About Us:
VOALA
Helping Our Most Vulnerable Change Their Life Stories
Volunteers of America is a non-profit human services organization committed to serving people in need, strengthening families, and building communities. VOALA provides a variety of social services to Los Angeles area communities such as Head Start programs, Upward Bound college prep programs, veterans’ services, homeless shelters, low-income housing program as well as drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Learn more at www.voala.org.
HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START
Through our Head Start and Early Head Start programs, we work with children (ages 0 – 5) and their families to provide the skills, confidence and stable home life necessary for a smooth transition into kindergarten and beyond. Children also receive a broad array of health services including screenings and referrals, maintenance of immunization schedules, nutrition assessments and follow-ups, mental health assessments as part of initial screenings, and determination if any mental or physical delays are present. Children receive health and dental services and have access to ongoing and acute and routine health and dental care. Enrolled children receive healthy meals, along with an assessment of their nutritional needs and the necessary follow-ups. Nutrition education is available for parents and incorporated into daily classroom activities for the children.
Cities served include: Carson, Commerce, Compton, Culver City, Del Rey, East Los Angeles, El Segundo, Harbor City, Hawthorne, South Central Los Angeles, Lomita, Lynwood, Mar Vista, Newhall, North Hollywood, Pacoima, Palms, Paramount, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Fernando, San Pedro, Santa Clarita, Shadow Hills, South Central Los Angeles, South LA, Studio City, Sun Valley, Sunland, Sylmar, Torrance, Tujunga, Val Verde, Valencia, Valley Village, Wilmington.
JOB SUMMARY AND PURPOSE
The Family Advocate I recruits and enrolls children into the Head Start Program, and assesses each family’s strengths, concerns, and priorities in order to provide services that improve a family’s future prospects in supporting their child through school. Using a case management methodology, the Family Advocate I will manage a small caseload of families (approx. 30-34) and assist them in all program areas, and engage families in activities that support them and their child’s development in becoming school ready.
The Family Advocate 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 cleanup, that allow the available teaching staff the ability to provide effective supervision of the children. The Family Advocate is responsible for working as a team with teachers, site supervisors, family Service Specialists and other support staff to help families make choices and decisions that will respond to each family’s unique culture, roles, values, strengths and beliefs. The Family Advocate complies with agency policies, goals and objectives.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Establish and maintain outreach and recruitment to ensure the assigend Head Start site is fully enrolled with eligible children, and monitor attendnace to ensure children are actively involved in the program.
- Interview Parent(s) to compile mandated information and documentation for enrollment and services.
- Establish each childs file; collect, maintain, update and disseminate, as needed, information and documentation pertaining to the file, observing confidentially at all times.
- Establish contact with community resources that can enhance program services.
- Manage a caseload off families and assist them in getting their needs met, establish ongoing goals that engages them in their child’s learning and future growth.
- Accurately prepare and submit required reports and administrative forms on time.
- Is responsible for taking an active role in implementation and maintenance of program governance at the site level.
- Assists families to identify and meet milestones of attainable goals. Works with the family to develop a Family Partnership Agreement.
- Initiate, maintain, and follow up with the referral process in conjunction with the family, teachers, Family Service Specialists and service support personnel.
- Attend Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting and actively participate in the IEP process.
- Prepares and submits required reports and administrative forms.
- Provide Children with a learning environment of varied activities that support each child’s age appropriate development and prepares them to be school ready.
- Steps into the role of teacher aide when Teaching staff are not available.
- Provide continuous supervision for children as per licensing regulation.
- Work with the Head Start team at the site to ensure that the safety and security of the children is the first priority.
- Facilitate and ensure Parent Involvement activities and trainings. Promote parent advocacy.
- Make a minimum of one home visit or more, as needed, within established timeline.
- Actively participate in the classroom environment with the parent volunteers.
- Establish and maintain direct communication channels with the family, program, program staff, Family Service Specialist, Administration and community members.
- Attend meetings and trainings, and continue on an educational path to meet the needs of the position and achieve professional growth.
Qualifications
REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be able to pass a fingerprint clearance, background check, including criminal history, personal references, employment and education verifications
EDUCATION:
- High School Diploma
- Some college work with a focus in Social Services, Child Development, or related field.
- Valid California Driver License or have means to other easily accessible transportation.
EXPERIENCE:
- Minimum of 6 month of experience monitoring & tracking data.
- Minimum of 3 months of case work management
- Experience networking with community partners.
KNOWLEDGE:
- Knowledge of HS Performance Standards.
TECHNOLOGY SKILLS:
- Must have excellent computer skills including knowledge of typing, emails, Microsoft office programs software use, and 10-key.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Ability to compose correspondence and reports, working knowledge of correct English grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with supervisor, co-workers and Public.
- Ability to develop and maintain central filing systems for program records.
- Strong written and verbal communication, set priorities, handle multiple tasks, problem solving, decision making, interpret data, detail oriented, accurate, analytical, organize, read/write; proficient in understanding and communication of the spoken and written English language, meet established deadlines.
- Ability to understand and follow oral and written directions.
- Ability to perform under circumstances of possible emotional stress and conflict, including dealing with un-cooperative clients.
- Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA, and other federal, state, and local standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, including meeting qualitative and quantitative productivity standards.
- Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with ADA, FMLA, and other federal, state, and local standards.
INTERPERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Dependable, collaborative, have regular/dependable attendance, be prompt, positive mindset, flexible, organized
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- BA degree Human Development, Social Work or related field.
- 12 units of Child Development.
- Direct experience working with families in an at risk Program, and evidence of interaction with culturally diverse low-income population.
- Bilingual English /Spanish (written and verbal).
- Have an invested interest in the community for recruitment purposes.
- Demonstrate S.M.A.R.T. Goal setting for families.
- Knowledge of Data system Child Plus & for monitoring purposes.
VOALA BENEFITS SUMMARY:
- Choice of 3 medical insurance plans
- Choice of 2 dental insurance plans (one plan for employee only; has no premium)
- Vision insurance plan
- Voluntary Supplemental Coverage
- Accidental Injury Coverage
- Hospital Care Coverage
- Critical Illness Coverage
- Pet Insurance
- Paid vacation time
- Paid sick time
- 10 company paid holidays
- Company funded 401a retirement pension plan
- Optional employee contribution to 403b retirement savings plan
- Life and AD&D insurance
- Programs to maintain your health and well-being
- Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) – (No cost to employee and 100% confidential)
- Company funded Short-term Disability Insurance (STDI) Insurance
- Company funded Long-term Disability Insurance (LTD)
Volunteers of America is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law
This employer participates in E-Verify as required by the federal government and will provide the federal government with your Form 1-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.
If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (OHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment.