Part Time Cottage Parent

NATURE OF THE POSITION

The Cottage Parent is directly responsible, under the direction of the Cottage Manager for the safety, supervision, guidance, and training of children assigned to his/her living unit and for planning and executing a well-balanced program of activities.

QUALIFICATIONS

1. High school graduate or have a GED.

2. Be at least 21 years of age.

3. Valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record.

4. Successful completion of the C.A.R.E. model training and implementation of C.A.R.E. principles in working with the youth.

5. Able to perform duties and responsibilities in a way that is in keeping with the child care philosophy of the Home.

6. Ability to relate to children and adults, have a conviction about the capacity of people to grow and change, and have a desire to learn and develop proper childcare skills.

7. Sincere concern for staff, children, and their families.

8. Personal and professional conduct which would reflect credit to the Home, as well as to their profession.

9. Meet the qualifications established in policies governing the Home.

10. Able to work with sensitivity to the cultural and/or socioeconomic diversity of the Home’s clients and staff.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

I. Exercise Responsibility for the Day-to-Day Care of Children

A. Be accessible to the children at all times, but especially in times of crisis, such as illness of a child or family member, family upsets, school failures, discipline problems, etc.

B. Strive to and know and understand each child as an individual and maintain a comfortable relationship with each child.

C. Give guidance to the child who does not relate to others. Work closely with the Cottage Manager, Case Manager, and Director of Residential Care in dealing with exceptional problems.

D. Supervise family cottage devotions and encourage children to have private devotional periods.

E. Be responsible for the children and their attendance in worship services.

F. Supervise the housekeeping of the cottage. This will involve training and working with the children in housekeeping responsibilities, the degree for which will depend on the age of the child. It is understood that the Cottage Parent will be expected to have the greater responsibility in this and should not expect the children to do all the work.

G. Provide work opportunities for children in order to participate in the Home’s Work Reward Program.

H. Work with the Case Manager and/or other campus personnel in scheduling work assignments for the children. Ensure that each child gets to the work assignment on time.

I. Ensure that each child has a proper and adequate supply of clothing. Be responsible for reporting all the clothing needs of the children. This includes ensuring that each child is dressed properly. Try to teach each child responsible habits of caring for clothing.

J. Ensure that children are properly dressed and are on time for all occasions such as work, play, and social activities. Prepare the children’s clothing for visits, vacation trips, etc.

K. Provide a stable environment for the children.

II. Exercise Responsibility for the Health of the Children in Care

A. Teach good health principles and encourage the development of health habits, such as daily bathing, after-meal brushing of teeth, shampooing of hair, proper amount of sleep, etc.

B. Report any illness or accident to the Case Manager as soon as possible unless it is an emergency. The Case Manager should be informed at 8:30 a.m. the next working day if illness occurs the night before.

C. Assist the Cottage Manager in the care of the sick child by giving medications prescribed by the child’s doctor or nurse and taking temperatures. All medications must be kept in a locked enclosure and each dosage must be logged.

D. Visit children who are in the hospital when the schedule permits, especially those with serious illness or surgery.

E. Prepare the children for medical and dental appointments.

F. Keep the Case Manager informed of any child who needs glasses, dental work, etc.

III. Exercise Responsibility in the Education of the Children

A. Encourage a wholesome and constructive attitude toward school.

B. Provide a regular time and place for study and see that the children have the necessary books and supplies.

C. Be available to give as much personal assistance and counseling as possible in the preparation of school assignments and with special problems.

D. Advise the Case Manager of any child who is having particular problems in school. The Cottage Parent, the Case Manager, and the Cottage Manager should work closely together in the evaluation of each child’s school progress.

E. Encourage individual initiative, special interest projects, and the development of special talents, such as art, music, etc.

F. Encourage the children to take advantage of extracurricular activities through school programs.

IV. Exercise Responsibility for Social and Recreational Activities

A. Encourage participation in community activities, such as swimming, playground and gym events, parties, camps, etc.

B. Attend and, when possible, participate in social and recreational activities with the children.

C. Plan occasional special events such as birthday dinners, holiday observances, and cottage parties.

D. Develop habits of safety at all social and recreational activities.

V. Exercise Responsibility for Discipline

A. Be responsible for day-to-day discipline of the children.

B. Discipline problems arising from work or play in the cottage should be handled promptly and as privately as possible.

C. Normal misbehavior in the cottage group should be handled by the Cottage Parent. More serious cases or incidents involving the children or adults outside the cottage should be referred to the Cottage Manager and the Case Manager. In all cases, discipline will be executed according to the established Discipline Policy of the Home.

VI. General Duties

A. Be responsible for the cottage building and equipment. Needed repairs and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing failures should be reported to the Director of Physical Affairs. The Cottage Parent is responsible for keeping the immediate area around the cottage clean and in order.

B. Attend and participate in staff meetings and workshops designed for in-service training of staff.

C. Hold frequent conferences with the Social Services staff, not only in connection with receiving new children and handling special problems, but also as a matter of policy in working with all children.

D. Assist when called upon in the entertaining of special groups at the cottage.

E. Be in the cottage at all times when the children are there. He/She should keep the Cottage Parent’s room door open as much as possible to be accessible to the children at all times while on duty. Personal housekeeping and other matters of a personal nature will be attended to after the children leave for school and regular household chores are finished. Shopping and business matters of a personal nature should be done on off-duty time.

F. Will assist in other duties as assigned.

VII.Cooking

A. Be directly responsible for knowing food values and serving wholesome and attractive meals.

B. Prepare foods as directed on the approved menu.

VIII. Bookkeeping

A. Will be responsible for any monies given to him for use in the cottage.

B. Will be responsible for turning in any money (children’s savings or change from monies given to him/her) to the Administrative Assistant for Children’s Services.

IX. Transportation
Will be expected to provide transportation as needed for the children and Agency business

Job Type: Part-time

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Night shift
• Weekends

Experience:

• Childcare: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Remotely:

• No