POSITION TITLE Home Visitor

DEPARTMENT Early Head Start

LOCATION Takoma Park, Maryland

SUPERVISOR Family Support Supervisor

PRIMARY PURPOSES OF JOB
Responsible for the planning and implementation of the program’s educational approach in the context of the home and during group “socialization” experiences to promote and support the role of the parent as their child’s primary teacher. Also collaborates with families in assessing their family needs and strengths and in providing case management to assist families in accessing family services and support. Home visitor participates in program recruitment, enrollment and attendance efforts for all Early Head Start children. Work closely with families and other program staff to ensure all health, nutrition, mental health, and disabilities service requirements are met in an effective and timely manner.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Conduct weekly 90-minute home visits to young children and their families and facilitate group “socialization” experiences and other family group activities.
• Design and implement with parents an individualized curriculum in the context of the home and during group “socialization” experiences for all enrolled children based on ongoing observations, screenings, assessments, and parent’s desires.
• Utilize all CentroNía required screening and assessment tools and performance standard guidance to address child health, nutrition, and development and provide effective follow-up on information gathered.
• Monitor and educate parents with respect to children’s health status, including medical follow-up, physical health, dental health, mental health, and nutritional intake.
• Complete documentation of home visits, socialization experiences, and other relevant activities in a timely manner and maintain confidentiality of family records and information.
• Plan individual activities to stimulate learning, according to ages of children and that foster independence, trust and emotional security.
• Provide opportunities with support and guidance for each child to explore a variety of sensory and gross motor and fine motor experiences.
• Implement instructional activities including indoor and outdoor experiences that promote and support emerging communication skills, creative arts, social emotional and physical development and positive approaches to learning.
• Implement and assist in evaluating a family service program which includes: family needs and strength assessment, family action planning, referral, direct service, follow-up and closure, particularly in the areas of job training/placement and literacy.
• Implement comprehensive family services and support that include referral, outreach, and recruitment to community agencies, and volunteer services to ensure that families identified as high risk access needed services and develop needed support systems
• Collaborate with families to establish family development goals, and document this collaborative process in family partnership agreements and provide education and support services to families.
• Provide management, crisis intervention, and resource referral services and transport family when appropriate to and from community resources or other activities.
• Act as liaison and advocate between community resources and Early Head Start families.
• Promote and support the role of the parent as their child’s primary teacher and foster the attachment between them.
• Involve parents in educational activities of the program to enhance their role as the principal influence on the child’s education and development and assist parents to increase knowledge, understanding skills, and experience in child growth and development.
• Encourage parent participation in parent groups at the center and provide opportunities for parents to use their skill and talents in the classroom.
• Assist in organizing family conferences, participate in child study teams, case conferences, inter- agency conferences, and IFSPs.
• Promote high quality interpersonal communication between children, families, peers, support/management staff, and community services/schools and community helpers. In bilingual settings, communicate both verbally and in writing, with both the parents and the children in their language when possible.

REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
Bachelors or Associates degree in child development, education, social sciences or related field and at least 2 years’ experience working with children and families in a human service setting. Bilingual English/ Spanish is strongly preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS
Non-profit community based organization, bilingual Spanish/English environment

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability, it is necessary to specify the physical, mental and environmental conditions of the Essential Duties of the job. The following codes are used to explain the frequency of physical activity:
"F" for frequently; "O" for occasionally; "N" for not at all

On the job the employee must be able to carry/lift loads of:
( F ) Light (up to 25lbs.)
( N ) Moderate (25-50lbs.)
( N ) Heavy (over 50lbs.)

On the job the employee must:
( F ) Bend ( F ) Sit ( F ) Squat and Kneel ( F ) Stand
( O) Crawl ( F ) Walk ( F ) Climb ( F ) Push/Pull
( F ) Handle objects (Manual Dexterity) ( F ) Reach above shoulder level
( F ) Use fine finger movements (F) Talk and hear when working with officials, managers, colleagues, peers on the telephone or in person. (F) Specific vision abilities including close vision and distant vision.
*Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable any qualified person with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job.
To carry out this job an individual must be able to perform all essential functions of the job satisfactorily.
To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter and references; indicating the position you are applying to:
Human Resources Department at CentroNía at:
1420 Columbia Road, NW, DC 20009
centroniajobs@centronia.org
Fax (202) 745-0154
“Educating children and youth, and strengthening families, in a bilingual, multicultural community.”
CentroNía is an equal opportunity employer