Family Advocate

Direct Reports:

None

USCs School for Early Childhood Education is dedicated to providing comprehensive highquality early childhood education services to children and their families in the South Los Angeles area. Founded in 1970 as a teaching school for future earlychildhood professionals the USC School for Early Childhood Education (SECE) seeks to promote school readiness health/nutrition mental wellness and family engagement. Today our licensed Head Start and Early Head Start centers serve more than 500 infants and preschool children and their parents each year. We are seeking enthusiastic creative dynamic and teamoriented individuals who enjoy fostering a supportive learning environment.

Job Overview:

• This position provides advocacy for families in the community coleads with parent representatives coordinates and staffs the Center Parent Committees Meetings and takes responsibility for all of the following: child services health services tracking comprehensive services and forms relationships with community agencies and helps create partnerships and links families to community resources and also complies with agency policies goals and objectives.

• Recruits certifies and enrolls children into the Head Start and/or the CA State Preschool Programs and assesses each familys strengths concerns and priorities to provide services that improve their prospects of supporting their child through school using a case management methodology.

• The Family Advocate will manage a small caseload of families (up to 45 and engage families in activities that support their and their childs school readiness development.

• Assist children and families in accessing a broad array of health services including screenings and referrals maintenance of immunization schedules nutrition assessments and followups mental health and disability assessments as part of initial screenings and determination if any mental or physical delays are present.

• Conducts the Familys Needs Assessment and Family Partnership Agreements with each currently enrolled family to identify problems and concerns and links families with the appropriate resources and referral systems and services.

• Assures completion of all program requirements and is familiar with and follows the Head Start Performance Standards and California State Preschool Regulations including licensing requirements related to enrollment health child rights and program policies.

• Ensure children receive health and dental services and access ongoing acute routine health and dental care.

• Supports the classroom care and supervision of children as needed when the class is temporarily understaffed. During this period the Family Advocate can provide auxiliary series such as food preparation set up and clean up that allow the available teaching staff to supervise the children adequately.

• Establish and maintain outreach and recruitment to ensure the assigned Head Start and State Preschool sites are fully enrolled with eligible children. Monitor attendance to ensure children are actively involved in the program.

• Responsible for working with teachers site supervisors family Service coordinators and other support staff to help families make choices and decisions that will respond to each familys unique culture roles values strengths and beliefs.

• The position is grantfunded and contingent on continued funding.

Qualifications/Skills

• Dependable collaborative have regular/dependable attendance be prompt positive mindset flexible organized.

• Knowledge of Head Start Performance Standards.

• Minimum of 6 months of experience monitoring entering and tracking data.

• Minimum of 6 months of casework management.

• Experience networking with community partners.

• Bilingual: English/Spanish.

• CPR & First Aide Certificate (may be obtained after applying but before starting).

• Valid CA drivers license . Position will participate in the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Pull Notice System. A copy of DMV record will be as a final condition of employment. For more information please visit thepolicy website.

• In addition the successful candidate must also demonstrate through ideas words and actions a strong commitment to USCs Unifying Values.

Educational Requirements:

• AA or BA degree in Human Development Social Work or a related field

• 12 units of child development

• Obtain a Family Development Credential within a year of employment

Physical Requirements:

Must be able to climb stairs reach bend lift 1030 pounds crawl kneel stoop twist grasp with hands and fingers use arms and legs walk and climb ladders if applicable.

PreEmployment Requirements

• Physical exam

• TB test

• Background/fingerprint clearance

• MMR and Tdap vaccinations

• CPR

• Child Abuse Mandated Reporter Training

• Must provide proof of vaccination for Covid19

The hourly rate range for this position is $23.00 $24.74. When extending an offer of employment the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position the candidates work experience education/training key skills internal peer alignment federal state and local laws contractual stipulations grant funding as well as external market and organizational considerations.