Family Assistants

Description:

The Family Worker/ Assistant is to be familiar with all aspects of the Union Settlement Child Care Program including the Head Start Performance Standards, the program plans and all program polices. The Family Worker must have an awareness of the philosophy and goals of all programs in order to help the parents become active advocates for their children. 

Responsibilities:

Family Assistant are assigned to a center and are responsible for delivery of service to families in four component areas:

• 1. Social Services: The family worker recruits, enrolls and maintains case files for all assigned children and families at the assigned center.
• 2. Parent Involvement: Assesses and assists families in education and empowerment.
• 3. Health/ Nutrition: Maintains children’s health records and works with the center staff and consultants in the facilitating and coordinating assessments and referrals
• 4. Mental Health: assist mental health consultant or social worker in obtaining required information concerning child and/ or family

Social Services

• Responsible for recruiting and enrolling children as outlined in the Social Services component plan.
• Enrolls children ensuring that all documents are in place in the child’s records.
• Completes all parent forms necessary for the CACFP nutrition program.  Completes a Family History Developmental Plan/ Family Partnership Agreement.
• Makes a home visit twice a year to each assigned family and on as needed basis.
• Ensures that parents are aware of available resources and makes appropriate referrals for children and families to and from other agencies. Follow-ups are required by services provided by internal/external agencies.
• Responsible for maintaining current and accurate records as required by the program and for insuring their confidentiality.
• Monitors daily attendance of children in the assigned center.
• Assess crisis intervention.  Provides supportive counseling.
• Identifies and assesses family and individual needs for addressing appropriate referrals and services.
• Obtains resources and information for appropriate referrals.

Parent Involvement

• Works with center staff on planning and implementing the parent orientation and the center Open House.
• Works with center staff on planning, attending and implanting the class committee meeting.
• Works with center director on ensuring that parents are informed of all policy committee and class committee meetings, and parent education programs.
• Recruits parents as volunteers in all aspects of the center.
• Maintains parent bulletin broad and/or parent room with current information
• Works with site director and deputy director of social services on developing and distributing the center newsletter.
• Works with site director on parent designed activates and fundraiser.

Health / Nutrition

• Maintain health record and Health Tracking System.
• Works with the nurse on follow-ups
• Responsible for obtaining medical consents and copies of Medicaid cards and/ or insurance policy.
• Works with Children’s Aid Society on days of assigned screenings,
• Ensures that child and family make scheduled appointments. Including escorting or arranging escort service for children whose parents are unable to go to the appointment with their child.
• Acts as a liaison between health care providers, parents, teachers, and sure directors,
• Works with consultants on identifying and assessing children with special needs. Obtains consents from parent and organizes conferences within the center.
• Acts as an advocate for parent’s within Union Settlement and with outside agencies.
• Work with the nutritionist on follow-ups.

Other

• Attends Family Service Unit team meetings.
• Attends pre-service, in-service and other training as assigned.
• Perform necessary duties to complete job responsibilities. 

Qualifications: