Cottage Parents Laura's Homes

Baptist Children's Home•Shelby, NC

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Baptist Children's Homes of NC, Inc. provides cottage homes where professionally trained parents care for children in a Christian, family environment. The nonprofit is nationally accredited and uses Children and Residential Experiences (CARE), a trauma-informed model intended to help children heal. Its core principles are trauma-informed, relationship-based, family-involved, ecologically oriented, developmentally focused, and competence-centered. Cottage Parents demonstrate the agency’s purpose, philosophy, policies, and procedures while working as team members and overseeing the daily activities and needs of children in care. They supervise and maintain individual and group relationships in their assigned cottage. The work schedule is two weeks on duty followed by two weeks off.

Requirements

Be at least 25 years old.
Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Have experience as a residential Cottage Parent or demonstrate the ability and motivation to learn and practice basic child-care skills.
Hold a valid driver's license and be able to operate an agency vehicle to transport children.
Be capable of managing, planning, organizing, implementing, monitoring, and maintaining agency programs, and adhering to accreditation standards and North Carolina licensing requirements.
Meet the agency's general employment qualifications in its personnel policies.
Be able to use Microsoft applications and standard kitchen equipment.
Be able to drive a 15-passenger van and get in and out of it unassisted.
Be able to read, write, and complete required documentation, and effectively present information and respond to questions from supervisors, parents, teachers, counselors, team members, and others within the scope of child care.
Be able to interpret written, oral, diagram, or schedule instructions and draw conclusions.
Be able to meet the physical demands of regularly driving and entering and exiting a 15-passenger van unassisted, walking stairs, sitting, standing, reaching, talking, hearing, and lifting up to 50 pounds.
Live on the agency premises and be available 24 hours a day while on duty.

Responsibilities

Supervise assigned children individually and as a group, and provide daily care to meet their needs.
Serve as a Christian role model, provide spiritual guidance, maintain a Christian environment, lead daily devotions, and support regular church attendance.
Prepare balanced meals in accordance with agency menus and nutritional requirements.
Establish cottage structure that helps children learn responsibility and self-regulation and become functioning members of the cottage.
Create an atmosphere in which children feel accepted and respected as group members.
Encourage and participate in school activities; assist with homework and educational planning; and maintain contact with teachers.
Encourage children to set and achieve personal goals and provide positive direction.
Follow clothing-program guidelines, supervise appropriate clothing, assess clothing needs, and purchase clothing with supervisor approval.
Participate in evaluating children in care in coordination with the Case Manager/Clinician and Regional/Area Director.
Purchase or requisition materials and supplies needed to operate the cottage.
Maintain a safe home environment, instruct the group on safety and fire prevention, and conduct fire drills and evacuation planning.
Plan informal play, special events, and group activities for children.
Follow OSHA, food program, accreditation, and North Carolina licensing safety requirements.
Transport children to activities and appointments, including school, work, church, and medical appointments.
Work with the team to develop and carry out strategies that promote learning, self-discipline, and value change using the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) and CARE models.
Use disciplinary techniques that provide positive direction and support children's self-regulation.
Understand family-crisis dynamics and work within the agency's philosophy and structure to meet family needs, respect parents, and promote parent-child relationships.
Represent the agency professionally to individuals, groups, and the public, and maintain agency professional standards.
Build and maintain individual and group relationships with teams in the family services area; respect team members' rights and keep them informed of cottage changes.
Work under the supervision of the assigned supervisor and respect the cultural and socioeconomic diversity of staff and children.
Participate in the agency's Performance Quality Improvement (PQI) program as needed.
Keep the Case Manager/Clinician and Regional/Area Director informed about incidents involving children, continuously monitor children, and maintain records.
Keep current with residential child-care and family-program practices, maintain the knowledge and skills needed for the role, and participate in required in-service training.
Maintain handbooks and support materials and ensure incidents are properly recorded.
Comply with agency confidentiality policies and HIPAA requirements concerning client, case, family, medical, and psychological-service information.