Early Head Start | Ravalli & Missoula Counties
40 hours/week | Monday–Friday | Full Benefit Package
Do you believe parents are a child’s first and most important teacher? Are you passionate about supporting families during the earliest and most important years of development?
At Ravalli Head Start, Inc., our Home Visitors build meaningful relationships with families to support healthy child development, strengthen parent confidence, and create lasting positive outcomes for children and communities. This position combines early childhood education, family support, coaching, and advocacy in a deeply rewarding role that truly changes lives.
We are looking for someone who is compassionate, organized, relationship-focused, and passionate about walking alongside families with empathy and encouragement. The ideal candidate values connection, understands the importance of early childhood development, and enjoys helping families recognize their strengths while supporting their goals.
This position serves families throughout Ravalli and Missoula Counties and includes weekly home visits, parent-child interaction groups, developmental support, and collaboration with community resources to ensure children and families thrive.
Why Join Ravalli Head Start?
We are proud to offer:
- Employer-paid health insurance
- Low-cost dental, vision, life, and disability insurance options
- Paid holidays, vacation, and personal leave
- 401(k) eligibility after one year
- Supportive team culture and meaningful mission-driven work
- Summers and school breaks aligned with family-friendly schedules (if applicable to your program calendar)
- Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
Most importantly, you’ll join a team that believes relationships matter, families deserve support without judgment, and every child deserves the strongest possible start in life.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
- Supervised by the RHS, Inc. Home Based Supervisor
- Works closely with other RHS, Inc. staff.
- Has frequent contact with parents, families, and community partners
PROFESSIONALISM/HUMAN RELATIONS
- Must maintain confidentiality. Use discretion and confidentiality with matters of families and programs as appropriate. A signed confidentiality agreement form is required.
- Establish and maintain a relationship of trust with Early Head Start families.
- Establish and maintain professional boundaries with families when handling program and personal issues.
Communication techniques and expectations:
- Model effective communication
- Use appropriate channels and staff to problem-solve and refer families.
- Meet problem situations with understanding and diplomacy.
- Use a professional attitude and approach to working with parents, families, co-workers and community volunteers. Participate and promote a positive working relationship with all staff and Early Head Start families.
WORKPLACE CONDUCT
- Be familiar with and adhere to the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS).
- Be familiar with and adhere to Program Policies and Procedures.
- Be familiar with and adhere to RHS, Inc. Standards of Conduct
- Ensure a safe working environment for children, families and staff.
- Initiate and assume responsibility for own learning to keep current on job-related issues and best practices.
- Cooperate with co-workers and respect their opinions and contributions.
- Able to manage time and prioritize a busy schedule.
- Able to practice stress management that is job-related.
- Be prepared and punctual for meetings and work.
- To ensure continuity of care and respect for co-workers, consistent attendance is required.
- Communicate with supervisor and co-workers as appropriate if an absence is necessary.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assess the specific strengths and needs of each pregnant woman, family, and child.
- Prepare Home Based lesson plans in conjunction with the family.
- Perform developmental assessment and screening of infants and toddlers within the required time frame.
- Collect and conduct assessment and evaluation data at appropriate times and on schedule.
- Assess, in collaboration with families and community agencies, the nutrition, growth, and development of enrolled infants and toddlers.
- Develop family partnership agreements that identify the strengths, goals, and needs of each family on the assigned caseload.
- Plan and implement the home-based curriculum that is developmentally and culturally appropriate for each family.
- Plan, schedule, and reschedule weekly home visits, family canceled home visits, and staff cancellations to meet evolving needs of each family.
- Notify supervisor of education supplies needed.
- Involve parents and families in the educational activities of the program to enhance their role as the principal influence on their infant/toddler’s education and development and to increase their understanding, skills, and experience in child growth and development.
- Provide resources and support to enhance parent/child relationships and parents’ knowledge of hygiene, nutrition, child development, guidance, nurturing dental health, and safety.
- Prepare for and supervise parent/child interaction groups for parents and children.
- Implement transition activities to provide seamless services for families and children into Head Start or other placements as determined by the family.
- Collaborate with Family and Community Partnership staff and community agencies to access prevention and intervention programs and services to meet the needs of families.
- Work with families to ensure children are linked to early intervention services, as needed.
- Be prepared and on time for required staffing meetings, education meetings, and all other meetings and training.
- Inform the Health and Nutrition Manager of each child/pregnant woman’s ongoing health status.
- Involve parents and families in the health process by providing information about health screenings.
- Notify parents of screening results and track follow-up care.
- Assist as needed in scheduling appointments for families with community agencies.
- Communicate with supervisor regarding home visitation schedule.
- RECORDKEEPING
- Maintain accurate, objective records in Child Plus and update those records as necessary and on schedule.
- Maintain updated documentation which includes lesson plans, assessments, family partnership agreements, HELP documentation, and other program documentation.
- Document pertinent information and submit it to the appropriate staff.
- Oversee collection of In-Kind records of assigned caseload and submit monthly.
- Accurately track and submit time records in a timely manner.
- TRAINING
- Attend in-service training as scheduled, including required state childcare licensing training within the designated time frame.
- Obtain First Aid and CPR certification during the probationary period and keep current.
- Obtain knowledge of state and federal regulations pertaining to child abuse and neglect and abide by reporting standards.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- Must have a valid Montana Driver’s License, an acceptable driving record, and proof of auto insurance.
- Must have a telephone or other means of immediate communication
EDUCATION
A Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Development or a related field and experience planning and working with infants and toddlers, preferably in Early Head Start. Other combinations of education and experience will be evaluated on an individual basis. Preference will be given to individuals with experience in Human & Family Development, Family Systems, and Home Visiting.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Ability to maintain confidential information
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work well with staff, infants, and toddlers, parents, families, and outside agencies
- Ability to be flexible, open-minded, and take direction well
- Knowledge of infant & toddler development and assessment.
- Ability to implement and follow plans
- Awareness of family development and family systems
- Awareness of home visitation and adult learning theory
SPECIAL AND/OR PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Ability to work with cleaning/sanitizing chemicals and equipment Ability to lift up to 50 pounds
- Sufficient mobility and strength to repeatedly sit, stand, carry infants/toddlers, balance, stoop, walk, bend, reach, kneel, crouch, crawl, and have a full range of body motion
- Clear vision for close tasks such as working with computers, keyboards, screens, and paper documents
- Sufficient manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination to perform job duties
- The position is within a business office and child care setting with computers, printers, miscellaneous office equipment, and varying noise levels.
- Have reliable transportation to ensure consistent attendance and to travel to home visits, if necessary (we provide work vehicles to travel to home visits).
- May be required to work outside of regular business hours as necessary and to meet the needs of individual families.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $23.03 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
