JOB TITLE: Family Support Worker (ELAC)
REPORTS TO: Family Development Supervisor
HOURS: 35 hours per week, typically Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm (in addition to a 30-minute unpaid lunch break), with the option of a flexible work week. This position requires some flexing of hours and evening or week-end work to accommodate program and client needs. There is no paid overtime provided with this position.
LOCATION: This position operates out of both the Horizon office in Northeast Calgary and the Midnapore office in Southeast Calgary, as assigned, with some community-based offerings throughout the city.
SALARY: $46,000- $50, 000
JOB PURPOSE: The Family Support Worker (ELAC) plays a key role in increasing parent confidence and competence through direct education, coaching, and role modeling within Early Learning Across Cultures (ELAC) programming. This role builds relationships with and between adult and child participants from diverse cultural backgrounds to facilitate family learning, cultural validation, and community connections.
The Family Support Worker (ELAC) works collaboratively with families, internal teams, and community partners to ensure a high-quality, developmentally appropriate, and safe learning environment for children ages 3 to 5 and their parents, using a strengths-based, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed approach. This role supports inter-cultural discussions and interactions that help families blend their existing cultural practices with strategies that promote optimal child development.
This role includes a shared onboarding and planning process with the Supervisor to establish expectations, caseload structure, and service delivery approach. This plan will be reviewed regularly to ensure alignment, responsiveness to family needs, and continuous improvement in practice.
Educational and professional requirements
- Post-secondary education in Early Childhood Development, Child and Youth Care, Social Work, or a related field is required
- Minimum of 1 year of direct work with children and families, in either a group or individual format, including work in the areas outlined below
Knowledge, Experience and skills requirements
- Discretion, tact, and the ability to maintain confidentiality to safeguard clients
- Ability to work with families from a strengths-based, family-centered, and culturally responsive perspective
- Working knowledge of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their impact on families and children, including effects on mental health and social inclusion
- A philosophy of collaboration, teamwork, and cooperation to coordinate the involvement of colleagues across the team and agency
- Self-motivated with strong self-management ability
- Strong oral and written communication skills in English
- Demonstrated effective and engaging interpersonal skills
- Strong organizational skills with strengths in prioritization and efficiency
- Ability to consider the intersections of identity, including race, gender, cultural background, and sexual and gender identity, and their impact when working with families, with particular attention to the needs of newcomer and immigrant families
- Ability to think creatively and resolve problems effectively and efficiently
Other Requirements
- Valid driver’s license and regular access to a reliable vehicle
- Updated Police Information Check and Child Intervention Checks
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Program Delivery (Parent Education & Group Facilitation)
- Provide parenting education and guidance to parents and caregivers around routine parenting concerns, parent-child interactions, and stages of development
- Facilitate inter-cultural discussions and interactions that support families in blending their cultural parenting practices with early childhood development strategies
- Facilitate psychoeducational and psychosocial groups for families to support child development and increase parental skills
- Regularly conduct developmental screenings with families (e.g. ASQ and ASQ-SE) to help educate parents about their child's development and identify service needs
- Deliver a variety of developmentally appropriate learning opportunities for children participating in programming
- Model positive parenting and respectful behavior management techniques for parents and caregivers
- Provide a clean, safe, and well-organized environment for participating children and parents
Program Planning & Coordination
- Identify gaps in group services provided and respond by exploring or developing new group program offerings
- Develop and support individualized goals and group programming in collaboration with families
- Plan program and group schedules effectively
- Prepare materials and resources tailored to each family's needs
- Responsible for the planning, facilitation, and administrative duties of group programming
- Maintaining an environment that is enriching, inspiring, and welcoming to all families
Program Monitoring, Documentation & Reporting
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of services and groups provided
- Track family progress and outcomes using program tools (ASQs) and frameworks
- Collect and input data to support program evaluation and reporting requirements
- Monitor progress on family goals and program deliverables
- Participate in team meetings, case consults, reflective supervision, and regular check-ins with Supervisor
- Submit mileage claims, expense reports, and HR documentation in a timely manner
- Submit program-based success stories and other funder required documents
Community Engagement & Resource Navigation
- Connect families to community resources and services to reduce barriers and increase support
- Collaborate with other Families Matter staff and programs to ensure families connect to any other Families Matter programs that may be appropriate
- Build relationships with community partners and service providers
- Support families in accessing programs such as health, mental wellness, housing, and early childhood services
- Participate in outreach and community engagement activities as appropriate
Team Collaboration
- Work collaboratively with internal teams to ensure coordinated service delivery
- Maintain effective communication with supervisors and colleagues
- Contribute to a positive team environment and organizational culture
- Participate in cross-program initiatives and knowledge sharing
Training & Professional Development
- Participate in ongoing training related to family support, trauma-informed practice, domestic-violence informed practice, diversity, and early childhood development Engage in reflective practice and continuous learning
- Maintain awareness of best practices and emerging trends in family support services
- Actively work toward achieving goals outlined in their Professional Growth Plan
Working Conditions
- Work is conducted in Family Resource Network program spaces and office settings, with some outdoor and community partnership locations in the community
- Exposure to group environments and family situations requiring emotional resilience and professionalism
- Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries while working closely with children and families in a group setting
- Flexible hours required to meet the needs of families (including evening & weekends as required)
- Ability to meet the physical and mobility demands of group facilitation and travel between sites
- Ability to safely drive in winter and variable road conditions, including monitoring travel advisories to plan for road and weather conditions between program sites
- This is not a remote position; regular in-person presence at assigned program locations is required
Closing Date: This posting will close once a suitable candidate has been hired. Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and as such, we encourage you to apply early.
How to Apply: If this role sounds like a fit for your skills and passion, please submit your cover letter and resume to Jenessa Taylor at [email protected] or apply through this website.
We are an equal opportunity and non-discriminatory employer and welcome all qualified applicants. We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
For more information about the Families Matter Society, please visit: www.familiesmatter.ca
