Family Liaison

JOB DESCRIPTION OF A FAMILY LIAISON

The Family Liaison plays an integral role in the administrative team at school by creating a welcoming inclusive and supportive school environment by serving as a key connector between families the school and the broader community. Family/ Caregiver engagement in a students education and school life is a critical determinant of school success. The Family Liaison is responsible for promoting the Waltham Public Schools (WPS) mission of Family and Community Engagement; building understanding by communicating this mission to staff families and the community.

General Responsibilities:

The Family/ Caregiver Liaison promotes family wellness engagement and student academic achievement by fostering strong family/ caregiver-school partnerships and connecting families/ caregivers to relevant community and district resources. Family engagement that connects families children youth and practitioners at all levels is systemic (incorporating engagement strategies into all systems and services) and intentional (incorporating purposeful and deliberate engagement strategies).

To promote family/ caregiver wellness and caregiver engagement programs in order to support the implementation of the family/ caregiver partnership process and work as a liaison between school and home settings in the area of education child development and mental health. Provide support referrals and advocacy for all families in particular the ones furthest from these resources.

The school-based Family/ Caregiver Liaison is also a member of the Family Engagement team of WPS more broadly and will attend monthly Family/ Caregiver Liaison department meetings and other district events. This role will require some nights evenings and weekends.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Foster a culturally responsive and inclusive climate in which families from all backgrounds feel respected and valued.
• Serve as a consistent accessible point of contact for families with questions or concerns.
• Design organize and facilitate events for families and community (independently or in collaboration with admin/teachers) - grade level school-wide and/or triad events in the district. organize food entertainment speakers workshops culturally responsive activities that promote family partnership and participation.
• Link to learning - helping to create and facilitate events/workshops that help caregivers understand their childrens curriculum and learning goals.
• Transition events - design and oversee events for incoming Kindergarten new students and graduating students moving to the next grade band (elementary upper and high school) including tours of new families during the registration process.
• Provide targeted support and case coordination to families including assisting them in accessing school services navigating district systems and connecting to community-based resources such as housing employment health and counseling services. A major focus of this support is out-of-school-time opportunities including summer camp for students.
• Outreach to families who need assistance with issues leading to chronic absenteeism or excessive tardiness.

• Support families in developing and pursuing personal and academic goals for themselves and their children including monitoring progress and facilitating follow-up.

• Work collaboratively with school-based teams (e.g. Scholar Support Teams) to identify and respond to student and family needs.
• Participate in school and district family engagement initiatives professional development sessions and training.
• Collaborate with the principal to maintain and strengthen relationships with community-based organizations.
• Provide or facilitate with interpretation or translation support as needed (if applicable based on language fluency).
• Support the school administrators counselors teachers to maintain and strengthen relationships with families and caregivers.
• Collaborate with school administrators counselors teachers and support staff to identify and support students and families in need.
  
  

• Ensure that families/ caregivers receive timely accessible information about school programming operations and student learning opportunities.
• Develop and distribute newsletters flyers calendars and outreach materials.
• Maintain a presence during key school transitions such as arrival dismissal lunch and school events.
• Use district-approved tools and data platforms to inform communicate and track family caregiver engagement and outreach efforts to ensure all families are being reached.
  
  

• Utilize event management systems (Event Duty) communication systems (ParentSquare) and student data systems (Aspen).
• Support accurate enrollment and attendance tracking in collaboration with school and district staff.
• Help collect and maintain up-to-date family/caregiver information to inform services and support.
  
  

• Provide general office support and student supervision as needed.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the principal or district leadership.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Associates Degree required; Bachelors Degree in human services social work education or related field preferred.
• Multi-language is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience working in urban multicultural and multilingual settings.
• Strong organizational interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal).
• Familiarity with Waltham community resources and the Waltham Public Schools is a plus.
• Technological proficiency with Google Suite and web-based platforms; experience with and school communication tools like Aspen & ParentSquare is preferred.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively maintain confidentiality and set and maintain professional boundaries.
• Availability to work flexible hours including some evenings and weekends.
• Strong proactive and caring collaborator who values diverse perspectives and contributions.
• Full-time 40 hours.

Salary range: $65000-$80000

August 1st-June 30th (11 month individual contract)

Non- Discrimination Notice: Waltham Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race color religion disability national origin gender gender identity or sexual orientation.

Waltham Public Schools has partnered with the Massachusetts Partnership for Diversity in Education (MPDE) in our effort to welcome diverse candidates to our school system. We value and prioritize the hiring of educators who bring a wealth of perspectives and experiences to our schools and who reflect the diversity of the students we serve.

MPDE is a collaborative of public school districts with a 40-year uninterrupted history committed to supporting the interest of its members to increase the numbers of teachers of color for their schools by providing recruitment support and related services.