Family Support Coach

The Family Support Coach will support two-generation efforts to impact children and their families in education, health and well-being, economic supports, post-secondary and employment pathways with social capital opportunities. The FSC will follow national standards for family-centered coaching in implementing strategies for protective and promotive factors as identified by Strengthening Families. He/she will work collaboratively with the center management team to ensure that family support services are coordinated and integrated.

Essential Duties

Family Navigator/Pathways

1. Leads the two-generation post-secondary/employment pathways and economic supports efforts.
2. Ensures that targeted families participate in the Bridge Assessment which includes goal setting.  
3. Assists families in finding and maintaining employment, job training, enrolling in school and connecting to community resources.
4. Builds relationships with agencies and organizations in the community that are potential resources for families.
5. Plans regular workshops and/or guest speakers in the areas of post-secondary/employment pathways and economic supports.

Family Engagement /Transition

1. Leads the two-generation social capital efforts.
2. Utilizes all informal and formal opportunities to build and maintain relationships with families.
3. Promotes parent leadership by actively including parents in planning and implementing activities.
4. Facilitates networks and group activities that support families’ strengths, interests and needs.
5. Promotes and build families’ knowledge of child development and parenting skills.  
6. Involves families in advocacy issues.
7. Works collaboratively with parent leaders and center management team to coordinate fundraisers. 
8. Provides opportunities for families to engage in literacy and learning activities with their child.
9. Observes and participates in the classroom as a strategy to support the center staff team and to share information with parents about their child’s development.
10. Collaborates with the teaching staff to conduct home visits, parent/teacher conferences and parent meetings.
11. Leads the internal planning and subsequent involvement of parents in all of their children’s program transitions, i.e. into the program, from EHS to PHS and from HS to Kindergarten. 
12. Develops working relationships with local schools to help coordinate the successful transition of children and families. 
13. Assembles a center-based transition team to assist with planning transition activities.
14. Promotes good attendance using Attendance Works! Strategies and follows the proper procedures for documenting attendance in Procare and following up with families.
15. Plans and coordinates the Parent Leadership Organization (PLO) with parent leaders and the center management team.
16. Implements the Fostering Family Leaders Program or similar parent curriculums on an annual basis.
17. Helps plan, facilitate or co-facilitate the Parent Leadership Organization (PLO) Boot Camp at least annually.
18. Maintains appropriate documentation of all activities and records in the Sheltering Arms data base software as required by Sheltering Arms Policies & Procedures. 
19. Collects family tuition according to Sheltering Arms procedures.
20. Invoices community agencies for tuition according to their requirements.

Health and Wellness

1. Leads the two-generation health and well-being efforts.
2. Follows Sheltering Arms procedures for referring children for further professional evaluation when necessary.
3. Work cooperatively with the Nutrition, Health and School Readiness Specialists and/or Consultants.
4. Ensures that all children have appropriate health records and screenings on file with the appropriate time period according to Sheltering Arms procedures (ASQ immunizations, health checks, EED, dental exam, etc.).
5. Coordinates and facilitates Healthy Beginnings meetings.
6. Provides support and resources to parents of children with special/mental health/health needs.
7. Ensures that any special nutritional needs of children are met.
8. Makes referrals and link children and families to needed community resources; follow-up on referrals made and outcomes to ensure the needs of families are met.
9. Select parents for participation in the Health and Wellness Advisory Committee.
10. Attends Health and Wellness Advisory Committee (HWAC) meetings.

Teamwork & Professionalism

1. Participates as an active and responsible member of the center management team.
2. Demonstrates a belief in the philosophy of Sheltering Arms.
3. Creates a positive, welcoming climate for families.
4. Has a good attendance record and informs the center director when planning to be absent.
5. Follows center rules.
6. Maintains a professional appearance and conducts self in a professional manner at all times.
7. Is a willing learner and accepts constructive criticism.
8. Displays energy and enthusiasm in performing the FSC job.
9. Have a clear understanding of the requirements and regulations from Sheltering Arms funding sources, licensing and accreditation entities, and national initiatives, such as, the Head Start Performance Standards, Child Care Licensing, NAEYC accreditation as well as specific partnering organizations.
10. Maintains files/records on all families served.
11. Answers the telephone in an enthusiastic and helpful manner.
12. Attends workshops planned by the BFTS or other funding, partnering, or regulatory entities and puts their learnings into practice.
13. Attends workshops planned by Sheltering Arms and puts their learnings into practice.
14. Belongs to and participate in a professional organization related to child care and family support.
15. Responds to requests from the administrative office in a timely manner.
16. Maintains confidentiality in all matters regarding the children and families served.

KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES, AND SKILLS:

• Ability to collaborate with families to develop goals and to provide clear feedback about their progress
• Excellent analytical and listening skills
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
• Ability to work effectively with community partners
• Must be familiar with best practices for family-centered, quality early childhood education
• Must be able to facilitate parent meetings and workshops
• Must have basic computer skills
• Must be able to visually observe and hear children from all areas of the classroom and playground from a distance of at least 70 feet
• Be able to sit on the floor to interact with children

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in family and consumer sciences; child and family development; social work or closely related field with at least two years of experience in a family support type position.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:  Must be able to lift 50 lbs

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:   

EVALUATION: Performance of this job will be evaluated consistent with Sheltering Arms evaluation policy.

Date Established: 8.2.2023        
Date(s) Revised:          

This description may be changed at any time. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee. The employee will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other related duties as assigned by leadership.  Sheltering Arms reserves the right to update, revise or change this job description and related duties at any time.