Family Advocate- FSS

The Family Advocate for the Family Support Services Department is responsible for new and continuing certification of families for subsidized child care. This position will manage a caseload of families, conducting initial interviews to determine eligibility, assess parent’s work or training goals to determine appropriate level of child care to meet parent’s need, and guide them through accessing quality care options and other supportive resources within and outside of the YMCA. This position follows California Department of Education Title 5 or County child care regulations and CRS policies.

What a Family Advocate does…

Monitors and maintains program resources essential to the enrollment of subsidized child care clients by updating physical and computer files with appropriate documentation

Maintaining database and tracking information for program statistics and preparation of program reports

Provides direct services to program clients and providers to fulfill the Funding Terms and Conditions and Title 5 or county child care guidelines, including but not limited providing on-going quality assurance on program files

Conduct initial screening to determine eligibility of new and returning clients, schedule and process certification of new clients and subsequent recertification interviews

Collect work or training information; communicate with companies, vocational training programs, licensed medical professionals and other entities for purposes of verifying parent need for child care

Collect approved income documentation and use CDE regulations to calculate for purposes of determining eligibility and parent’s level of shared cost where applicable

Attend and participate in local meetings and provide input on collaborations with partnering agencies

Assess client needs for resources and information such as medical and dental care, affordable housing, career training and placement, finances and budgeting, counseling, substance abuse, parenting resources, information on children with special needs, and other needs

Provide intensive resource case management to link families to programs within and/or outside the YMCA providing support in areas of need assessed

Take active and engaged role in collaborative opportunities with Community Support Services region, the YMCA, and community partners, to expand agency’s network of supportive services

What we look for in a Family Advocate…

One to three year of experience within a community based organization providing supportive services to families, youth, and/or adults

Previous experience in a subsidized or public assistance program, California Dept. of Education or California Department of Social Services funded program highly desirable

BA degree in Child Development, Human Services or related field is preferred

Bilingual in English/Arabic, English/Somali, or English/Spanish preferred

Conflict de-escalation, active listening, and communication skills

Ability to effectively use the English language including speaking, reading and writing

Auditory ability to do extensive telephone and direct communication with program participates and general public

Strong customer service skills, sensitivity to at risk populations, and cultural competency

Strong organizational and prioritization skills, math skills. Must have Intermediate computer skills in all Microsoft Office applications and experience with data entry

This position requires sitting for extended periods of time to perform ongoing maintenance of physical and computer records

CPR/AED, and First Aid Certification, must include Adult and Child/Infant, obtained within 30 days of hire and must be from one of the following certifying organizations:

American Red Cross

American Heart Association

American Safety & Health Institute