Child and Family Specialist – Play2Learn

Job Posting Organization:
54 reasons is Australia’s leading child rights organisation, established as part of the Save the Children Australia Group. The organization is dedicated to ensuring that children and young people have their rights met and thrive in all their diversity. With a workforce of approximately 600 employees, 54 reasons operates across every state and territory in Australia, providing quality services to children and their caregivers in various settings, including remote areas and capital cities. The organization is committed to a mission that places the child’s voice at the center of its operations, aiming to make a significant difference in the lives of families and children.

Job Overview:
The Child and Family Specialist position is a part-time, maximum term role based in Tara, Queensland, working from Tuesday to Friday for 7.6 hours each day, extending through to January 2027 with potential for extension. The role is integral to the Play2Learn program, which focuses on helping families and young children learn to play, socialize, and establish routines. The specialist will work closely with parents, caregivers, and children to facilitate a smooth transition into early learning. The position emphasizes the importance of a trauma-informed, strengths-based, and culturally sensitive approach to family support and early childhood development. The specialist will be responsible for delivering supported playgroups, providing outreach parent coaching, and ensuring that children are developmentally on track while equipping families with effective parenting skills.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Child and Family Specialist include delivering supported playgroups in the local community, conducting outreach parent coaching, and providing online parent education. The specialist will also offer 1:1 outreach services, including in-home visits for parent coaching, utilizing partnership, outcomes-based, strengths’ perspective, and client-centered approaches. Identifying additional assistance and external services required by families, providing appropriate information, support, and referrals is also a key responsibility. The specialist will promote positive and culturally respectful approaches to parenting and child and family wellbeing, ensuring that families have the necessary skills and tools to parent effectively.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates for the Child and Family Specialist position must demonstrate skills, knowledge, understanding, and experience in group facilitation and engagement, particularly with at-risk families and children, primarily those aged under 4 years. Experience in delivering in-home family support and interventions is essential, along with knowledge of best practices in effective parenting strategies and behavior management techniques. A degree or diploma qualification in a relevant field such as Psychology, Early Childhood, Social Work, Human Services, or Social Sciences is required, or significant equivalent experience may be considered.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a degree or diploma in a relevant field such as Psychology, Early Childhood Education, Social Work, Human Services, or Social Sciences. Candidates with significant equivalent experience in these areas may also be considered for the role. This educational foundation is crucial for understanding child development, family dynamics, and effective intervention strategies.

Experience:
The position requires candidates to have demonstrated experience in group facilitation and engagement, particularly with at-risk families and children under the age of four. Experience in delivering in-home family support and interventions is also necessary, as well as familiarity with best practices in parenting strategies and behavior management techniques. This level of experience is essential to effectively support families and children in the community.

Languages:
While the job description does not specify mandatory languages, proficiency in English is likely essential for communication with families and caregivers. Additional language skills may be beneficial, particularly in communities with diverse linguistic backgrounds, enhancing the ability to connect with and support families from various cultural contexts.

Additional Notes:
This position is part-time and maximum term, with working hours from Tuesday to Friday, totaling 7.6 hours per day. The contract extends through to January 2027, with the possibility of extension based on program needs. The role is part of a supportive work environment that values diversity and inclusion, offering a range of employee benefits, including a generous salary, additional leave options, professional supervision training, and access to an Employee Wellbeing Program. The organization encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates and is committed to maintaining a child-safe environment, requiring all employees to undergo necessary background checks.