Child Development Specialist, CDS

At Wayfinder Family Services, we understand the unique challenges facing some of our state’s most vulnerable children, youth and adults. Those with disabilities, those without a home of their own, those who have been abused and many, many more. We answer the call for them. We believe in the amazing potential in, and for, each and every one of them. And, together, we find a way to turn that potential into reality.  

Program and Role Summary

Wayfinder’s Child Development Services provides early intervention in person to children from birth to age 6 with visual impairment or multiple disabilities. Young children maximize any vision they have and reduce developmental delays. Parents learn to provide their child with therapeutic stimulation and advocate for their child’s education and care. Child development reduces the need for special education and increases independence for children with disabilities.

The primary focus on the Child Development Specialist, is to provide specialized services to families of young children with vision impairments and/or multiple disabilities from birth through five years of age.  The Child Development Specialist provides home instruction, lesson plans, resource information, and referrals to local community-based organizations, advocates for the client’s family, and partners with parents and caregivers to empower them as advocates for their child.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide direct intervention in the child's natural environment: home, at a center-based site, or a hospital. Coordinate your schedule to meet the family's needs, ensuring the weekly visits are met as authorized by the Regional Center or School District.
• Conduct functional vision and developmental assessments using observation, parent interviews, authentic assessment strategies, and formal assessment tools. Per the frequency of the Regional Center, assessments include but are not limited to Oregon, DAYC-2, and HAWAII (HELP). Frequency includes but is not limited to every 3, 6 or 9 months.
• Participates in developing and implementing each child’s Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) and outcomes in collaboration with the family and education team, providing progress reports as required by each Regional Center or Local Education Agency.
• Assists and supports family in transitioning to the public school system or appropriate preschool setting (Birth to 3 children).
• Actively collaborates with community-based providers of related services, including medical and educational providers, to help identify children with vision loss and developmental delays and provide access to services as part of Child Find.
• Completes and maintains client case files and client database, including : Face Sheet, Home Visit Log Notes, intake forms, Developmental Profile, Family Program Plan, Physician Reports, Correspondence, Reports of Medical Visits, IFSPs, IEPs, assessments, and Medi-Cal documentation.
• Other duties as outlined in the position description.

Education and Experience:

• A minimum of a B.A., B.S. degree in Special Education, Social Work, Child Development, Orientation and Mobility, Infant or Early Childhood, or Social Work or another related field from an accredited university is required.
• Bilingual (Spanish), preferred.
• Familiarity with services available to infants, young children, and their families with vision loss and multiple disabilities in California preferred.
• Valid CA Driver License with a minimum of two (2) years good driving history and must be approved by the agency’s insurance carrier to drive agency vehicles.

Benefits: Wayfinder is committed to providing our employees with a benefits program that is both comprehensive and competitive which includes:

• Paid Time Off: Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) policy, 11 paid holidays, plus five winter holidays
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match up to 4% 
• Employee referral program: Encourage your colleagues to join us
• Education tuition assistance program: Invest in your career development 
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible
• Flexible spending account (FSA) plans 
• Eligibility and other benefits are outlined in plan documents

Additional Benefits Offered for this role :

• Training and professional development

Wayfinder Family Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We support a drug-free workplace and conduct pre-employment background and drug screenings.