Careers

Description:

When parents can access high-quality care, community resources, and skill-building education during the early years of their child’s life, they can prepare their kids for lifelong success. The national Help Me Grow (HMG) framework is a proven strategy for collective impact with four core components, one of which is Family and Community Outreach, addressed through this VISTA project. The HMG Washington network represents a growing, powerful coalition of communities and individuals investing in systems of resources to help children and their caregivers thrive. Within this network, Help Me Grow Skagit is a local group building a continuum of childhood development supports for families with young children that help increase school readiness - a predictor of exiting poverty. This VISTA member serves with United General District 304 as part of the Children’s Council of Skagit County’s Help Me Grow Skagit program. District 304’s purpose is Building Healthier Communities, with priority outcomes achieved through the following program areas (aligned with the CNCS goals of healthy futures): Active Living, Community & Professional Education, Engaged Youth & Communities, Healthy Eating, Thriving Children & Families, and Stewarding Assets & Opportunities. These program areas cumulatively create healthy environments and foster individual, family, and community protective factors that promote wellbeing.

A Help Me Grow (HMG) Skagit VISTA will promote school readiness and success for young children through indirect service that builds capacity for sustainable parent education, early connection, and family resource utilization systems. This VISTA member will learn about current efforts and community conditions before developing repeatable methods for identifying existing parent support programs in Skagit County and assessing gaps; researching and recommending tools/systems for staff to organize and share parenting information and updates regularly; designing templates for communications and fundraising; creating outreach plans and guides to increase program visibility and utilization; and supporting future HMG Skagit efforts by writing a sustainability plan before exiting service. These efforts will help build capacity for sustained impact and improve the lives of local children & families.

Skills/Eligibility:

Skills :
Community Organization ,  Social Services ,  Fund raising/Grant Writing ,  Youth Development ,  Non-Profit Management ,  Writing/Editing ,  Communications .