Are you interested in making a difference in individual infant and toddler development at home?
Come join Opportunity Council as a Home Educator!

Our Home Educators provide weekly home visits to low-income pregnant women, parents/guardians, and children ages birth to three to support the child's healthy growth and development!

Through our Early Head Start program, Home Educators provide comprehensive early childhood and case management services, including child development, physical and mental health, nutrition, and social services, in order to support a child's healthy growth and development and the development of positive attachments between the child and their parents/primary caregivers. Home Educators also make referrals for families to necessary community resources, and support the creation and implementation of a family partnership plan to address a family's goals for themselves and their child. Home Educators are part of a five-person supportive and collaborative team but perform most of their duties and responsibilities independently during home visits throughout Whatcom County.

A Home Educator:

Opportunity Council's Early Head Start program is designed to support families as the first and most important teachers of their infants and toddlers because we know that every parent wants the very best for their child. We are a trauma informed, strengths-based, equity-focused program committed to promoting parent-child bonding and nurturing parent-child relationships, and we work to maintain an open, friendly, and cooperative relationship with each family.

Experience and Skills Requirements:

• Experience/Education in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Adult Education/Development,or Child Development Associate-Home Visitor Infant/Toddler credential.
• Experience with infants/toddlers in a child development setting, including classroom experience and experience working with parents regarding on a child's goals and objectives.
• Value and consider perspectives, backgrounds, and uniqueness of all employees and clients, work effectively with diverse cultures and populations, demonstrate nonjudgmental respect for other perspectives, operate with a fundamental trust in others.
• Manage interpersonal interactions to provide service and support to clients with kindness and empathy.
• Effectively communicate information through verbal and written communications, presentations, trainings, and meetings. Facilitate meetings and discussions, listen actively and empathetically to the views of others, and present issues in a clear and concise manner.
• Exhibit behaviors consistent with and conforming to positive team-based culture.
• Integrate and maintain ethical behavior, good judgment, integrity, and accountability. Act as an ethical role model and positive influence for employees.
• Manage time, establish priorities to meet deadlines, and manage tasks and projects.
• Daily user knowledge of Microsoft 365 and Teams/Zoom.

Special Requirements:

• Must have a WA State driver’s license or be able to obtain one within 30 days of hire
• Must submit a driver’s abstract for the previous 5 years, including an out-of-state abstract if driver’s license was out-of-state for any of the previous 5 years
• Driving agency vehicles is required for this position. Must have driving record that allows for coverage under Opportunity Council’s policy at time of hire
• Must submit to a criminal background check.
• Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with a two-dose, WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccination on first day of work
• Must have initial health examination indicating fitness for duty and free from communicable disease within 60 days of hire. Medical check-ups are required every two years thereafter.
• Must have current first aid and Infant/Child CPR training (or obtain within 30 days) and must maintain certification for length of employment.
• Must have TB test and submit test results prior to start of work.
• Must submit verification of MMR vaccination, or other WA State accepted documentation of measles immunity, prior to start of work.
• Must obtain Washington State Food Handler’s card prior to start of work.
• Must obtain a Washington DCYF Portable Background clearance to ascertain that the applicant has not been convicted of a child abuse or neglect offense per Washington State Child Abuse Law (Ch. 486, Laws of 1987) or DSHS licensing requirements.

Remote Work: This position is responsible for in-home visits.

Working Conditions: Work is generally performed in clients' homes under unpredictable conditions that may include exposure to volatile family situations, secondhand smoke, etc. or in a crowded office environment. Regular exposure to communicable diseases and body fluids and occasional crisis situations. Regularly requires local travel to and from administrative office and clients' homes or shelter sites, as well as for community networking, meetings, special workshops and trainings, and other job-related activities. May drive program vehicles to transport children.

Benefits@Opportunity Council

Opportunity Council offers the following benefits to eligible employees:

• Paid time off earned on an accrual basis (vacation, sick, personal holidays)
• Paid time off for wellness needs
• Employer-paid holidays (13 in 2023)
• Employer-paid HDHP and low-cost traditional health care options
• HSA and FSA, subject to plan terms
• Eligibility for Critical Illness coverage
• 403(b) retirement plan (5% employer contribution)
• Eligibility for health coverage for legal dependents
• Eligibility for employee/family dental and vision coverage
• Voluntary benefits such as life insurance, long-term disability, long-term care and personal legal services

Opportunity Council is a private, non-profit Community Action Agency serving homeless and low-income families and individuals. Our mission is to help people improve their lives through education, support, and direct assistance while advocating for just and equitable communities. For over50 years we have offered a broad scope of services that range from addressing immediate and crisis-oriented needs (food, emergency shelter,eviction-prevention) to longer-term programs that promote self-sufficiency in our community (early childhood education, home weatherization). For more details, please visit our website at https://www.oppco.org.