Transitional Advocate - part time - 2025-2026

******POSITION AVAILABILITY IS CONTIGENT UPON GRANT RENEWAL******

HOURS/WEEK:         Must be available and schedule work during the hours 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM as needed

Certification Required:

Applicants must be certified by the Rhode Island Department of Education as a PK-6 Elementary Teacher, KG-8 Special Educator Elementary/Middle school teacher, or Secondary Teacher.

General Statement of Duties:

The purpose of the Warwick Community Assisting Recently Enrolled Students (CARES) Program, funded through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, is to provide positive and productive educational experiences for the children and their families who are experiencing homelessness.  The Transitional Advocate must be a certified educator who is responsible for providing a link between the families and the elementary and secondary schools that the children attend.  The Transitional Advocate will promote strong communication among the families and schools relative to the academic and social needs of the individual students.  The Transitional Advocate works collaboratively with the families to ensure that students are enrolled in school as quickly as possible.  In addition, the Transitional Advocate will assist (in conjunction with the classroom teacher) in assessing the academic needs of the students and will provide opportunities for appropriate tutoring to meet each student’s individual needs.  The Homeless Liaison/Advocate position will be funded through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act as long as funds are available.

Illustrative Examples of Work Performed:

1. Serve as a liaison between families and school personnel;
2. Assist school personnel in determining appropriate educational services for each child being served by CARES;
3. Collaborate with the classroom teacher to identify the tutoring needs of each child;
4. Provide a positive role model for each child;
5. Develop strong lines of communication between the child, parent, and the school;
6. Serve as the educational liaison between the family and the new school the child will enter (either in Warwick or another community) to maintain when possible, a level of consistency in the child’s education; and
7. Other duties, as needed, to ensure that the educational needs of the children in the CARES program are met.

Required Qualifications:

The ability to provide developmentally appropriate educational experiences for children K-12; maintain confidentiality concerning all records that relate to the CARES program; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in written form; work independently with a minimum of supervision; and develop an effective working relationship with school personnel, parents, children and the community.