House Parents - Warsaw, NY

We are a residential ministry serving young women facing an unplanned or crisis pregnancy.  We are seeking a qualified couple to serve as full-time house parents in a residential environment in a home for up to 6 pregnant women and their babies. House parents live on site in the family environment.  They shall have a private apartment in the home with utilities included.  They shall share meals with the residents.

Our goals are to provide a healthy and secure living environment within the context of a family setting for the entire pregnancy and up to 9 weeks following the birth of the baby.  While in residence, mothers learn parenting and practical life skills through hands on classes provided in house. Residents will work together daily with one another and volunteer instructors to learn healthy dietary planning, grocery budgeting and shopping, food preparation, planning and storage, basic sewing, communication skills and stress management techniques. The ultimate goal is to foster responsibility and maturity necessary to maintain independent living and care for themselves and their child. Residents will have ongoing support from Light House Station in terms of material support and mentoring relationships.  We intend for our residents to have a positive impact on our community by breaking the cycle of poverty and abuse one family at a time.

The House parents shall be called of God; committed to serve and willing to work to create a Godly Christian home atmosphere.  They must be firm but loving in relationships, realizing many women will come with problems associated with men, authority figures, and deep hurts.  House parents should have a neutral stance on adoption vs. raising the child, but must have a pro-life belief.

Qualifications

•  Married couple married a minimum of 5 years.
•  Be committed Christians capable of providing leadership and spiritual guidance to each of the young women according to her specific needs.
•  Be a high school graduate over 23 years of age with no children under 3 years of age
• Have had one year of experience involving the supervision of a group of teenagers, or experience of a practical nature in working with youth and young adults.
• Be able to provide evidence of financial responsibility.
• If houseparents are parents of children still in the home, they shall demonstrate a parenting style that involves high acceptance, consistency, and appropriate discipline.

Job Description:

·   Provide spiritual leadership to young women and oversee family time and devotions each weekday. Set an example of a loving Christian couple, able to guide and direct a family situation. Enforce family guidelines and discipline in a loving manner. Work with skill sheets to combine discipline and reinforce positive behaviors.

·   Be responsibility for the day-to-day activities of the home and care of the young women. Maintain a comfortable and clean house, with the assistance of the residents. Help monitor leisure time activities, including monitoring of TV, music, phone calls, and visitation. Maintain a Christian environment that is joyful, relaxing, and peaceful.

·   Try to be aware of each young woman’s emotional needs; work to help them enter into the activities of the home and improve their self-image. Maintain an attitude that promotes availability to the young women. Assist each woman in developing her gifts and talents by recognizing such gifts and lending encouragement and praise.

·   Participate in formulating each young woman’s Individual Service Plan and review weekly with the Social Worker each young woman’s status, progress, family situation, status and relationship to the alleged father, and plans for her child.

·   Assist each resident in walking through her pregnancy. Help determine when it is necessary to go to the doctor, emergency room, etc.  Be willing to assist women through labor and delivery, if labor coach is unavailable. Be responsible for notification of appropriate people for medical & other emergencies, as well as the birth of her child.

·   Be responsible to greet volunteers/intakes/visitors when they come to the home. House father must be available to supervise and screen male visitors. Be willing to minister to boyfriends and/or birthfathers, as opportunities arise.

·   Help enroll each young woman in the appropriate education program. Assist with tutoring when necessary. When applicable, maintain necessary contact with teachers and attend conferences and school functions.

·   Help the young women meet appointments and other responsibilities. Know where each young woman is when the woman is outside the home. Be responsible for arranging for transportation to all necessary appointments & activities. Be responsible for maintaining an up-to-date medical file on each young woman.

·   Set up and maintain work schedules geared to running an efficient home. Assign daily household duties to all women.  Plan and supervise preparation of well-balanced meals. Keep log of meals served. Supervise any volunteers.

·   Assume responsibility for food budget and ensure proper food supply and management of funds. Be responsible for the houseparent account. Be responsible for recording donations as they come in and seeing to their proper use.

·   Assist each resident in caring for her child. Help in developing a plan with each resident if there are problem areas in her parenting.

·   Teach women good habits for personal hygiene and home maintenance.

·   Attend any workshops or conferences that are recommended to increase skills and staff development.

·   Maintain upkeep on house and van as much as abilities allow. Request repairs as needed.

·   Be responsible for working with the Executive Director to ensure that all state     regulations are met.

·   Be responsible to hold and record monthly fire drills.

Salary: $38000 /year PLUS 3 bedroom apartment with all utilities and meals provided.

Benefits

·   Medical Insurance Coverage: Each employee will receive $1000/year toward the purchase of a medical insurance policy if they are not covered by their spouse.