Early Years Facilitator ( 2 Full time Positions Open)
About Keystone:
Keystone Child, Youth & Family Services is a dynamic, not-for-profit organization and the designated Lead Agency for Children’s Mental Health in Grey and Bruce Counties. Since 1974, we have been dedicated to supporting children, youth, and families by delivering compassionate, responsive mental health services.
At Keystone, we provide a full continuum of services, including counseling, prevention and well-being programs, short-term live-in treatment, crisis stabilization, youth justice services, and special needs programming. Our focus on coordinated access ensures that every child and youth aged 0-17 receives tailored, multi-disciplinary care to meet their unique needs.
Position Summary
The Early Years Facilitator supports the delivery of community-based prevention and early intervention programming for children, caregivers, and families. The role focuses on strengthening family capacity, supporting healthy child development, increasing social connection, and promoting positive parenting through relationship-based, family-centered, and evidence-informed approaches.
The Early Years Facilitator plans, facilitates, and supports a range of community programming, including drop-ins, parent-child activities, parenting and caregiver education groups, outreach initiatives, and family engagement activities. Programming may include Nobody’s Perfect Parenting (NPP), Circle of Security Parenting (CoS-P), and other evidence-informed or evidence-based programs identified in response to community needs.
Working collaboratively with Keystone teams and community partners, the Early Years Program Facilitator creates safe, welcoming, inclusive, and accessible opportunities for families to connect, build skills, access information and resources, and strengthen relationships.
Key Responsibilities
Program Facilitation and Community Engagement
- Facilitate and support community-based programs for children, caregivers, and families.
- Plan and deliver community drop-ins, parent-child programming, parenting and caregiver education groups, and family engagement activities.
- Facilitate or co-facilitate evidence-informed and evidence-based programs, which may include Nobody’s Perfect Parenting (NPP), Circle of Security Parenting (CoS-P), and other family support or parenting programs.
- Prepare program materials, resources, activities, and physical or virtual spaces required for program delivery.
- Create welcoming, inclusive, strengths-based environments that encourage participation, connection, and relationship-building.
- Adapt programming and engagement approaches to respond to participant and community needs.
- Support community outreach and awareness activities to increase access to and participation in programming.
- Deliver programming in Keystone offices, community locations, virtual environments, and outreach settings as required.
Family Support and Engagement
- Build positive, respectful, and collaborative relationships with children, caregivers, and families.
- Support caregiver confidence, positive parenting practices, healthy child development, and strong parent-child relationships.
- Engage families using trauma-informed, culturally responsive, family-centred, strengths-based, and non-judgmental approaches.
- Provide families with information about relevant community services, supports, and resources and facilitate connections or referrals where appropriate.
- Recognize concerns related to family stress, child development, mental health, well-being, or safety and respond in accordance with organizational policies and procedures.
- Maintain appropriate professional boundaries while creating an environment in which families feel welcomed, respected, and supported.
Community Partnerships and Collaboration
- Develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with community organizations and service partners involved in supporting children and families.
- Work collaboratively with internal Keystone teams to support coordinated programming and community engagement.
- Participate in team meetings, program planning, supervision, and professional development.
- Support community events, outreach activities, presentations, and other initiatives that promote awareness of available programs and services.
- Share information regarding emerging community needs, participation trends, and opportunities for program development.
Documentation, Evaluation and Quality Improvement
- Maintain accurate and timely program documentation, attendance records, participant information, and program statistics in accordance with organizational requirements.
- Support data collection, monitoring, and reporting requirements associated with PHAC-funded programming.
- Gather participant feedback and contribute to program evaluation activities.
- Participate in continuous quality improvement and identify opportunities to strengthen program accessibility, engagement, and effectiveness.
- Maintain confidentiality and handle participant information in accordance with organizational policies, privacy requirements, and applicable legislation.
Qualifications
- Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE), or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.
- Experience working with children, caregivers, and families in community, education, health, early years, mental health, or social service settings.
- Experience facilitating or co-facilitating groups, community programming, parent-child activities, family engagement, or educational programming is preferred.
- Knowledge of child development, family-centred practice, positive parenting approaches, and community-based prevention and early intervention.
- Understanding of trauma-informed, strengths-based, culturally responsive, and inclusive approaches to working with children and families.
- Experience with community outreach, partnership development, or connecting families with community resources is considered an asset.
- Training or experience in Nobody’s Perfect Parenting (NPP), Circle of Security Parenting (CoS-P), infant and early childhood mental health, attachment-based approaches, or other parenting programs is considered an asset.
- Training in specific program models may be provided.
Skills and Competencies
- Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills with the ability to engage children, caregivers, families, and community partners.
- Strong facilitation and communication skills.
- Ability to create welcoming, inclusive, and psychologically safe group environments.
- Strong planning, organization, and follow-through.
- Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a collaborative team environment.
- Sound professional judgment and ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriate boundaries.
- Flexibility and adaptability in responding to changing community and program needs.
- Commitment to equity, inclusion, accessibility, and culturally responsive practice.
Additional Requirements
- Valid driver’s licence and access to reliable transportation required to support community-based programming with frequent travel across Grey Bruce counties.
- Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings or weekends, based on program and community needs.
- Satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Check in accordance with Keystone requirements.
- Current First Aid/CPR certification is considered an asset.
Work Environment & Physical Requirements:
- Ability to actively participate in programming with young children, including working at floor level.
- Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and transition between floor and standing positions throughout programming as and when needed
- Ability to lift, carry, move, and set up program materials, toys, equipment, and supplies.
- Ability to work in active and dynamic environments involving young children and caregivers.
- Programming may occur in Keystone offices, community locations, outdoor settings, virtual environments, and outreach settings.
- Regular local travel may be required to deliver programming and participate in community activities.
- Occasional evening or flexible hours may be required based on program needs.
Pay and Hours
This is a Full-Time position working 35 hours per week
Pay: $28.08-$34.09 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
Application question(s):
- Are you legally authorized to work in Canada without requiring current or future sponsorship?
- This position requires travel between community locations and/or service sites. Do you have access to a reliable vehicle and the ability to travel for work as required?
- Are you a registered early childhood educator?
- This is a 35 hours per week with needed flexibility for evenings and weekends Does this schedule meet your availability?
Work Location: In person
