Job Title: Home Services Worker
| Reports to: | Designated Administrator |
| Job Group: | School-Related Personnel |
| FLSA: | Non-Exempt |
| Job Code: | 5040 |
| Salary Schedule: | PG02 |
JOB GOAL
Responsible for assisting with the delivery of a variety of services to children and parents in an effort to promote parent engagement and ensure appropriate services are available to families in need. This includes promoting parent understanding of child development and encouraging parent cooperation with other staff and the community; assisting with maintenance of an outreach and delivery system that ensures the enrollment of eligible children and appropriate comprehensive services for children; providing support to families toward the fulfillment of their children's potential for intellectual, social, emotional, and physiological growth, and maturation; and assisting designated program staff in connecting with families.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assist with the delivery of services to children and families in accordance with Head Start performance standards to encourage parent engagement.
- Perform tasks involving data collection, the family partnership agreement process, interviews with parents for purposes of assessing family needs, community needs, ideas for parent group meetings and other tasks related to parent engagement.
- Implement and assist with the recruitment and enrollment process of children and families in order to maintain full program enrollment, and ensure that program attendance procedures are followed.
- Prepare developmentally appropriate lesson plans with families for weekly, 90-minute home visits that promote parents’ abilities to support the child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development; and conduct developmental screening and assessments of children, and document and share results with families.
- Select, develop, prepare, and provide parents with appropriate materials and guidance on home safety, nutrition, effective discipline, constructive play activities, and other related topics.
- Participate in planning and implementation of program activities and functions, including assisting in planning for and participating with socialization group activities, assisting with child care at program events and transporting families as needed.
- Provide, assist, and support families and designated staff with information regarding home visits, community services, resources, and family needs; and promote family advocacy; and make appropriate referrals to community agencies as needed.
- Model and provide experiences to families to support school readiness goals and promote effective strengths-based parent education, including methods to encourage parents as their child’s first teachers.
- Assist families in accessing health and developmental services, coordinate services, and work with providers of services in order to determine health, vision, hearing, and developmental screening needs.
- Provide expectant mothers with resources and information so they better understand the relationship of health and wellbeing to prenatal care, and increase their knowledge of early child development.
- Assist the family in establishing a medical home, including providing transportation to family members when necessary.
- Participate in Early Head Start case management and the intervention, referral, evaluation, and staffing process.
- Continue professional growth through an ongoing program of reading, workshops, training, and/or advanced course work.
- Maintain and promptly submit complete and accurate records as required by federal and state guidelines, district policy, and administrative regulations while maintaining confidentiality, including provide current work schedules to appropriate administrators, adjusting hours as necessary to meet family and program needs.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
- Ability to relate to and communicate with expectant mothers, infants, toddlers, preschool children, and families in ways that ensure a sense of safety and security
- Ability to travel to a variety of locations and work a fluctuating schedule to meet program requirements
- Ability to communicate effectively with all stakeholders in written and oral form, including electronic media, using positive interpersonal skills
- Ability to prepare and maintain required program records.
- Ability to function as an effective team member with co-workers and the community to build productive, collaborative relationships and to achieve program goals and objectives
- Ability to effectively use technology
- Ability to organize, prioritize, manage and carry out duties efficiently and within established timeframes
- Ability to plan and implement home-based learning experiences that promote progress across the standards described in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five, including for children with disabilities and dual language learners, as appropriate, and to build respectful, culturally responsive, and trusting relationships with families.
EDUCATION, TRAINING & EXPERIENCE
- High school diploma or equivalent
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES & REGISTRATIONS
- Home-based CDA credential or comparable credential, or equivalent coursework as part of an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree
- Valid driver license and record of safe driving
- Must maintain a driving record that meets the standards of the District Safe Driver Plan. Driver license must be maintained as a condition of continued employment
- Initial health examination that includes screening for tuberculosis
- Satisfactory completion of American Red Cross First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) course for infants and toddlers or agree to meet this requirement within one (1) year of employment
- Must maintain pediatric first aid and CPR certifications as a condition of continued employment
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- College coursework/training in Early Childhood, Social Work or related field
- Previous training and/or experience working with infants, toddlers, and/or prekindergarten children
- Bilingual
- Experience working with families in poverty
- Experience working in schools and with social services agencies
- Experience facilitating meetings with parents and other community members
- Current and former parents or guardians of children served by the Head Start program will receive preference for employment in vacancies for which they apply.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
None
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
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.While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit, talk and hear; stand and walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms. The employee occasionally lifts and/or moves up to 25 pounds. Specific vision ability required by this job includes close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Indoors and Outdoors: The worker is subject to both environmental conditions. Activities occur inside and outside.
Other: The worker is required to work in families’ homes on a daily basis, which may subject them to lack of air conditioning and other family environmental conditions that may affect existing health conditions.
MACHINES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT
- General office equipment, including personal computers, fax machines, copiers, telephones, etc. Automobile.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
Salary and benefits shall be paid consistent with the District’s approved compensation plan. Length of the work year and hours of employment shall be established by the District.
Performance of the job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the School Board’s policy on evaluation of personnel.
Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
Pasco County Schools will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to allow them to perform the essential functions of the job when such individuals request an accommodation.
