Position Summary
Responsible for implementation of program activities taking place through home visits, parent meetings and playgroup experiences. Primary responsibilities include meeting basic needs of the children and parents or guardians involved in the Early Head Start Program.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Agency Related:
- Must maintain confidentiality at all times
- Must always represent NEICAC in a positive and professional manner
- Must attend training as requested to demonstrate a continued effort to grow professionally
- Adhere to all policies as an employee of Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation
- Attend all agency-wide trainings
- Must travel extensively within service area and occasionally out of service area
- Establish a collaborative and communicative relationship with fellow staff
- Must be punctual and dependable in completing assignments, meeting report deadlines, daily attendance is essential
Program Specific:
- Provide weekly home visit services to Early Head Start families during times that best meet family’s needs; travel is extensive within service area and personal vehicle use is sometimes necessary.
- Assist in providing educational programming/facilitation at parent meetings and play group experiences.
- Keep accurate records required by the program such as in-kind and lesson plans.
- Track, monitor and document progress of families served towards Family Partnership Agreement (FPA), the children’s Individual Child Plans (ICPs) and the Family Strengths and Needs Assessment.
- Make referrals to appropriate agencies and assist families with transportation.
- Serve as a positive model for families.
- Work with parents to strengthen their knowledge of child development through implementation of weekly activities including language skills, social and emotional needs, self-help strategies and motor skills, following the Parent’s As Teachers (PAT) curriculum.
- Provide education, health/dental health and nutrition information to those served.
- Support families in scheduling medical and dental appointments and assist with transportation as needed.
- Plan and develop, with the parent(s) or guardian(s), an individualized program for the family, promoting a climate of mutual trust and respect.
- Compile statistical reports as required/requested.
- Participate in monthly reflective supervision meetings with supervisor.
- Attend Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) meetings for children served when invited by parents or partner provider.
- Assist families to strengthen their knowledge of community resources and support parents or guardians in problem solving.
- Act as state approved Mandatory Reporter of suspected incidents of Child Abuse or neglect.
- Attend a minimum of 15 hours of in-service training each year.
Supervisory Responsibilities
N/A.
Requirements
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Education and/or Experience
Diploma in Early Childhood and one year experience working directly with infants, toddlers or preschoolers required. BA or AA in Early Childhood Education (or related field) preferred along with direct experience with infants, toddlers or preschoolers. Also, must have experience working with low-income populations or accessing community resources. Computer experience and/or training are also required.
Practical Skills
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, other employees of the organization and the general public in one-on-one and small group situations. Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percentage and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
Certificates, Licenses & Registrations
Must have a valid driver’s license and carry NEICAC levels of automobile insurance. This position is subject to Motor Vehicle Records check.
Complete a physical with a TB screening and have repeated every three years.
Must satisfactorily complete criminal records check and repeat as mandated by Head Start & Iowa Licensure requirements. Must be bondable.
Must satisfactorily complete First Aid, CPR, Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting, Universal Precautions and any other training required by HHS licensure and/or Head Start Performance Standards.
Must have or satisfactorily complete the national Home Visitor CDA Credential or a comparable certificate or credential that meets or exceeds the national home visitor’s CDA requirements. An associate, bachelor, or advanced degree that has equivalent coursework can also meet this requirement. Must satisfactorily complete the Family Services credentialing.
Must be bondable.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand. The employee is occasionally required to walk; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment
The environment varies from temperature-controlled office area with moderate to quiet noise level to outside travel.
This job description does not state or imply that the above are the only duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Employees holding this position will be required to perform any other job-related duties as requested by management. All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability.