Home Educator and Toy Maker-Manor

Job Description

Job DescriptionDescription:

Job Description: Home Educator and Toy Maker

Supervisor: Program Manager

Location: Austin

Status: Non-Exempt

Mission Statement

AVANCE walks alongside children and families to achieve social and economic justice.

Job Overview

The Home Educator and Toy Maker will provide pregnant parents and parents with children from 0 to 3 years of age parenting, and support group or individual services in order to ensure that individuals’ needs are being met. The position will perform home visits and also assist with outreach, family recruitment and retention, and other related duties. This position is also responsible for teaching parents how to make educational toys following the AVANCE toy making manual and teaching the science behind the toy.

Job Responsibilities

• Assists with the identification and recruitment of families who are interested in pursuing parenting and early childhood education, with recruitment efforts including collaboration with schools and community agencies.
• Implements designated parent-child education curriculum within the home environment or virtually in a professional manner which facilitates interactive activities with program participants. Duty involves preparing, reviewing, and modifying, if necessary, lesson plans, class lectures, and other support material for each lesson.
• Encourages participant attendance and retention. Calls and invites participants to monthly visits.
• Conducts monthly home visits with participants, scheduling them in advance. Home visits involve reviewing lesson concepts learned in class, conducting needs assessments, goal setting, providing community referrals and following up, as needed, and assessing, note taking, and videoing the use of toys and other AVANCE educational tools within the home environment.
• Meets with Parent Educator on a regular basis to discuss projects as well as progress and needs of parents.
• Assists Program Manager in developing participants’ database and maintains accurate reports, including attendance, participants’ progress, and other programmatic reporting, as needed. Cooperates with in-house monitoring and independent evaluation of program effectiveness.
• Provides developmentally appropriate learning experiences for young children as required.
• Drives AVANCE van when required.
• Makes purchase orders for class and food supplies as required and keeps proper documentation of receipts.
• Works collaboratively with other agencies to enhance services to families.
• Maintains knowledge of current parent-child education practices and community resources.
• Attends scheduled meetings, training, and/or conferences to enhance professional growth and ensure well-coordinated and effective delivery of project services.
• Screens children with evaluation tools such as the ASQ and shares the results of the assessment with the parents and PCEP team.
• Assist with organizing and planning for special events, ex. Holiday Party, Dia de los niños, graduation etc.
• Establishes and maintains an environment conducive to positive morale and directed towards achievement of the project mission.
• Ensures high standards of ethics by maintaining high standards for participant confidentiality
• Maintains a positive attitude.
• Provides special services /projects as authorized and trained by the Program Manager or Director of Programs.
• Follows the Toy Making sequence and pacing calendar.
• Prepares for toy making class by providing necessary handouts, sufficient material, and tools needed for parents.
• Purchases toy making supplies and maintains up to date and accurate inventory of supplies and material.
• Sews, cuts, and otherwise prepares toy making materials for class and maintains an exhibit sample of all toys.
• Conducts toy making lesson, shows parents how to make each toy, reviews and explains possibilities sheet, and explains the association each toy has on brain development.
• Tracks participant toy completion by using the sign in sheet.
• Keeps raw and prepared toy making material in proper storage, organized, and easy to retrieve.
• Responsible for communicating with the Office Coordinator to ensure smooth and timely delivery of toy making material from south site to north site, if applicable.
• Responsible for sharing responsibility of organization, cleanliness, and upkeep of toy making office.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

AVANCE Core Competencies

• Execution & Accountability
• Problem Solving & Decision-Making
• Communication & Influence
• Collaboration & Teamwork
• Stakeholder Focus
• Adaptability & Continuous Learning

Education

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree or at least 4 years of equivalent work experience teaching or facilitating learning for adult learners in a similar setting.

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Education, Psychology or related human services field in lieu of teaching degree.

Work Experience

Required:

• Experience working in educational, social services, or family literacy setting.
• Experience working with parents and young children
• Experience working with families with diverse cultural and economic backgrounds

Preferred:

• 2+ years’ experience as case manager, family advocate, or support specialist in a social services or nonprofit setting.
• 2+ years’ experience working with adult learners.

Additional Skills

• Must be familiar with the community and community support agencies.
• Knowledge of child development and effective parenting techniques.
• Must exhibit a willingness to assist in the personnel development of low- income families.
• Must be flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of the families and the program.
• Must be able to work in the evening and on weekends
• Bilingual- English / Spanish
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress

Travel

• Ability to travel to various sites: Dependable transportation is required daily with a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record (subject to annual MVR (Motor Vehicle Report) check and policy), current auto liability insurance and be bondable by AVANCE, Inc.
• This position can require up to 80% of local travel. The Home Educator will conduct travel to and from partner and AVANCE Austin sites as required.

Working Conditions

• Work is generally performed in a virtual/hybrid work environment (home, on site, off site).
• Noise level in the work environment is moderate to occasionally loud (examples: business office with computers and printers, light to moderate traffic, human voices).
• Standard office equipment generally used includes:
• Telephone
• Personal Computer (monitor, keyboard, and mouse) or Tablet
• Printer/Photocopy Machine
• Calculator

· May be required to operate a motor vehicle during the course of duties.

Mental and Physical Demands

Maintain emotional control under stress; work with interruptions and deadlines; walking, standing, stooping, bending, pulling and pushing, use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; occasional: lifting/carrying, pulling/pushing 10-30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Environmental Factors

Occasional exposure to: biological hazards (communicable diseases, bacteria, insects, mold, fungi, etc.). Occasional expose to weather related conditions when working in outside environment/neighborhoods and events.

ADA/ADAAA Statement

AVANCE is committed to equal opportunity in employment for persons with disabilities and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended, and any other applicable state and federal laws. Accordingly, AVANCE does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in regard to application, hiring, advancement, discharge, compensation, training or other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. Moreover, it is AVANCE’s policy to provide reasonable accommodations in employment to qualified individuals with disabilities so that they can perform the essential functions of the job, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of AVANCE’s business or would change the essential functions of the position. Retaliation against an individual with a disability for utilizing this policy or seeking a reasonable accommodation is prohibited. Individuals with any questions or requests for accommodation should contact the Human Resources Department.

Requirements: