POSITION DESCRIPTION 

POSITION PURPOSE: 

The Lead Family Liaison will increase the engagement and involvement of  Orange County Schools families, with a specific focus on families who have been marginalized in the district. This individual will work collaboratively to establish effective communication and strengthen the partnership/relationships between home, school, and Central Services to improve outcomes for students. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assists in linking programs and services with the school to improve school attendance, student performance, and positive youth development. 
• Supports district-wide events during non-school hours to support OCS families, particularly families identified as underserved and historically marginalized.
• Administers programs/activities to bridge the gap between home and school to help families, particularly historically marginalized families, get the information and support needed to ensure their students' academic and social success.
• Serves as a bridge between and a resource to help establish trust and a sense of welcoming and belonging between marginalized families in particular and schools/ the school district.
• Builds school-based and Central Services staff’s capacity to remove barriers to better serve, support, and collaborate with families to ensure student success and achievement.
• Coordinates with the Family Engagement Coordinator and will help plan and facilitate Parent Academy Sessions designed to engage and support families as partners in their children’s education.
• Monitors education, health, and human services received by assigned students and their families, to ensure that they are delivered in a personal, accountable, and coordinated manner.
• Coordinates and/or facilitates programs, services, special events, and extracurricular activities for students and their families.
• Prepares and presents programs to inform parents about resources that are available to them to support their children’s school success.
• Builds rapport with families to encourage trusting relationships to serve as an encourager, mentor, and bridge to school success from preschool through graduation.
• Establishes family contacts, family meetings, and information sessions to encourage parental support for their children.
• Develops and maintains resources for families and provides parenting and referral information.
• Collaborates with social workers, counselors, and teachers, school and district leaders to organize family workshops, community-building events, and information sessions in the community and at the schools.
• Provides information to families about the district and school procedures and instructional programs as well as resources available throughout the school system and community.
•  Implements a variety of programs to involve parents, students, and the community in school affairs (e.g. site tours, providing information on services provided, parent training workshops, etc.) to establish familiarity with programs, services, processes, protocols, and procedures.
• Participates in a variety of meetings, workshops, and committees (e.g. serves as a liaison for parents, and child advocates; conventions, classes, and seminars to increase parent involvement, decrease attendance issues, decrease dropout rates, updates on laws that pertain to foster care, etc.) to convey and/or gather information required to perform functions and remaining knowledgeable with program guidelines.
• Assesses family and student needs (e.g., conducts surveys, focus groups, interviews, etc.) for the purpose of developing and implementing an action plan to remove barriers to a child's success in school.
• Maintains a variety of confidential and non-confidential manual and electronic lists and records (e.g. program participation, contact sheets, time sheets for tutor programs, student logs, agency referrals, etc.) to provide required information and/or documentation 
• Collaborates  with Family Outreach Coordinator to ensure translation and interpretation support is available if needed   
• Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

• Thorough knowledge of all aspects of the Northern Orange County community including its history and the experiences of underserved families in the school district. 
• Has a positive reputation in the community especially among underserved families.
• Possesses pre-established positive relationships in the community including, but not limited to, the faith-based, county,  and business community. 
• Has outstanding interpersonal skills; effective problem-solving skills.
• Resourceful.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with all families regardless of their race/ethnicity, language, religion, social economic background, sexual identity, etc.;  with school administrators, counselors, social workers, teachers, and Central Services staff; as well as with community organizations in service to children.  
• Ability to carry-out student support programming through the use of educational sound methods and skills.
• Establishing and maintaining constructive relationships; adapting to changing work priorities; communicating with culturally diverse populations, including those with limited English proficiency; maintaining confidentiality; setting priorities; working under limited supervision using standardized practices and/or methods and working flexible hours when necessary.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license issued by the NC Department of Motor Vehicles.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE:

• A minimum of an Associate's Degree in family outreach, General Education, or other related fields is preferred.    
• A longstanding member of the Northern Orange County community is preferred.
• Thorough knowledge of/lived experience of marginalized/underserved families in Northern Orange County preferred.
• Any equivalent combination of training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

DISCLAIMER: The above statements are intended to describe the general purpose and

responsibilities assigned to this position. They are not intended to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and skills that may be required of the employees assigned to this position. This description may be revised by the supervisor, with  HR review and approval, at any time.