Parent Educator

Job Description

The Parent Educator for School Readiness and Early Learning is accountable for providing Parents as Teacher (PAT), school transition, and/or parent engagement and leadership services for families of children, ages 0 to 5. The goal of the Parent Educator is to ensure school readiness and help families prepare their children to transition into and for pre-K and kindergarten.

A certified parent educator implements the Parents as Teachers model, emphasizing parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting and family well-being in their work with families. Utilizing the Parents as Teachers Foundational Curriculum in culturally sensitive ways, the parent educator partners, facilitates and reflects with families.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Engage in recruitment

Complete an initial and annual family-centered assessment with each family

Develop, monitor and review goals with each family

Provide personal visits focused on parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting and family well-being (including planning, delivering and documenting the visit)

Use the PAT Foundational curriculum to share research based information with families

Provide group connections to give families an opportunity to build social connections with each other, engage in parent-child interaction activities, and increase their knowledge of ways to support children’s development

Complete at least an initial and annual developmental screening and health review for each enrolled child

Connect families to resources that help them reach their goals and address their needs

Help parents and children transition to other services as needed, to preschool, or to kindergarten

Maintain and submit in a timely way all required family and program documentation

Organize and inventory supplies/materials, etc.

Participate in at least 2 hours of staff meetings monthly

Obtain competency-based professional development and renew parent educator certification annually

Participate in continuous quality improvement Qualifications

Bachelor or four-year degree in early childhood education, social work, health, psychology or a related field is recommended (or equivalent degree in countries outside of the United States). However, it is also acceptable for parent educators to have a two-year degree or 60 college hours in early childhood or a related field. Supervised experience working with young children and/or parents is also recommended. It is essential that the education and experience level for parent educators is at least a high school diploma or GED and a minimum of two years’ previous supervised work experience with young children and/or parents.

Strong communication and interpersonal skills (e.g., nonjudgmental, objective, reflective, empathic, patient, tactful)

Ability to establish rapport with families and empower them by building on their strengths

• Strong organizational and record keeping skills

Ability to work independently and be self-motivated (often in the field)

Computer skills; including web browsing, e-mail, Internet, and word-processing

Additional Information

EEO Statement:
It is the policy of Families First not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability or because he or she is a protected veteran. It is also the policy of Families First to take affirmative action to employ and to advance in employment, all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status, and to base all employment decisions only on valid job requirements. This policy shall apply to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, upgrading, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, recall, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation and selection for training, including apprenticeship, at all levels of employment. .

Families First is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to Affirmative Action and Workforce Diversity.

Families First participates in E-Verify.

Interested candidates can apply at www.familiesfirst.org