Reports To: Parents as Teachers Coordinator
Supervises: N/A
Position Purpose: Parents as Teachers (PAT) is a primary prevention and parenting education program designed to serve all families with children pre-natal to age five on a voluntary basis. The Certified Parent Educator is a professional responsible for delivering all PAT services: personalized home visits, developmental screenings, playgroups, presentations, recruitment, and group meetings.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, social work, psychology, health or related field Strongly preferred.
- Minimum of 60 hrs in Early Childhood Education and/or related field or previous supervised work experience with young children and/or families.
- Strong knowledge base of Early Childhood Development.
- 3-5 years experience in working with children and families.
- Willing to work evenings and/or weekends.
- Successful completion of Parents as Teachers certification training (training provided upon being hired).
- Able to provide own transportation with reimbursement for work-related mileage.
- Strong interest in and successful experience working with children and families birth to age five.
- Strong interest and skills working with families having high risk factors.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish strongly preferred.
- Ability to communicate effectively other staff and parents in both English and Spanish strongly preferred.
Physical/Emotional Requirements: (The incumbent may be required to use the below requirements during any part of the working day.)
- Some lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling
- Some climbing and balancing
- Frequent stooping, kneeling, crouching and/or crawling
- Significant fine finger dexterity.
Generally the job requires 40% sitting, 25% walking and 35% standing. The job is performed within the USD 501 school district boundaries, client’s homes and PAT offices/playroom.
Performance Responsibilities:
- Provide personalized home visits to expectant parents and parents with children birth to age five residing in the Topeka Public School district using the PAT model.
- Provide expectant parents and parents with children birth to age five with information, research-based developmentally appropriate advice, assistance, resource materials, guidance, and learning experiences in the following areas:
- Effective parenting skills and various styles of parenting.
- Providing home learning activities focusing on the child's development including homemade toys left with the parents.
- Home learning activities including home-made toys left with the parents.
- Techniques emphasizing a positive approach to discipline.
- Effective methods of communicating and interacting with children and parents to help them develop positive self esteem.
- Strategies for structuring behavioral limits and increasing mutual positive regard.
- Strategies for developing and maintaining routines and family rituals.
- Other strategies to help structure a home environment where children and parents are encouraged to be successful and productive learners.
- Plan and organize PAT group meetings, playgroups and recruitment efforts
- Provide periodic monitoring and developmental screening for all enrolled children.
- Have knowledge of and provide referrals to additional community resources.
- Plan, organize and monitor PAT lending library and lesson materials.
- Attend and represent the PAT program at designated community collaborations/meetings.
- Maintain a caseload of families determined with the PAT Coordinator based on PAT responsibilities and number of hours worked (must be available evenings and/or weekends).
- Report suspected child abuse and neglect to the PAT Coordinator and State Officials
- Maintain timely, accurate and complete program and child records.
Terms of Employment:
12 months; salary and work year to be determined by the Board of Education.
Evaluation:
Performance of this position will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the board policy on evaluation of Support Service Personnel
Significant associations:
The performance responsibilities are not limited to those outlined in this description and may include any other responsibilities as assigned by the administrator/supervisor
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