Family Success Advocate

CHS Harrisburg will be the second Center to open under the Catherine Hershey Schools organization, and is expected to open in 2024. The two-story, 48,692-square-foot building, located at the northeast corner of North 6th St. and Muench St., will include a Family Success Center, an Innovation Studio, and an experiential learning garden. The Center will accommodate 150 children from birth to age 5 and is expected to employ up to 80 employees and volunteers.

To prepare for the opening of CHS Harrisburg in 2024, teachers and staff will receive pre-opening professional development, coaching, training, and team building through the CHS Development Program. This is a unique opportunity for early childhood professionals to expand their knowledge, grow their careers, and launch a child-focused state-of-the-art early learning center.

The Family Success Advocate is passionate about nurturing, educating, and empowering children and families in social and financial need to lead fulfilling and productive lives. The Family Success Advocate is expected to engage, equip, and empower families of children attending the Center. This family liaison is responsible for supporting the implementation of family engagement policies, procedures, and strategies, engaging families, and assisting them in admissions activities by working as a case manager. This individual will work to incorporate family feedback to enhance the family engagement experience. The Family Success Advocate will act as a liaison between the Center and families, reporting directly to the Family Success Manager, and working closely with other Family Success Advocates, and families to ensure that questions about the education, health, and safety of their children are answered. Starting salary is in the range of $42,434 - $56,650 a year, based on expertise.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborating with the CHS Central Office enrollment / family engagement team and implementing CHS family engagement policies, procedures, and strategies
• Using a Student Information System to track family engagement objectives and milestones
• Representing CHS to parent groups and individuals away from the CHS center
• Assisting families in all aspects of the enrollment process
• Understanding family needs and helping families navigate the system of applying for services like transportation, food, clothing, etc.
• Pointing families to community resources and family events at CHS
• Leveraging impactful communication tools to deliver effective communications supporting healthy relations between parents, children, and CHS
• Conducting home visits and family meetings to identify concerns
• Researching initiatives to support families and enable child success
• Supporting child retention by developing successful relationships with families
• Working beside a team of other Family Success Advocates to collaborate and implement best practices
• Remaining updated of developments in the fields of family studies and child development
• Developing individualized plans for each family in need, understanding how different experiences (culture, traumas, etc.) should impact the treatment approach
• Aiding the Family Success Manager in training efforts between CHS and families
• Planning family engagement events and activities such as and family-oriented initiatives
• Implementing a system of feedback loops and gap resolution around family and community engagement
• Reinforcing best practices in building strong relationships with families, children, and community partners
• Assisting in the orientation and adjustment of newly enrolled children
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Family Studies, Human Development, Counseling, Psychology, or related field
• Coursework in some of the following: child development, group counseling, educational counseling, resiliency training, case management, non-profit, behavioral management, crisis intervention, and family systems
• 3 years of previous experience in family and/or community engagement
• Valid PA Driver’s License
• Certification in counseling, education, or mental health (preferred)
• Responsible, enthusiastic, and cares about working for a mission-focused organization
• Demonstrated understanding of and ability to effectively work with low-income families (preferred)
• Willingness to be held accountable and receive feedback
• Comfortability with technology including MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and/or willingness to learn
• Commitment to the mission and values of CHS and MHS and demonstrated high degree of integrity as all MHS and CHS staff are considered to be role models for students
• Ability to work with a team as well as skills in mediation and negotiation
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities
• Ability to proactively identify problems and implement solutions
• U.S. work authorization and successful completion of pre-employment background checks and clearances