Parent Educator

Summary: The Parent Educator delivers services in BCCs Early Head Start Locally Designed Option conducting weekly socializations and individual sessions with infants toddlers and parents that is consistent with the Early Head Start programs philosophy and goals. The Parent Educator develops weekly educational activity and lesson plans to assist parents in utilizing learning opportunities improving knowledge of nutrition health and safety practices while identifying parental resources needs.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ensures effective implementation of the curriculum Parent as Teacher;
• Establishes and maintains a healthy learning environment;
• Plans and implements learning experiences that promote the childs progress across the standards described in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five and applicable state early learning and development standards including for children with disabilities and dual language learners as appropriate
• Builds rapport with children and families and promotes respectful culturally responsive and trusting relationships.
• Advances childrens intellectual and physical development including improving childrens school readiness by developing their literacy phonemic and print awareness understanding and use of language and increasingly complex and varied vocabulary appreciation of books understanding of early math and science problem-solving skills and approaches to learning;
• Supports childrens social and emotional development;
• Gathers information for assessment regarding a childs developmental progress three times per year (Desired Results Developmental Profile -DRDP) and develops individualized developmental plans to address identified needs.
• Conducts all behavioral screenings (i.e. ASQ-3 ASQ-SE2) within timeframes and completes referral and/or individualized plan inclusive of follow-up to address identified needs.
• Promotes attendance and participation in socializations and individual sessions parent meetings special events and/or trainings to ensure the full benefits of the program.
• Assists families with Family Development Agreement and in defining goals identifying and meeting milestones collecting and disseminating information and materials pertaining to local services available to families and assembling mandated background information on the family using computerized data.
• Assists health services personnel with hands-on health-related services such as vision and hearing screening processes as needed. Builds parents knowledge and ability to support their childs cognitive social emotional and physical development including promotion of emergent literacy and dual language supports and involves parents in activities to encourage parents as their childs first teachers.
• Recommends and/or completes request orders for necessary supplies and materials as needed for effective service delivery.
• Aids recruitment of families eligible for participation in the Early Head Start/Head Start programs.
• Effectively communicates and plans with other service professionals (internal and external) and/or external agencies for timely coordination of services.
• Completes and maintains child attendance health and safety checks behavioral screening and assessment records and data entry in ChildPlus per required timeframes.
• Adheres to established Standard of Conduct and ensures confidentiality and mandated reporter requirements.
• Continues with data-driven professional growth inclusive of action planning coaching and completion of at least 15 hours of professional development annually.
• Attends all meetings and trainings as required and directed.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Associate degree in early childhood education social work psychology human services nursing or related field including 12 units of early childhood education/child development core courses outlined in the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) Child Development Permit Matrix California; or a home visitor credential or Family Development Credential with 12 units of early childhood education/ child development core courses in lieu of an associate degree.
• One (1) year experience with center-based and/or home-based classroom visiting program adult learning principles and/or family dynamics including working with children and families in promoting and educating on child development early childhood education health safety nutrition and community resources.
• Possess a minimum of three (3) semester units in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler development. Parent Educators will be required to obtain a total of six (6) infant and toddler units within the first year of employment. Tuition reimbursement is available.
• Knowledge of the theories and principles of infant-toddler growth and development responsive care early childhood education and family support.
• Ability to develop strategies for helping families coping with a crisis and connect the relationship of health and well-being of pregnant women to early child development.
• Ability to determine what health and development services the family receives and work with providers of these services to eliminate gaps in service by offering annual health vision hearing and development screening for children from birth to age three.
• Capacity to use screening and assessment data to plan individualization in lessons as well as share results and plan supports in
• Ability to speak in English and Spanish required.
• Experience with Parent as Teacher Curriculum preferred.
• Experience with ChildPlus and/or Microsoft Office Suite Preferred.

Desired:

• At least one year of experience working in an Early Head Start Program.
• Experience working with children with disabilities and cognitive delays
• Previous working experience with families in planning family goals and child educational goals.
• Experience with effective communication working with parents in a multiethnic setting.

Requirements

• First Aid Pediatric CPR Certification
• Must be able to conduct home visits
• Must possess and maintain criminal background clearance.
• Must meet immunization requirements including pertussis measles and flu Covid-19 vaccination clear health exam and proof of TB clearance.
• Understanding of and ability to use technology and other agency required programs.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the job and are not meant to be all inclusive. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the job. Unless reasonable accommodations can be made while performing this job the staff member shall:

• Use strength to lift items needed to perform the functions of the job; lift 30 pounds from the floor to a waist-high table when necessary.
• Sit stand and walk for required periods of time.
• Observe see hear and respond to childrens needs emergencies and conflicts that may occur in the early education center or on the playground.
• Crouch to a childs height maintain eye contact the childs level sit on the floor and stand tall enough to reach children on the highest piece of equipment.
• Use close vision color vision peripheral vision and depth perception along with the ability to focus vision.
• Communicate effectively in English using proper grammar and vocabulary.
• Reach with hands and arms and use hands and fingers to handle objects and operate tools computers and/or controls.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Blind Childrens Center is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion national origin sex sexual orientation age disability gender identity marital or veteran status or any other protected class.