Early Head Start Advocate IV

*THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION*

Organizational Summary

Maternity Care Coalition (MCC) is a community-based nonprofit organization serving Pennsylvania and Delaware with over four decades of commitment to improving maternal and child health and early care and education. MCC’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of pregnant women and parenting families and enhance school readiness for children ages 0-3. We achieve this through direct service, advocacy, and research, in collaboration with individuals, families, providers, and communities. We envision a future where parents impacted by racial and social inequities can birth with dignity, parent with autonomy, and raise babies who are healthy, growing, and thriving.

Position Summary

The Advocate provides early learning-focused, curriculum-based home visits to pregnant women and parents of infants and toddlers to promote families' ability to support health improvement, social empowerment, and children's development toward school readiness. Services may include encouragement and guidance; direct services to identify client needs and goals related to health, education, child development, and social services; and support to help clients access needed services.

Core Functional Responsibilities

• Obtains and maintains all required credentials and certifications, including but not limited to the Infant / Toddler CDA credential (if applicable) and a First Aid/CPR license.
• Attends orientation and ongoing training sessions on child health and welfare, early learning, child abuse, nutrition, parenting, infant development, family support issues, and other training as assigned or recommended by their supervisor or other service area Coordinator.
• Maintains classroom ratios and ensures children's safety at all times.
• Maintains the cleanliness and safety of the classroom, Gross Motor Room, and Playground furniture, equipment, and materials.
• Communicates with the children in a culturally sensitive and respectful manner.
• Plans weekly lessons using the Early Learning Outcomes Framework that include activities to support the child’s individual learning and progress towards school readiness
• Engages children in age- and developmentally appropriate activities
• Assists with meal preparation in the classroom and participates in family-style meal service.
• Communicates daily with parents and staff about enrolled children's educational strengths and/or concerns, as needed.
• Utilizes a professional, culturally sensitive, and respectful approach when addressing parents at all times and during all types of communication.
• Conducts children’s assessments and screenings to determine strengths and areas of need on a timely basis (according to EHS Performance Standards) and uses this information to set goals in collaboration with the family.
• Records daily attendance, all feedings, naps, elimination habits, and daily observations.
• Conducts bi-annual home visits and parent/teacher conferences, and additional as needed.
• Routinely uses case management databases (Child Plus, SharePoint, TS Gold) and other systems, including Microsoft Office Suite.
• Encourages parent participation in all EHS events such as parent meetings, training, policy council meetings, parent orientations, and volunteering opportunities.
• Assists in organizing special events.
• Meets with the supervisor regularly, including monthly, to discuss children’s progress.

Supporting Responsibilities

• Adheres to the MCC’s security and HIPAA guidelines and ensures the appropriate handling of family-sensitive information
• Adheres to MCC’s Standard Operating Procedures
• Adheres to EHS program requirements
• Attends staff meetings (agencywide town hall, department, and team meetings) to promote communication and execution of agency goals
• Other duties as assigned within the scope of position expectations

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Understanding of MCC’s mission, vision, core values, goals, and objectives.
• Knowledge of the concepts and practices associated with community health issues, particularly with pregnant people, including perinatal care, parenting practices, and child development.
• Ability to travel in and around MCC’s service areas (Pennsylvania – Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties) to conduct home visits and community outreach.
• Knowledge of and sensitivity to issues facing the community served
• Experience in family management procedures for determining eligibility, assessing needs, identifying resources, making referrals, following up, and documenting family interactions
• Strong interpersonal skills as demonstrated by compassionate, courteous, cordial, cooperative, and professional interaction with diverse groups of co-workers, community partners, families, and members of the community
• Ability to work independently with appropriate boundaries in a work-from-home environment as needed (designated workspace, securing confidential documents, availability during designated work hours)
• Ability to effectively and accurately document case notes and family data according to established case management documentation procedures
• Demonstrates strong verbal and written communication skills 
• Ability to operate a computer and use a variety of common software programs, including Microsoft Office, spreadsheets, and customized databases.
• Ability to organize tasks efficiently and follow up and follow through with strong attention to detail
• Ability to read, write, and speak English is required
• Bilingual candidates who fluently read, write, and speak other languages in addition to English, preferred (Spanish, Burmese if applicable)

Experience, Education, and Licensure

Experience

• Three-plus years’ experience providing direct services in a community setting
• Experience working with maternal and child health issues, preferred
• Knowledge and experience with child development, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and early childhood education, preferred

Education:

• Home-Based CDA or Strengths-Based Family Worker Credential
• Associate's, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree in Public Health, Human Services, Social Work, Human Development, Family and Child Studies, Sociology, Psychology, or related field (ECE, Child Development, Infant and Toddler Studies, Special Education/Early Intervention, Counseling) 

Licensure: N/A

Other Position Factors

The other position factors described here are representative of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential tasks of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Maternity Care Coalition operates as a hybrid organization. The assigned work arrangement for this position may include a combination of remote and onsite work and will be determined based on operational needs, role responsibilities, and performance. Work arrangement expectations may be modified over time to meet organizational or programmatic requirements. Staff working remotely are responsible for maintaining a safe and appropriate workspace.

• Ability to engage in extended periods of sitting, computer work, and sustained concentration to complete financial analysis, reporting, and related tasks.
• Ability to occasionally bend, reach, lift, carry, push, or pull training materials or equipment, generally not exceeding 30 pounds.
• Possession of a valid driver’s license issued by the state of residence and the ability to successfully pass a motor vehicle record check, where driving is an essential function of the role.
• Ability to travel occasionally to attend conferences, seminars, and professional meetings.
• Ability to work non‑traditional hours on an occasional basis based on operational needs.
• Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of required post‑offer pre‑employment background clearances, as well as any additional post‑hire background, compliance, or programmatic clearances required by the organization, funders, or applicable regulations.
• This role supports compliance for regulated funding streams, including Early Head Start, through timely financial reporting, audit readiness, and escalation of material risks to executive leadership.

#IND1