Parent Educator, Head Start - Lansing, MI

Capital Area Community Services Inc.
Lansing, MI

The Capital Area Community Services Head Start Program is looking for a Parent Educator to join our team. This is a regular full time position at 40 hours per week, the pay rate is $22.29 per hour, and has summers off when pre school is closed.

CACS works toward eliminating the causes and conditions of poverty in Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, and Shiawassee Counties by providing programs in childhood education, nutrition, weatherization, housing, and financial counseling. Our ultimate goal is to provide the services and support for individuals to achieve their own definition of success and quality of life.

Job Summary

The Parent Educator creates and implements a variety of parent engagement opportunities and educational resources to help support and assist the families within the Head Start and Early Head Start program and supports the programs Parenting Curricula.

Qualifications

Education:

A credential or certification in Social Work, Human Services, Counseling or related field.

Experience:

Experience in Adult Education is required

Experience planning activities and events

Bilingual is strongly preferred

Experience and knowledge in Early Education / Child Development preferred

Position Duties/Responsibilities

Coordinates the implementation of the Parenting Curricula

Works cooperatively with all FSC staff and Family Advocates to promote all programming for parents

Seeks out and assist opportunities for parent to get basic services (i.e., employment, support services, mentoring, parent education, and continuing education)

Shares parenting experiences and can demonstrate appropriate parenting skills while facilitating programs for parents

Participates in all special activities sponsored by the Family Service Center

Seeks out opportunities in the community for parents to be involved with their children's growth and development

Recruits community volunteers to participate in various aspects of the program

Transports program participants to meet program requirements as needed

Organizes a menu of nutritious snack/meal options for parent educational activities which includes purchasing, storing, preparing, and distributing the food

Enter all parent workshops and participant attendance into ChildPlus in a timely and accurate manner to support ongoing monitoring and program planning

Maintaincomplete, accurate, and up-to-date records of family engagement activities, including literacy initiatives and book distribution

Utilizedata to track family participation and inform continuous quality improvement efforts

Promote school readiness goals by supporting parents in understanding child development milestones across all domains (language, cognitive, social-emotional, and physical)

Provide developmentallyappropriate learningactivities and materials for use in the home

Collaborate with teaching staff to align parent education efforts with classroom instruction and individualized child goals

Integrate early literacy as a foundationalcomponentof school readiness

Promote early literacy by coaching parents on the importance of daily reading and language-rich interactions

Model effective reading strategies (e.g., dialogic reading, open-ended questioning, storytelling) during home visits and workshops

Coordinate and manage book distribution efforts to ensureequitableaccess to high-quality, age-appropriate reading materials

Educate families on creating literacy-rich home environments regardless of income level

Track and document book distribution and participation in literacy activities for the Progress Report

Establishpartnerships with community organizations, libraries, and literacy programs to expand access to resources

Participates in other program activities

Other duties as required by Community Resource Manager.

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