1 Current opening!

Are you a socially conscious, dedicated individual who is committed to building a better future for children, families, and communities? If so, join us as we support impactful programs across Escambia County and northwest Florida to create positive outcomes for children and families served. We are looking for a credentialed professional with a background in social work and family outreach. The ideal candidate will be a mission-minded leader who puts the needs of families first and does what it takes to help every single family we serve build a better life. If you’re up for the challenge, apply today.

  • Open Date: November 16, 2023
    **Open until filled
  • Salary: $19.08 per hour / 40 hours per week / 52 weeks per year
  • FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt – Benefits Eligible
  • Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish is preferred for this position

Overview: Reporting to the FCE Coordinator, the Family Advocate will work as a member of a team whose primary role is to engage families to promote children’s healthy development and school readiness. The Family Advocate uses knowledge of the principles of family engagement to support families in their roles as their child’s primary educator, encourage parent/child interactions that promote children’s school readiness and healthy development, and enhance family well-being. In this role, the Family Advocate takes the lead to build social networks among families to promote self-sufficiency / self-sustainability and to enhance family leadership and advocacy skills.

This position is established to strengthen our Head Start program’s ability to expand family engagement strategies that will create a sense of belonging and shared community among families, with the goal of enhancing the relationships and support that families provide to one another in their shared aspirations for their children and themselves.

This position may involve reassignment of caseload and/or center location as deemed necessary for program operations. including specific strategies for father engagement. Additionally, the Family Advocate in communications with the Center Director will:

  • Develop relationships with parents and structure services to encourage trust and respectful, ongoing two-way communication between staff and parents to create welcoming program environments that incorporate the unique cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds of families in the program and community.
  • Collaborate with families in a family partnership process that identifies needs, interests, strengths, goals, and services and resources that support family well-being, including family safety, health, and economic stability.
  • Provide parents with opportunities to participate in the program as employees or volunteers.
  • Conduct family engagement services in the family’s preferred language, or through an interpreter, to the extent possible, and ensure families have the opportunity to share personal information in an environment in which they feel safe.
  • Participate in outreach, recruitment, and attendance follow up activities to engage families in our program, and to motivate their active participation
  • Engage families in the Family Engagement Contract process in order to build relationships and shared accountability for promoting children’s development
  • Individualize family engagement and relationship-building to be appropriate to families’ cultural context, as well as respectful of family circumstances
  • Engage families in individualized, in-home, and group experiences to enhance parent/child interactions that research shows foster school readiness through consistent family routines, positive guidance and discipline, experience-rich home environments, and literacy activities
  • Utilize in-classroom time and home visits to build a deeper understanding of the relationship between children’s development and their home environments; as well as to model and coach families in positive parent/child interactions

Work in conjunction with Center staff and families to plan and conduct a wide variety of family engagement activities that provide opportunities for families to support one another, including, but not be limited to the following:

  • Closing the Achievement Gap workshop series, activities, and campaigns that promote children’s school readiness
  • Self-Sufficiency Sector Groups
  • Monthly Family Engagement Network Meetings
  • Work side by side with health, early learning and disabilities and other members of the family engagement team to support families to be fully engaged in all aspects of our program
  • Develop effective communication and collaborative strategies with teaching teams to encourage family engagement in home learning activities, including individualizing activities based upon family interests and children’s developmental status
  • Establish and maintain working relationships with community partners to strengthen access to resources and training identified as priority goal areas by families
  • Establish and maintain accurate records as deemed necessary in each child’s electronic and hard copy file Document efforts to assist families to identify their strengths, needs, and goals through completion of Family Self-Assessment, Family Partnership Agreement, and case notes.
  • Record, monitor, and follow up on clinical counseling provided referrals for support services and outcomes.
  • Complete summary documentation of case conference and case consultation meetings
  • Submit reports as needed and requested, such as monthly summary tracking reports, etc.
  • Monitor and maintain up to date PIR data

Education and/or Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or a related field is required. Experience working with low-income children and their families in a preschool setting. Fluent in English and Spanish is preferred for this position.

Applicants must meet all the Office of Head Start and the Department of Children and Families requirements for employment.

Interested applicants, please complete and submit an employment application (resumes may be attached) at www.capc-pensacola.org by the closing date.

For more information, contact Deborah Nagle, HR Director at (850)438-4021 or email d.nagle@capc-pensacola.org.

The Community Action Program Committee, Inc. is an EOE; participates in E-Verify; and Advocates for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion