Youth Education Specialist in Early Childhood Support Services

Job Overview:

This position is responsible for providing comprehensive support to families with children 0-5 years old, as well as school-aged children, to navigate early childhood education (ECE) services and school enrollment processes. Responsibilities include conducting intake and assessments, supporting referrals, and providing direct services to families and children, including transportation as needed. This role involves building partnerships with ECE programs, schools, and community organizations, as well as facilitating parent engagement and education sessions. The position will also assist with public benefit applications, including CCAP, WIC, and Special Education services, ensuring holistic support for children and families. During summer breaks, this role will also support school-aged children with summer school enrollment, IRC Youth Summer programs, and Back to School events.

Major Responsibilities:

Early Childhood Education (ECE) & Family Engagement Casework

• Receive and respond to referrals from IRC staff and school partners for families interested in ECE and youth programs.
• Conduct intake and assessment of family and child support needs, and support school orientations for both ECE and school-aged children.
• Engage parents in events and workshops organized by schools, districts, and IRC, advocating for the best interests of families and ensuring parental rights to language justice.
• Support families with Special Education services, McKinney Vento, CCAP, WIC benefits, and other community resources, using interpretation services as needed.
• Provide in-home ECE sessions on child development, supervision, and related topics.
• Coordinate donations and distributions specific to children 0-5 through community partnerships.

School Enrollment & Support

• Maintain relationships with district and school personnel for school enrollment, integration support, and other services.
• Facilitate school orientation sessions at the IRC or client homes to provide families with necessary school preparation information.
• Support the enrollment of students into summer school opportunities, afterschool programs, IRC Youth Summer programs, and Back to School events.
• Advocate for families to ensure smooth transitions into school systems, addressing language barriers and cultural considerations.

Youth Program Support

• Co-facilitate parent engagement programs to encourage parent and caregiver involvement in school and community activities.
• Support the implementation of IRC youth programming during school breaks, ensuring smooth operation and engaging families in the process.
• Help complete necessary reporting on program activities, tracking participant data, attendance, and other outcomes in ETO and/or Geneva databases.
• Supervise volunteers and interns within IRC’s youth programs as needed.
• Participate in youth program meetings, staff development, and team activities to ensure cohesive program delivery.

Job Requirements:

Work Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years of related professional experience in youth case management, family engagement, early childhood education, childcare, or youth development.
• Experience navigating public benefits applications for low-income families, ECE services, and school enrollment processes.
• Experience working with refugee and/or immigrant populations and cross-cultural or overseas experience.
• Experience working with English Language Learners preferred.

Demonstrated Skills & Competencies:

• Superb organizational, planning, time management, and logistical skills.
• Strong decision-making capabilities and ethical judgment consistent with IRC values.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), relational databases, and internet applications.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team in a fast-paced environment.
• Fluency in written and spoken English; fluency in additional languages spoken by current refugee populations a plus (e.g., Dari, Pashto, Arabic, Ukrainian, Spanish, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Rohingya, Sudanese Arabic).
• Willingness to obtain Car Seat Technician Training and First Aid & CPR certification.
• Must have a valid driver’s license, current auto insurance, and be comfortable driving clients in a personal vehicle or 12-passenger van.

Working Environment:

• The majority of time in community-based locations and client homes to perform the above responsibilities in the service area.
• Flexibility in hybrid work schedule, with minimum 3 days in person.

Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $143 per month, dental starting at $6.50 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.