Early Childhood Navigator

Growing Up Healthy Early Childhood Navigator

30 to 40 hours per week, serving families in Faribault  

Established in 2007, Growing Up Healthy, a program of the Healthy Community Initiative (HCI), works with partner organizations and Latinx and/or low-income families to transform communities through cultivating neighborhood leadership, fostering social connectedness, and collectively advocating for change within neighborhoods and systems.  

Bilingual Growing Up Healthy Early Childhood Navigators work with families who have very young children to help them overcome obstacles that prevent kindergarten readiness. The person in this role supports efforts to increase the number of children who 1) complete early childhood screening before turning four years old, and 2) enroll and persist in preschool or other high quality early learning opportunities.  

TASKS:  

Reach out to and support caregivers/parents of young children from prioritized low-income neighborhoods in Faribault  

Listen for, identify and document barriers and challenges families face to accessing preschool or early learning opportunities, and help families troubleshoot barriers to preschool enrollment and persistence. Engage families as much as possible in the process of identifying collaborative solutions

Plan and facilitate Summer Evenings in the Park and other neighborhood-based early childhood mobile hub events throughout the year to promote programs for young children and families

Work alongside Family Friend Neighbor Coordinator to recruit new participants

Support parent/caregiver education and training, including policy advocacy and also parenting skills (plan training sessions or workshops for caregivers and parents, promote training opportunities, etc.)  

Assist with preschool/early childhood program and scholarship applications

Complete home visits and individual meetings with families

Connect families with early childhood screening; follow-up with children who attend screening to support them to enroll in preschool and/or access early learning opportunities

Refer families to community resources and services; assist families to complete application forms or other paperwork (as needed) in order to receive services; follow up with families to ensure services were received

Provide follow-up connections after well-child checks with local healthcare clinics

Build positive working relationships with agency and program partners, and ensure effective, timely communication with individuals and organizations central to this work

Track data completely and thoroughly using Growing Up Healthy’s data tracking system

Participate alongside teammates in monitoring grant-funded project work plans and outcomes; support grant reporting

Participate in Making Meaning of Multiple Data Sets and other data analysis exercises and support the team’s continuous process improvement activities

Serve as an active member of the Rice County Ready for Kindergarten network

Support other HCI-supported programs when needed; remain flexible and adapt as part of the team; maintain consistent, positive communication with team members, families and community partners

 REQUIRED QUALITIES:

Bilingual in English and Spanish or Somali

Ability to work evening and weekend hours

Experience working with diverse children and families

2-5 years of experience in community outreach, family home visiting, early childhood education, individual family support, or a related field

Ability to meet the physical demands of the position, including lifting/carrying up to 40 pounds as well as regular sitting, typing, walking, standing, climbing stairs, bending, kneeling

Proficient in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word, and Excel) and Google Suite

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Highly organized with superior attention to detail

Excellent ability to multi-task and troubleshoot issues

Ability to work with minimal supervision and as a member of a team

Capable of completing work on time in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a positive attitude

Passion for equity and social justice

Willingness to maintain the standards, carry out the purpose, and adhere to the policies of the Healthy Community Initiative  

Must possess and maintain a valid Minnesota driver’s license and auto insurance and be able to travel throughout Rice County

Maintenance of a cell phone is an expectation of employment

PREFERRED QUALITIES:  

Familiarity with Faribault Public Schools and Rice County organizations and resources