Home Based Educator - Bilingual Spanish

At Easterseals of Chicagoland and Greater Rockford, we are committed to two – often interconnecting - pillars of work……early learning and disability. Through these pillars, we transform the lives of early learners and individuals of all abilities through access to expert educational, family, and community support. As an affiliate of America’s largest nonprofit health care organization, we have proudly served the communities and families of Chicagoland and Greater Rockford since 1936.

For more information about our organization, please visit us online at www.eastersealschicago.org.

Under the direction of the Home Based Manager, the Home Based Educator - Bilingual Spanish delivers the full range of Early Head Start services – Education, Inclusion, ERSEA (Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance), PFCE (Parent, Family and Community Engagement), and Health and Nutrition – through weekly home visits to enrolled families and twice monthly group socializations throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs.

This role is ideal for someone who has respect for children and families with diverse values and cultures and is passionate about achieving positive child and family outcomes through high-quality engagement.

This position is headquartered at Easterseals Chicago Location at 1939 W 13th Street, Chicago, IL 60608.

MAJOR FUNCTIONS/ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Build trusting relationships with families, facilitate parent-child interactions, and support parents in their role as their child’s first and primary teacher.
• Maintain a fully enrolled caseload of 12-14 EHS children/pregnant women (12 families maximum) through ongoing recruitment and by following the eligibility, selection, acceptance, and enrollment process; fill vacancies within 30 days.
• Provide one 90-minute home visit (add ½ hour for each additional enrolled child) per week per family and provide a minimum of 46 visits per family per year.
• Integrate all Early Head Start components during home visits (early childhood development, disabilities/inclusion, mental health/social emotional, health, nutrition, and dental health, parent/family engagement and social services).
• Utilize Parents as Teachers (child/family curriculum) and My Teaching Strategies online system (ongoing assessment tool).
• Plan and evaluate with parents the activities for home visits and group socializations based on each child’s assessment and identified family needs.
• Generate developmentally appropriate individual lesson plans and facilitate parent’s implementation of lesson plan with their child at home visits.
• Complete ASQ and ASQ-SE screenings, observations, and MTS checkpoints within designated time frames.
• Share screening results with parents and conduct re-screenings, referrals, and follow-ups as needed.
• Accompany and support families at IFSP/IEP meetings and through the process of enrolling their child in services; support parents in advocating for their goals for their child.
• Utilize child outcome data to guide lesson planning and developmentally appropriate activities.
• Utilize IFSP/IEP to support children with disabilities.
• Work with parents to ensure that enrolled children maintain remain up-to-date on well-child visits, physicals, immunizations, EPSDT-required screenings, vision and hearing, heights and weights, and dental exams; follow up with families and doctors’ offices as needed.
• Provide social service/health/nutrition resources and referrals to families as per Family Partnership Agreements.
• Work with Social Emotional Specialist/Consultant and Nutritionist to identify specific children/parents needing social emotional and/or nutritional supports and assist with follow up with families.
• Coordinate with Health Manager to provide a two-week postnatal visit to mother and child.
• Recruit parents to participate in program-level Parent Committees and agency-wide Policy Council.
• Plan and provide 22 group socializations over the course of the program year.
• Collaborate with parents, Head Start centers, and other community preschool programs to transition children to Head Start or other preschool programs at age 3.
• Maintain complete and accurate records in the ChildPlus system.
• Maintain complete and accurate child/family binders.
• Utilizing ChildPlus, implement tracking to ensure required timelines are met.
• Submit all required paperwork accurately and in a timely manner, attend all required meetings, and maintain Outlook calendar.
• Participate in Enrollment/Recruitment Campaign, annual self-assessment, community assessment, and PIR.
• Develop linkages with community organizations.
• Contribute to the achievement of Program Goals and School Readiness Goals and promote a culture of safety.
• All other duties as assigned.

Education/Certification:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in ECE or child development with 6 credit hours in infant toddler coursework

• Associate’s degree in ECE or child development with 6 credit hours in infant toddler coursework plus a minimum of 1 year experience in early childhood education or social services

• Degree in social work, human services, or a related field with 6 credit hours in infant toddler coursework plus a minimum of 1 year experience in early childhood education or social services

• Home Based CDA, Infant Toddler CDA, or Gateways Infant Toddler Credential Level 2 plus a minimum of 1-3 years experience in social services or early childhood education

Experience Required:

• 1 year home visiting experience preferred
• Bilingual ability Spanish Preferred
• MS Office

Vehicle/Transportation Requirements:

• Valid driver’s license.
• Auto insurance, safe vehicle.
• Reliable vehicle.

Skills/Abilities:

• Able to establish rapport and build trusting relationships with families.
• Demonstrates a non-judgmental, compassionate, and culturally sensitive approach to working with families.
• Demonstrates a communication style that is open, adaptable, reflective, engaging, honest, and culturally sensitive.
• Ability to visit families in home and community settings, and to work flexible hours, including evenings, to meet family needs.
• Ability to engage in reflective learning practices and to utilize constructive feedback in order to inform work with families.
• Ability to work well with all levels of the organization, partner sites, other agencies and funding source personnel.
• Demonstrates the ability to conceptualize and articulate program outcomes.
• Ability to manage multiple projects.
• Well organized, highly detail oriented and accuracy driven.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

ADA: Easterseals will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. Unless exempted by the Americans with Disabilities Act, all persons hired for this position are required to possess the ability to perform the physical tasks necessary to treat clients, i.e., bending, floor-sitting, etc., as well as to have the ability to lift up to 50 pounds frequently.

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