University of Delaware
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The University of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity Employer which
encourages applications from Minority Group Members, Women,
Individuals with Disabilities and Veterans. The University's Notice
of Non-Discrimination can be found at
http://www.udel.edu/aboutus/legalnotices.html
Job No: 503505
Work Type: Staff
Location: Newark, DE
Categories: Administrative Support, Full Time
Pay Grade: 28E Context of Job:
New Directions Early Head Start is a federally funded program that
provides pregnant participants, infants and toddlers, and their
families with quality care and family services that support
families in providing the best for themselves and their very young
children in order to promote children's success and families'
self-sufficiency, through community collaboration and
partnerships.
The Child & Family Specialist will work with children &
families, providing weekly educational home visits, assisting
parents in understanding their child's development and being their
child’s first teacher. In addition, the Child & Family
Specialist will assist in identifying family resources and needs,
and families’ goals for their child and themselves.
Under limited supervision of the Program Coordinator or Child &
Family Supervisor, the Child & Family Specialist will act as an
itinerant teacher and case manager for families, providing child
activities to support children’s development, ensuring the
connection to health services, other services and referrals as
needed and providing weekly home visits. Educate families about
their child’s development and connect them with other parents.
Major Responsibilities:
- Ensure that the program meets or exceeds the Head Start Program
Performance Standards.
Support parents in developing and fostering a healthy
self-concept in themselves and their children.
Promote the philosophy of empowering parents.
Conduct Weekly 90-minute home visits with families providing
the education and child development services outlined in the Head
Start Program Performance Standards section 1302.32 3 and using the
programs curriculum and individual planning.
Act as a liaison and advocate between community resources and
Early Head Start families.
Coordinate, facilitate and plan, socializations for the child
and parent in conjunction with parents and Child and Family
Supervisor that provide age-appropriate activities that align with
the programs school readiness goals.
Help parents use activities and materials which naturally occur
in the home as learning opportunities.
Foster the view and practice that parents are their child’s
first teacher and reinforce with practical suggestions for
development.
Model developmentally appropriate practice. Assist families in
developing activities and fostering behaviors that will enhance
their children’s development.
Ensure that the necessary developmental, social emotional and
health screenings are completed within the 45- and 90-day
deadlines.
Maintain follow-up screenings as required.
Complete professional observations on every child on your
caseload and encourage parental observations.
Record observations in the Teaching Strategies Gold
developmental assessment system.
Complete developmental assessments 3 to 4 times a year, sharing
the information with parents and using the information for planning
activities.
Complete developmental, social emotional, nutritional and
dental screenings in conjunction with the family.
Create and implement individual home visit plans (lesson plans)
that reflect the childs goals as outlined by the parent and the
child observations and assessment.
Assist parents in creating and maintaining safe, healthy ,
nurturing environments in their homes.
Participate in the process to recruit and enroll program
eligible pregnant women and families with young children to
maintain maximum enrollment.
Maintain confidential records on child and family progress,
including using the programs computer software.
Prepare reports and maintain accurate and timely records as
necessary to meet all requirements of funding source.
Develop Family Partnership Agreements (FPA) based on each
family's strengths and each child's needs and record progress or an
IFSP for children with disabilities.
Assist families in assessing their ongoing progress as it
relates to the FPA or IFSP.
Participate in and support families with accessing needed
community services and resources.
Make referrals as necessary to community services.
Plan and support a smooth transition for the children &
families into and out of Early Head Start.
Support families in arranging and keeping medical and dental
appointments as required by Early Head Start and submitting all
necessary documentation.
Work to ensure consistent quality prenatal care and to support
the mother in meeting all of the recommendations for a healthy
pregnancy.
Ensure program screenings and/or assessments for pregnant women
are completed, with the appropriate follow up and/or referral takes
place.
Help expectant families prepare a welcoming and safe home for
the baby.
Coordinate and schedule appointments for health staff to visit
the newborn within two weeks of the birth, ensuring the well-being
of the mother and child as is required by the Program Performance
Standards.
Maintain supplies and materials for home visiting,
socialization etc.
Make suggestions for new materials and submit order requests
for supplies that need replacement.
Assist with long range program planning and development of
NDEHS program.
Attend training, staff development workshops and meetings as
appropriate or requested by the Supervisor, Program Coordinator, or
Director.
Positively represent NDEHS, DIEEC, CEHD and the University in
the community at large.
Provide parent transportation as necessary using NDEHS
vehicle.
Perform other job-related duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or other related
discipline, and one-year job-related experience with young
children, families or community programs or equivalent combination
of education and experience (i.e. CDA, AA and additional
experience)
- Progressively responsible job-related experience beyond an
Associate’s degree in early childhood education may be substituted
for required education.
- Position requires knowledge of early childhood development,
adult learning styles and community resources, strong written and
verbal communication skills and the ability to interact with a
diverse population.
- Must have the ability to work as part of a program team and
utilize word processing, assessment software and data systems.
- Bilingual in Spanish preferred.
Special Requirements:
- Requires successful completion of state and federal criminal
background check, child protection, adult abuse, and sex offender
registry checks, health examination and TB test.
- Must maintain Parents as Teachers Certification and Promoting
First Relations Certification once employed.
- Position requires travel within New Castle County and some
evening and weekend hours.
- Must have a valid driver’s license and a private reliable means
of transportation.
- Must maintain current First Aid and CPR certification as well
as updated Health Appraisal and PPD. In addition, immunization
required by the OHS or OCCL
- Must have the ability to lift a minimum of 30lbs in order to
move supplies and assist and pick up children.
- Frequent crouching, kneeling, sitting on the ground, and
climbing stairs.
- Bilingual preferred
Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity
The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person
on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity
or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital
status, disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other
characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment,
educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and
scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the
Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VI
and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable
statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also
prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and
sexual violence.
PI286244515
