Family Advocate
Job Description
GenerationEd
Job title
Family Advocate
Programs
Head Start/Early Head Start
Reports to
Center Director
FLSA Status
Non-exempt
Last Updated
March 2026
General Description
The Family Advocate is responsible for actively engaging with families of children enrolled in the Head Start/ Early Head Start program, providing comprehensive case management services, conducting needs assessments, making referrals and connections to community resources, and advocating for the well-being of the children and their families.
Required Competencies
All GenerationEd Employees
- Reliability/Dependability • Problem Solving • Customer Service
- Teamwork and Collaboration • Integrity • Initiative and Growth
- Quality and Timeliness of Work • Effective Communication
Role Specific
- Family Engagement and Coaching
- Comprehensive Documentation
- Resource Navigation and Advocacy
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Intake
- Conduct and manage the in-person application process to include all necessary documents and data entry per GenerationEd intake requirements.
Recruitment, Enrollment, and Orientation:
- Assist in planning and executing recruitment, enrollment, and orientation services.
- Adhere to the annual timeline for timely recruitment and enrollment as distributed by the
ERSEA team and PFCE Coordinator.
- Achieve and maintain enrollment goals, ensuring a waiting list of eligible children is
always available.
- Track and report recruitment activities monthly
- Consistently meet NCPK enrollment targets.
- Note: Failure to meet timely enrollment targets may affect job performance evaluations.
Student Attendance:
- Orient families to the program according to policy and procedure.
- Record daily student attendance.
- Follow up and track student absences to ensure at least 85+% ADA (Average Daily Attendance) is met as needed. As a program GenerationEd aims for 90% ADA monthly.
- Share the importance of attendance with Families
Home visit:
- Conduct home visits and contact the family as needed or required by the agency’s policies and procedures
Collaboration:
- Work closely with Teachers, Center Directors, PFCE Coordinator, ERSEA Specialists and other content area Managers, Coordinators, and Specialists to coordinate services for children and parents.
- Conduct monthly case staffing with Center Directors and Teaching staff
Emergency Assistance:
- Provide support to families in crisis situations, including making referrals to community agencies, tracking and following up to ensure services are delivered promptly and effectively.
Confidentiality:
- Maintain strict adherence to program and client confidentiality policies.
Reflective Supervision Participation:
- Engage in reflective supervision opportunities with your supervisor.
Data Management:
- Ensure timely and accurate entry of all family and child data from application to ongoing enrollment in the HS/EHS program.
- Document all required actions and events in ChildPlus daily, including applications, routine family contacts, referrals, follow-ups, and child’s health information,
Professional Communication:
- Communicate empathetically while maintaining professional boundaries, respecting parents as their child's primary teacher. Ensure appropriate communication is provided in the family’s primary language.
Meeting Participation:
- Attend meetings to coordinate services for children and families, ensuring timely and accurate documentation in ChildPlus.
Family Needs Assessment and Follow-Up:
- Address identified family needs, and document information in ChildPlus through the family partnership agreement process.
Parent Training Coordination:
- Facilitate, support, and attend parent/guardian involvement in the program. Plan and coordinate with the parent committee on required parent meeting topics.
Record Keeping:
- Maintain comprehensive and confidential records for your assigned caseload.
- Ensure all records are up to date.
- Track and monitor files
Parent Committee Support:
- Facilitate monthly Center Parent Committee meetings with the Center Director and Committee Chairperson.
- Submit meeting agendas, minutes, sign-in sheets, and handouts to the Center Director.
- Ensure all current program year Parent meeting minutes, handouts, resources, and agenda is available and accessible to the parents
Transportation Arrangements:
- Assist with arranging transportation for parents to health services and other program-related activities as needed.
Health and Dental Exams:
- Ensure each child has a current physical and dental exam upon enrollment.
- Keep all health, dental, and other required screenings, and assessments up to date through regular follow-ups.
Form Submission:
- Upload copies of required forms to ChildPlus and maintain up-to-date records of children’s health, dental, and other assessments.
File Maintenance:
- Share the responsibility of maintaining accurate files by filing, data entry in ChildPlus, and developing solutions to emerging challenges.
Transition Support:
- Assist families through transitions, including entry into HS/EHS and kindergarten.
Additional Duties:
- Perform other job-related tasks as assigned by your supervisor.
- Complete classroom, playground and bathroom sweeps with fidelity.
Compliance:
- Adheres to the agency policy and procedures, Head Start Performance Standards, NC DCDEE regulations
- Assist in completing the Family Services and Parent, Family, Community Engagement fields of the Program Information Report (PIR)
- Maintaining the confidentiality of children and family records.
- Encourage and enter in-kind into ChildPlus.
- Establishes and monitors services that ensure program quality and compliance with Head Start Program Standards
- Responsible for reporting Child Abuse and Neglect immediately by following the policies and procedures
- Adhere to Active Supervision policy
- Adherent to Agency Code of Conduct Policy
Essential Qualifications
Education and Experience:
- AA Degree or bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or related field.
- 1 year case management experience preferred; bi-lingual skills preferred.
- Experience in Social Service area or related field through internship or volunteer experience
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Demonstrated ability to exhibit professional attitudes to staff, families and children and ability to
carry out responsibilities with a minimum of supervision.
- Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively and harmoniously with others to address needs and concerns.
- Availability of automobiles during working hours and a valid driver's license and insured.
- Be willing to complete the Family Service Credential within a year of being hired.
Physical, Mental and/or Visual Demands
- Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods throughout the workday.
- Ability to lift and carry up to 35 pounds.
- Ability to bend, stoop, and perform other physical movements as required for the role.
- Ability to operate computers, telephones, and other standard office equipment.
- Frequent interaction and communication with employees, clients, and visitors.
- While performing the duties of this position, the employee may be exposed to outdoor weather conditions during occasional tasks.
- The noise level in the work environment is typically moderate.
- Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Occasional travel may be required.
GenerationEd is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals, including those with disabilities in accordance with ADA.
Acknowledgement
This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed by the individual assigned to this position and should not be interpreted as all inclusive. It does not state or imply that these are the only duties and responsibilities assigned to the position. The employee may be required to perform other job-related duties. All requirements are subject to change and to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability.
I further understand that my employment with GenerationEd is at will.
