Early Childhood Navigator at FamilyAid

Description

FamilyAid is one of America's leading providers of solutions to family homelessness. Our mission is to empower parents and caregivers facing homelessness to secure and sustain housing and build solid foundations for their children's futures. 

We prevent family homelessness whenever possible, reduce harm if homelessness can't be avoided by housing families as quickly as possible, mitigate trauma, especially for children, and provide wraparound supports that foster long-term stability. 

We provide children and parents with a path to self-sufficiency via two-generation educational programs, housing search and placement support, and connections to vital resources they need to return to their own homes. 

Our strategic vision and bold strategies to reduce two-generation homelessness successfully served 5,000 children and parents in Greater Boston last year. New funding powers our plans to serve more families more deeply.

Our supportive, collaborative, diverse workplace of more than 130 professionals is ideal for a skilled, result-oriented professional who is driven to help children and families thrive. FamilyAid has been recognized as a Top Massachusetts Workplace by The Boston Globe and by Charity Navigator as one of the nation's top organizations working to end homelessness.

Job Summary 

Reporting to the Director of 2-Gen Resources, the Early Childhood Navigator is a thought-leader with deep expertise in the field of child development and early childhood education who is responsible for overseeing FamilyAid’s strategy and implementation of supports and services for parents and children from pre-natal through six years old. This includes creating partnerships with external agencies that support children’s physical-wellbeing and social-emotional development. Experienced, knowledgeable, and well networked with early child-related services in Greater Boston, the Early Childhood Navigator is the agency’s key content expert for services, resources and other collaterals that support the healthy development of young children ages 0-6 that are that are unstably housed. 

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Always exhibit and model strong core ethics, integrity, and accountability consistent with FamilyAid’s mission, vision and values.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for external partners working in the child development and early childhood education spaces, such as City and State Agencies, childcare providers, educational organizations, nonprofits and more. Identify, develop, and implement new strategic partnerships that expand programs and services in the communities that FamilyAid serves (currently Boston, Brookline, and Newton).
• Develop resources that support the healthy development of children pre-birth through age six and support expectant parents pre- and post-natal.
• Coordinate trainings for staff related to key topics in child development, early education, parenting, and prenatal care, serving as a key content expert to our staff. 
• Lead the implementation of developmental screenings of children and develop best practices for sharing results and resources with families. 
• Ensure that FamilyAid staff can refer and secure enrollment of clients in critical resources, such as childcare programs, early intervention services, WIC, and additional programs and services.
• Collaborate on an ongoing basis with the entire team of Navigators to grow and advance our 2Gen work agency wide.
• Assume other responsibilities as requested by the Director of 2Gen Resources, Chief Operating Officer, or President.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree required. M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education preferred.
• 5+ years of professional experience with early childhood development and/or education 
• Preference for bilingual (esp. Spanish / Haitian Creole) capability.
• Demonstrated success in building partnership in the early childhood sector. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and organizational skills.
• Possess a high degree of cultural sensitivity and ability to build positive relationships with multilingual, multicultural participants. 
• Demonstrated understanding and appreciation of a trauma-informed and two-generation approach that supports both caregivers and children. 
• Ability to work in both office and field-based settings with a diverse population. 
• Flexibility and compassion essential. 

Supervision: Director, 2Gen Resources, Chief Operating Officer

Work Schedule and Conditions: Full-time, 40 hours/week, with flexibility to best meet client and program needs. Some evening availability may be required. This is a hybrid position with 1-2 days per week required on site (typically Thursdays at FamilyAid’s main office). FamilyAid’s main office is located at 3815 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02130. 

FamilyAid Boston is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age.