Family advocates are responsible for wrap around services for all Meriden YMCA Head Start students and their families. The family advocate is responsible for the recruitment and enrollment of new students, home visits, files maintenance, and record keeping of each student. Family advocates educate families through family service workshops, open houses, and home visits.Essential responsibilities include:Developing and maintaining relationships with families, serving as their primary point of contact, and encouraging family involvementAssessing family needs, identifying strengths and areas of need, and helping families address their needsAccessing and sharing resources for families, and assisting with referralsContributing to parent education activities, and helping families with their child's educationImplementing protocols to address barriers to children's attendance, and assisting families with scheduling appointmentsParticipating in program planning, implementation, and evaluation, and helping to identify families and children in needMaintaining program governance files, and providing data for the annual Program Information Report

Identifying barriers to housing stability and strengths that can help people achieve their goals Collaborating with participants to develop goal-oriented plans to achieve permanent housing Offering coaching, resources, and referrals to help participants achieve their goals Representing participants to ensure they receive the services they need Working with participants to find appropriate housing and assist with applications and leases Learning about participants' needs and goals, and keeping communication openKeeping detailed case notes and reports on participants' progress Attending weekly case management and program meetings