Adriana Smith
Wake Forest,NC
Summary
Bilingual Scholarship & Family Specialist III with proven expertise in eligibility screening, income calculations, and child care referrals at Early Years NC. Achievements include enhanced community outreach and parental education through strong organizational skills and data entry proficiency. Specializes in developing family service plans and crisis intervention strategies, resulting in improved family dynamics and communication. Strong ability to manage caseloads efficiently while fostering positive outcomes for families and children in need.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Bilingual Scholarship & Family Specialist III
Early Years NC/ Child Care Services Association
Durham, NC
01.2022 - Current
- Educate families about child care options and financial resources to support their child care cost
- Manage Scholarship for University of Chapel Hill (UNC) Employees, Durham Early Head Start (DEHS) referrals, Durham PreK
- ASQ screening for Durham Public Schools applicants
- Screen and review eligibility for Early Years Childcare Scholarship and other potential assistance programs
- Perform income calculation, verify documentation and process child care scholarship care plans
- Cross check Durham PreK Applications, Identify discrepancies in PreK scorecards
- Process Care Plans for Wrap-around Care for PreK
- Facilitate communication between child care providers and Spanish speaking parents as an interpreter
- Assist child care providers updating their information in Work Life System
- Provide families with consumer education materials and assisting locating child care referrals based on their need
- Conduct follow-up calls to clients to ensure they are served accordingly
- Attend scheduled training, supervisory conferences, and team meetings
- Represent Early Years and Family Support Department as directed and according to prescribed goals at fairs and other outreach events in the community
- Gather families’ information to place them on the Early Years scholarship waitlist when needed
- Conduct information sessions for new expecting parents during maternity tours at the local hospitals
- Manage virtual calls from several phone systems including NC Find Child Care Hotline
- Review and correct data checks monthly and quarterly to maintain accurate reports
- Assist with Durham Pre-K applications, calls related to Durham Pre-K as well as walk-in clients checking status
- Assist with new staff training sessions
- Translate documents/flyers from English to Spanish
Bilingual Parent Counselor
Child Care Resources Inc.
Charlotte, NC
11.2014 - 12.2021
- Deliver information about child care subsidy programs and conduct preliminary screening of clients for eligibility
- Support parents in choosing and locating child care services to meet the needs and preferences of their families
- Deliver information to parents and care givers on the current state licensing requirements
- Provide families with consumer education materials and referrals and assist them in securing community services and resources, including other financial assistance programs for which they may be eligible to help them achieve self-sufficiency
- Complete follow-up calls with parents to determine satisfaction with the service received
- Collect data related to child care needs, provide other resources to families and research projects to assist parents in locating care and meeting other identified needs
- Enter customer data and perform checks and balances daily to maintain accuracy and up-to-date information
- Assist in the preparation of reports as assigned
- Attend and contribute to scheduled training, supervisory conferences, and team meetings for successful departmental goals
- Assist the Financial Aid Department as an Interpreter with Spanish speaking Clients
- Manage virtual calls from several phone systems including NC Find Child Care Hotline
- Perform other duties as needed to further the agency’s mission and goals
- Promote a positive image of the agency in the community
Case Manager I
Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services
Charlotte, NC
06.2013 - 05.2014
- Answer calls from clients checking status on various Social Services cases
- Interview customers, reviewing initial cases
- Determine eligibility for public assistance programs
- Compile, analyze and prepare quarterly reports
- Conduct follow-up activities
- Complete reviews and updating information
- Maintain excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills
- Verify cases that involved Food & Nutrition Services, Family & Children’s Medicaid, Adult Medicaid, Work First Family Assistance
- Operate in Customer Connection Call Center, Customer Service Center
- Manage Spanish and English-speaking clients
Bilingual Parent Counselor
Child Care Resources Inc.
Charlotte, NC
01.2011 - 06.2013
- Counsel parents on selecting high quality child care and determine subsidy eligibility for clients
- Provide child care referrals to clients while in call center setting
- Deliver presentations about Child Care Search to professionals who serve families and young children
- Promote positive relationships with fellow employees, supervisors, clients and community agencies
- Compile daily reports
- Prepare monthly board reports and quarterly statistical reports for the Director of Child Care Search
- Use of good communication skills with customers including tact, respect, diplomacy and patience
- Formulate and analyze data for quality assurance
- Collect, compile, documents and tracks outreach and marketing data contacts for the Latinx Community
- Offer information to parents on the wide array of options available in the community and current state licensing requirements
- Provide enhanced services to families from identified populations and make referrals only to those programs that have a vacancy for the specific child in need of care
Preschool Teacher
Gateway Academy
Charlotte, NC
05.2008 - 11.2010
- Early Childhood Education Curriculum Development
- Growth Portfolios
- Creative Lesson Planning & Unit Design
- Cooperative & Experiential Learning
- Learner Engagement & Assessment
- Early Literacy Programs
- Performance Learning Objectives
- Classroom Management Strategies
- Identify problems, diagnose causes and determined corrective actions
- Maintain daily classroom
- Prepare periodic activities to enhance motor skills
- Consistently met or exceeded classroom curriculum
- Develop strong lasting relationships with parents and children
Education
Bachelor of Educational Science - Specialization in English
Technical University of Ambato
Ambato, Ecuador01.2004
Skills
- Data entry and income calculations
- Child care referrals and applications
- Eligibility screening and pre-screening
- Early childhood education programs
- Community outreach and parental education
- Microsoft Excel proficiency
- Time management and multitasking
- Organizational skills and team collaboration
- Bilingual communication in Spanish
- Conflict resolution and cultural competency
- Customer service and problem-solving
Training and Computer Skills
- Being an Effective Team Member, 04/01/21
- Time Management: Planning and Prioritizing Your Time, 03/01/21
- Interpersonal Communication: Being Approachable, 02/01/21
- Harassment Prevention for US Employees, 12/01/20
- Implicit Bias Equity Awareness, 02/01/22
- Talking about & Responding to Unconscious Bias, 11/01/23
- Delivery Virtual Training, 02/01/23
- The Essence of Belonging, 10/01/23
- Microaggressions Introduction / Taking Action / Taking Responsibility, 08/01/24
- Google Docs, Excel, Power Point, PDF Adobe Acrobat
References
- Christy Thalheimer, Child Care Consumer Education and Referral Program Director I, 919-830-8774, christyt@earlyyearsnc.org
- Ana Claros, Child Care Consumer Education and Referral Manager I, 919-500-6852, anac@earlyyearsnc.org
- Gerita Waithe, Director of Child Care Search Child Care Resources Inc., 732-277-6891, gwaithe25@gmail.com
- Denise Squier, MHR, Regional CCR&R Manager III CCSA, 405-306-8980, denises@earlyyearsnc.org
- Gerita Waithe, Director of Child Care Search Child Care Resources Inc., 732-277-6891, gwaithe25@gmail.com
- Shayla Jones, Early Service Intervention Coordinator Health and Human Services, 704-560-1540
Languages
Spanish
Native/ Bilingual
English
Native/ Bilingual
Certification
- State Of North Carolina Teaching License Standard Professional I (English - Grades 9-12)
- Business and Administration
- American Culture
Timeline
Bilingual Scholarship & Family Specialist III
Early Years NC/ Child Care Services Association
01.2022 - Current
Bilingual Parent Counselor
Child Care Resources Inc.
11.2014 - 12.2021
Case Manager I
Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services
06.2013 - 05.2014
Bilingual Parent Counselor
Child Care Resources Inc.
01.2011 - 06.2013
Preschool Teacher
Gateway Academy
05.2008 - 11.2010
Bachelor of Educational Science - Specialization in English
Technical University of Ambato
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