Family Support Practitioner, Early Years

Posted on: Mar 27, 2025

Posted by: Strathcona County

Summary

The Family Support Practitioner plays a key role in supporting families with young children by promoting healthy child development and strengthening parenting skills that address and mitigate risk factors that impact family functioning. This position works collaboratively and in partnership with colleagues, community agencies and participants to support opportunities to build natural and formal networks of support and connection.

This role primarily works with families in their homes providing targeted and intensive services. Family Support Practitioners also support children, parents, caregivers and families through various formats, including group sessions, community outreach, and drop-in programs. This role will also connect with families through phone calls, emails, and virtual sessions to ensure accessible and responsive support.

Key Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Build trusting relationships with families to support their well-being
Provide standardized screening, parenting scales and tools, to assist participants in improving family function and child development outcomes
Identify risk factors, conduct safety screenings related to family violence and mental health concerns, completing safety plans when applicable
Collaborate with other early childhood professionals, community agencies and other service providers to identify gaps in services and ensure families have access to the resources they need
Plan and facilitate skill-building and knowledge transfer opportunities for parents and caregivers through workshops, one-on-one coaching, and community presentations to promote health, wellbeing and resiliency
Assess family strengths and needs to help create goals and strategies that enhance parenting capacity
Maintain accurate documentation and adhere to professional standards in case management, ethics and supervision

Requirements

Qualifications and Skills:

University degree in Social Sciences (Human Ecology, Social Work, Child and Youth Care, Early Childhood Development, Education, etc.)
Minimum of 3 years of experience in the areas of child and youth development, parenting support, adult education and community development
Extensive knowledge about child development and parenting strategies
Completion of core Home Visitation training (eg. Health for Two, Circle of Security, PICCOLO, Integrated Strategies, Family Violence Protocol, ASQ/ASQ-SE, Triple P) is an asset
Intermediate (Standard) First Aid Level C CPR certification is an asset
Broad based knowledge of community resources and experience assisting with supported referral and navigation through complex systems and processes
Experience using risk assessments, mental health screens, parental scales and developmental screening tools is required
Well versed in brain science, normative child development, adverse early childhood experiences (ACES), ecological perspectives and importance of play in growth and development
Familiar with the Government of Alberta’s Well-being and Resiliency Framework, the Family Resource Networ model, and Child,Youth and Family Enhancement Act
Strong attention to detail and the ability to quickly process and synthesize large volumes of information in a fast-paced environment
Ability to apply creative and innovative solutions to support families and caregivers
Strong proficiency in case note documentation, data collection, and reporting, ensuring accuracy and compliance with program and funding requirements, while effectively using databases and Microsoft Office Suite to manage and organize information

Conditions of Employment:

Submission of a Satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Check and Child Intervention Record Check
Valid Alberta Class 5 Driver’s license and submission of a 5-year Driver’s Abstract with less than 7 demerits
Ability to perform physical labour as part of the job duties including lifting 20 lbs.
Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule, including daytime, evenings and weekends

Job Type

Full Time

Employer Contact

No employer contact listed.

Salary Range

$81,863.60 - $102,338.60

Closing Date

April 20, 2025

Posting ID: 31358

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