Family Support Navigator

Get to know us:
Family Futures’ mission is to shape a community in which all children are supported to reach their full potential. Our geographic focus is primarily Kent County with some services extending into other communities. We help children ages 0 through 5 by supporting parents, providing connections to resources and programs, and offering ways to monitor and enhance early childhood development. We believe in supporting our employees to be successful as well. Family Futures offers a strength-based, learning-driven, quality improvement-based culture that celebrates equity and diversity and an opportunity to grow while making an impact in your community. Family Futures values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages individuals with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.     

Job Overview:  

The Family Support Navigator advocates for and with families by welcoming families to our Connections program and providing case management and referral coordination. They will specialize in guiding families to the appropriate community and support resources based on each family’s individual needs. Our Family Support Navigation team guides families forward by identifying the barriers parents face, developing strategies to address any barriers, and recognizing patterns of needs for resources.  

Adaptability is important for this position, as is taking initiative with daily tasks. Because you’ll be active in the community, there may be times when the use of a personal vehicle and lifting of boxes (roughly 25 lbs.) may be , as well as attendance of community events and meetings outside of regular work hours. In addition, Family Futures requires all staff to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Lastly, use of personal cell phone and access to Internet service may be a requirement of this position.    

Roles and Responsibilities:  

• Complete intake and set up individual Thrive by Five service plans with newly enrolled families  

• Provide case management to families   

• Refer families to community resources and programs  

• Communicate with families via phone, text, and email  

• Research programs and services that meet the needs of families serviced  

• Advocate for families by participating in workgroups and community meetings  

• Document all case-related information   

• Support outreach efforts   

• Complete additional relevant duties as assigned 

Education and Experience:  

The candidate must have a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood, Social Work, Psychology or a related field with a minimum 2 years working with families or some combination of formal and informal education and experience sufficient to demonstrate proficiency. The ideal candidate will also have familiarity with resources for families located in West Michigan and/or lived experience navigating early childhood services and resources.  

Required Skills:  

• Fluency in English  

• Organized and detail oriented   

• Must be able to manage multiple projects at one time  

• Written and verbal communications skills  

• Microsoft Office Suite  

• Adaptable and a self-starter  

• Culturally competent and knowledgeable when working with diverse populations  

• Flexible schedule to meet the needs of families  

• Comfortable working in fast paced environments  

• Ability to learn early childhood landscape and terminology    

Preferred Skills:  

• Data entry and/or database usage  

• Fluency in Spanish or other language represented in the Kent County community

• Community resource knowledge  

• Experience working in one of the following zip codes: 49507 - 49506 – 49503 

The job description is intended to provide the employee with a general, broad understanding of the job’s responsibilities, and not necessarily to specify all activities and responsibilities