Family Advocate

Background 

Forestdale is a child welfare agency working to enhance family well-being and prevent child maltreatment through parenting, prevention, and foster care services for families in Queens and Brooklyn. We help thousands of families work through complex trauma, raise the next amazing generation of children, and youth successfully launch into adulthood. Forestdale’s mission is “to ensure that children and families have the fundamental assets they need to thrive and live independently.”  

Forestdale is proud to be part of a groundbreaking initiative in ACS’ Division of Child and Family Well-Being, which aims to establish Family Enrichment Centers citywide. A Family Enrichment Center is a home-like inclusive environment where community members can gather, build new relationships, learn skills, design and participate in activities, and get access to resources they need in order to thrive. The FEC initiative stands apart from many initiatives in that it is community-led in both design and operation, with Forestdale staff partnering with residents and local community organizations in Southeast Queens to co-design the Center. 

Job Summary 

The FEC Family Advocate is responsible for contributing to the day-to-day operation of the FEC including, co-designing and delivering offerings and events, providing concrete advocacy for members, making referrals and creating a warm and welcoming gathering place. This position will be located in our Family Enrichment Center in St. Albans, Queens.  

Major Responsibilities/Activities 

• Leads the design and delivery of the monthly calendar of offerings, emphasizing connection, mutual support, and resource-sharing among families, in collaboration with other FEC staff, external providers, and community members. 
• Encourages and supports community members to take leadership roles in offerings and events to foster empowerment and community ownership
• Acts as the initial point of contact for new members of the Center, making sure that families feel welcome
• Works in partnership with families to appreciate how they would like to contribute to the community, and to understand their needs and the resources or assistance they are interested in pursuing, 
• Provides advocacy, outreach, and referrals to connect participants to service providers and other programs that have resources to offer;
• Assists families in identifying barriers to their connection with resources and services and works to find creative solutions;
• Cares for and attends to the physical space of the FEC program to ensure it is safe, welcoming, organized, and appealing to participants and community members.
• Collaborates with the FEC team on tracking and reporting requirements, guided by the Director, and as required by ACS and other partners.
• Other duties as required by the Director

Minimum Requirements  

• Ability to warmly connect with and engage children, youth, and adults; skilled at pro-actively establishing relationships and forming new groups
• Lives in and/or has significant connections to Southeast Queens communities
• Ability to communicate in more than one language. Bilingual candidates who speak languages represented in Southeast Queens communities strongly preferred
• Ability to juggle several projects at the same time
• Experience working with others to plan and host events (family gatherings and party's count!)
• Experience navigating public systems to get resources to meet families’ needs
• A bachelor's degree in social work, human services, public policy, education, or related field; and/or equivalent experience. Candidates with Masters degrees encouraged to apply.
• Ability to accommodate a flexible work schedule, including evenings and weekends
• Ability to travel in and around the metropolitan New York City region

Benefits:  Join the Forestdale Team and Enjoy Excellent Benefits:

Four weeks’ vacation

Medical/dental/vision/life/disability insurance

401(k), 7% employer contribution 2% match

Tax-deferred health care/dependent care/commuter plans

Flexible Schedule

Opportunities for educational scholarships

 Additional Information

Forestdale Inc. is an equal opportunity employer that is proudly committed to becoming an anti-racist and multicultural organization that stands up for justice and equity. We welcome prospective employees from diverse backgrounds, for administrative support and direct service and leadership roles, who will join us on that journey, uphold our values and approach, and believe in our mission. Additionally, we aim to have a racially representative leadership and workforce that is reflective of the communities we work in partnership with.
 
 Forestdale Inc. is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, participants, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of our activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and termination of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services.