Head Start Family Advocate

Company: Neighborhood House
Location: Portland
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

Status : Full-time exempt, part-year* Location : NW Portland (Pearl) Schedule : 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM *This is a part-year position with an unpaid 9-week summer break, which begins on June 15th, 2026. About Neighborhood House Neighborhood House is a non-profit agency providing social services for children, families, seniors, and people experiencing food and housing insecurity. We have been engaging in anti-poverty work for 120 years, offering a safety net to ensure that our community has the support they need to thrive. Our Head Start Program Neighborhood House’s Head Start program provides an opportunity for participants to learn, grow, and thrive in an environment that emphasizes parents as primary teachers, a co-operative environment between families, teachers, family advocates, home visitors, and other staff, connection to community resources, and learning through child-led play. Our program is designed to meet the needs of and to provide school readiness skills to all eligible children, including those with special needs and disabilities, so our community’s children and families are stronger for life. Position Summary This position is responsible for a caseload of up to 40 participants (ages 0-3 or 3-5) and their families. The Family Advocate position serves as a liaison between home, classroom, and community settings and is responsible for partnering with families to create and achieve short-term and long-term family goals related to oral, physical, and mental health and wellness, financial wellness and security, job security, positive parenting skills, and parent-child relationships. This position provides direct support to the families on their caseload by working with them to build a foundation of resources and connection to their community. Responsibilities are generally categorized as follows: FAMILY SERVICES AND ENGAGEMENT Provide two 1-hour home visits each year Promote family engagement and support by: Establishing a positive and trust based working relationship; Working with families to establish short term and long-term goals that promote self-sufficiency and family resiliency skills; Providing information on community resources and how to access them, and follow-up with families on referral; Assisting families in recognizing family risk factors, such as domestic violence, child abuse, substance abuse, immigration matters, and housing issues and assist families in developing a plan to mitigate some of the negative effects their situations may have on them; Providing ongoing support and guidance to families as needed. Assist parents in gaining awareness of child development and positive and effective parenting strategies; Work with the family services team, parent volunteers, and other parent engagement staff to plan, implement, and evaluate parent education and engagement, and family engagement opportunities; Assist in the planning of, actively participate, and regularly inform families of Family Night, Policy Council and Family Workshop events Assist Intake and Family Engagement Coordinator in planning Policy Council meetings: Assist in coordinating food ordering and/or delivery Collecting families’ dietary restrictions Assist with childcare coordination Participate in a Policy Council child supervision rotation Perform weekly wellness check-ins with higher needs families on caseload Assist families in connecting with Neighborhood House Head Start partnerships such as ECAR, NCO and others Potential to work evenings and weekends when supporting family engagement and recruitment events such as family nights, policy council, and tabling events. HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROMOTION Assist parents in promoting optimal health and wellness of their child by: assessing medical insurance and medical and dental home status within 30 days of child beginning program and help families establish services, if needed; assessing immunization status upon entry into program and track status throughout the program year; facilitating or conducting oral, hearing, vision, growth, and nutrition screenings and assessments within 45 days of child beginning program; promoting the importance of preventative and on-going health services for all family members; assisting families in developing family health plans/goals; providing basic health and wellness education and information utilizing current science-based research; ERSEA SUPPORT Facilitate enrollment visits on average 20 hours per week during the beginning of the program year and on average 3 hours per week throughout the program year; Assist in the recruitment of children and families Directly support families when child’s attendance is a concern, as outlined in policies Attend and support with planning for recruitment events and activities CLASSROOM ASSISTANCE Collaborate with teaching team to provide support in the classroom, where needed Plan and facilitate monthly team meetings with the teaching staff of the classrooms on caseload Engage children in a positive and developmentally appropriate manner to foster positive literacy, social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills; Educate families on the meaning of kindergarten readiness and assist them with kindergarten transition information Participate in a sub rotation wherein the Family Advocate is available to sub in a classroom on their designated sub day(s) Required Qualifications: Child-Development Associate Certificate (CDA)*. With a CDA only, you will be expected to obtain a credential or certification in family services, social work, or related field within 18 months of hire. *In lieu of a CDA, if you are at Step 7 in ORO (Oregon Registry Online) AND have 4 years’ experience with 0–5-year-olds in a childcare setting you will be considered. 1 year experience working with 0–5-year-olds in childcare setting. Must be enrolled in the Oregon Childcare Division Central Background Registry (CBR) and maintain active enrollment during employment. T his position requires your own vehicle transportation, a valid driver’s license, and continuous coverage of acceptable auto insurance to complete family visits. Ability to model positive and appropriate interactions with children and other adults; Work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures and communicate effectively with those whose English language skills are limited. Communicate professionally with clients, families, service providers, community members and co-workers. Food Handlers Card, Adult and Pediatric CPR & First Aid Certification ( must obtain within 30 days of employment - cost covered by the organization ). Successfully complete a pre-start date physical exam. Benefits Neighborhood House offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, including: Generous PTO and 10 paid holidays Affordable health insurance with 95% of the cost paid by NH 403b retirement plan Company-paid life insurance. Voluntary life, long-term disability, accident, and critical illness insurance. Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free counseling

Keywords: Neighborhood House, Hillsboro , Head Start Family Advocate, Healthcare , Portland, Oregon