Family Support Specialist- Heatherwood Early Childhood Education Center

The YMCA of Snohomish County is seeking a compassionate individual who is passionate about fostering inclusive and culturally responsive programs for children and families.As a Family Support Specialist, you will be responsible for promoting and ensuring culturally responsive programs within our child care center. In this role, you will work closely with families, caregivers, and community partners to create an inclusive and supportive environment that respects and celebrates diverse cultures, backgrounds, and identities. Your expertise in cultural competency and family engagement will contribute to the overall success and well-being of children and their families.The Y is the leading nonprofit committed to strengthening the community by connecting all people to their potential, purpose, and each other. Working locally, we focus on empowering young people, improving health and well-being, and inspiring action in and across communities. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and generations, we ensure that we all have access to the opportunities, relationships, and resources necessary to learn, grow, and thriveCome to work each day knowing that what you do has an impact on the lives of the people in your community. At the Y, we invite you to develop your skills, realize your leadership potential, and discover a position that is truly much more than a job. Plus, there is always room to grow at the Y!Availability: Monday-Friday; Hours will vary based on child and family needs. Must be available for shifts between 6:30 am-6:30 pm.What you will do at the Y:This is an in-person, Full-Time role supporting our Heatherwood Early Childhood Education Center. Shifts are a combination of in-ratio classroom work, family engagement, and administrative hours. Hours and shifts are determined by child, family, and program needs. Family Support Specialists will be expected to work 35-40 hours in a combination of admin and in-program hours.This is a 2-year grant-funded position.What you'll get from working at The YFREE family YMCA membershipEducation Advance: Up to $2,000 per year*FREE training is offered for all positions & get paid while you train for your job!100% discount for dependent children in many YMCA Youth Development Programs.Free access to mental health resourcesCompetitive benefits package for full-time staff including Medical, dental, life, and long term disability insurancePaid time off (available after 90 days) and 8 paid holidaysRetirement paid at 12% annual compensation after 2 years of service (minimum 1,000 hours worked in each year)Cheery, dynamic cause-driven work environment, like no other!Flexible work schedules and a family-friendly environment.Opportunity to grow: When you work at the Y, you will be encouraged to try new things and grow your career. We have a solid reputation for hiring good people who do great things.*Eligibility requirements applyJob Duties/Responsibilities:Promote cultural competency: Facilitate trainings and workshops to enhance staff's cultural competence, ensuring they have the necessary knowledge and skills to engage effectively with families from different cultural backgrounds.Support family engagement: Foster positive relationships with families and caregivers, building trust and open communication channels. Collaborate with families to understand their unique needs, strengths, and cultural values, and develop strategies to support their involvement in the child care center.Collaborate with the Center Director to create family engagement opportunities including parent education classes and support the Heatherwood Parent Advisory Committee (HPAC) which meets once a month with guidance from the Director. Help provide tours to prospective families as well as help with orientations for new families that enroll in the center.Support classroom teachers in implementing Creative Curriculum and TSG Gold Assessment in culturally responsive ways. As well as support Parent-Teacher Conferences to ensure we are serving the diverse needs and backgrounds of the children and families in our center.Provide guidance and resources: Offer guidance and resources to families on topics related to child development, parenting, and community services, ensuring that information is culturally appropriate and accessible to all.Conduct needs assessments: Assess the needs of families from diverse backgrounds to identify potential barriers and challenges they may face. Develop strategies and programs to address these needs and enhance the overall well-being of children and families.Collaborate with community partners: Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with community organizations, cultural centers, and other relevant stakeholders to access resources and services that support the cultural responsiveness of the child care programs.Monitor program effectiveness: Regularly evaluate and assess the effectiveness of culturally responsive programs, collecting and analyzing data to measure outcomes and identify areas for improvement. Make recommendations to enhance program quality and impact.Stay updated on best practices: Stay informed about the latest research, best practices, and policies related to cultural responsiveness in child care programs. Share this knowledge with staff, families, and caregivers to promote continuous learning and growth.Qualifications:Bachelor's degree in early childhood education, social work, or a related field. Master's degree preferredMeet educational and experience qualifications established by the Dept of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF).Provide documentation of all certification and training requirements established by DCYF, including position prerequisites, current negative TB test, and portable background check.Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing culturally responsive programs in a child care or similar settingStrong understanding of cultural competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion principlesExcellent interpersonal and communication skills to effectively engage with families from diverse backgroundsKnowledge of child development and family engagement strategiesAbility to facilitate workshops and trainings on cultural responsivenessFamiliarity with community resources and services for familiesStrong organizational and analytical skills to evaluate program effectiveness and make data-driven decisionsPassion for supporting children and families and a commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for allY Culture:Build relationships with a diverse membership base in culturally responsive ways, connect members with one another and to the YMCAExhibit Caring, Honesty, Respect and ResponsibilityComplete required training and certifications within established guidelinesArrive on time ready for shift, and clock in/out within the timekeeping systemEmbrace Team Leader Core Competencies:Mission Advancement:Models and teaches the Y's valuesEnsures a high level of service with a commitment to improving livesProvides volunteers with orientation, training, development, and recognitionCultivates relationships to support fundraisingCollaboration:Champions inclusion activities, strategies, and initiativesBuilds relationships to create small communitiesEmpathetically listens and communicates for understanding when negotiating and dealing with conflictEffectively tailors communications to the appropriate audienceProvides staff with feedback, coaching, guidance and supportOperational Effectiveness:Provides others with frameworks for making decisionsConducts prototypes to support the launching of programs and activitiesDevelops plans and manages best practices through engagement of teamEffectively creates and manages budgetsHolds staff accountable for high-quality results using a formal process to measure progressPersonal Growth:Shares new insightsFacilitates change; models adaptability and an awareness of the impact of changeUtilizes non-threatening methods to address sensitive issues and inappropriate behavior or performanceHas the functional and technical knowledge and skills required to perform well; uses best practices and demonstrates up-to-date knowledge and skills in technologyPhysical and Mental Demands: The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.Physical Demands:Lead and participate in a range of activities in indoor/outdoor settings. Sufficient strength, agility, and mobility to perform essential functions of position and to safely supervise program activities. Staff may be required to move weights of approximately 50 pounds. While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to sit, walk, and stand; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; use hands repetitively to handle, feel, or operate standard office equipment; reach with hands and arms; and lift up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.Mental Demands:While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; analyze and solve non-routine and complex problems; may use math and mathematical reasoning; observe and interpret situations; learn and apply new information or skills; perform highly detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks; work under intensive deadlines with frequent interruptions; and interact with members, staff, volunteers, and others encountered in the course of work, some of whom may be dissatisfied individuals.Working Conditions: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Typically interaction with others is busy, constant, and occasionally interruptive. Work may be demanding at times. May require the ability to work irregular hours. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.Job descriptions represent a general outline of job duties, functions, and qualifications. They are not intended to be comprehensive in nature. In addition, jobs evolve over time and therefore their description may not reflect the precise nature of the position at a given point in time.The full range of the pay grade for this position is $25.60-$37.50.Our Commitment to Inclusion:The Y is made up of people of all ages and from every walk of life, working side by side to strengthen communities. Together we work to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, age, cultural background, ethnicity, faith, gender, gender identity, ideology, income, national origin, race, or sexual orientation, has the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity. Our core values are caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility--they guide everything we do.We look forward to having you on our YMCA team!*The YMCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer that celebrates diversity at all levels of our organization!