Child Development Specialist

Supervises: N/A

Home Start’s vision is for every child to have a safe, stable, and nurturing home. Guided by our mission to assure the safety and resiliency of children by strengthening families and their communities, Home Start, Inc., a non-profit child abuse prevention, and treatment agency has strengthened and developed San Diego’s families and communities since 1972.

Job Summary: Responsible for providing childcare and child development screenings, assessments, and coordination for children between the ages of 0-5 in the housing programs. Implementation of developmental intervention sessions with clients and children ages 0-5. Responsible for facilitating groups and utilizing and implementing the SafeCare curriculum.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Conducts developmental screenings for all children 0-5 in house consistent with program requirements. Plan, supervise, and implement age appropriate programs and activities for individual early intervention of children.

• Assists parents set goals and plans of action pertaining to their children’s development.

• Provide educational information to parents regarding their children’s development.

• Maintains effective communication with parents.

• Provides services to clients including, but not limited to supportive counseling, crisis intervention, mentoring, and parent education.

• Completes weekly groups with housing residents based on parenting education. Oversees the supervision of childcare during the groups. Provides engaging and enriching curriculum for residents based upon all different learning styles and education level.

• Guide interns and students working with the children and families.

• Demonstrate familiarity and acts in accordance, with established safety regulations, policies and procedures.

• Provides support to families in identifying and obtaining community resources.

• Maintains a flexible working schedule to accommodate resident’s schedules and needs.

• Ensures accurate and timely collection and reporting of data to contract specification for evaluation

• through the maintaining of monthly reporting, data entry and timely case records documenting all services provided

• Assures security of confidential information and materials.

• Attends agency, program and collaborative meetings as assigned.

• Attends and participates in training as appropriate.

• Participate in weekly individualized supervision with Housing Manager which focuses on areas of responsibility and boundaries, discussion of the housing residents and their progress in the program, any quality or performance issues, problem solving, and individual skill building.

• Participate in weekly Housing Team Meetings which focuses on identifying challenges, barriers and effective techniques in providing services to participants and achieving outcomes, coordination of housing services with other programs.

• Supervises children at various developmental stages in a group play setting while mother’s are working

• Assists in developing and implementing daily child care curriculum based on children’s developmental needs

• Provides updates on children’s behaviors and skills to parent upon pick-up