that are responsive to the ongoing and expressed needs of parents as individuals and in the parent committee meetings.
• Provides health, safety and family literacy activities to parents, as appropriate.
• Assist and support families with engaging and completing the appropriate disability paperwork for their child requiring services.

Qualifications

Physical Requirements: Must be able to lift at least 45 pounds. Reasonable accommodation may be made for otherwise qualified persons with disabilities.

Education: High School diploma or GED but must obtain a credential or certificate within 18 months of hire in social work, human services, family services, counseling or a related field to remain employed in position. 

Experience: At least three years of experience working with children and families in a social services environment. Head Start/Early Head Start experience preferred.

Also required: Certification in First Aid and CPR within three months of the date assigned to this position; and successful completion of a Level II background screening and drug screening prior to hiring. Bilingual preferred: English/Spanish or English and other languages present in the local area.  

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of social work and human behavior.
• Knowledge of human development and health.
• Knowledge of social services and health services available in the area.
• Knowledge of computer data entry processes.
• Knowledge of family-centered practices.
• Ability to communicate ideas and instructions orally and in writing.
• Ability to write reports and business correspondence.
• Ability to speak before groups of individuals, such as Committees and Staff meetings.
• Ability to calculate amounts by adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and figuring percentages.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of instructions.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to make recommendations and develop implementation strategies.
• Basic computer skills.

Why work for LSF?

LSF offers 60 programs across the state of Florida serving a wide range of populations in need. Mission Driven staff members become part of the LSF community while transforming the lives of those in need. Our staff additionally find growth opportunities as they explore areas of interest within the organization.  

Amazing benefits package including:

• Medical, Dental and Vision
• Teledoc (24/7 online access to Doctors)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Employer paid life insurance (1X salary)
• 13 paid holidays + 1 floating holiday
• Generous PTO policy (starting at 16 working days a year)
• Note: Head Start employees paid time off and holiday schedule may differ
• 403(b) Retirement plan with 3% discretionary employer match OR 3% student loan repayment reimbursement
• Tuition reimbursement

Lutheran Services Florida embraces diversity, equity and inclusion in all business practices. LSF is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.