Foster Parent - Rockford Hope House

One Hope United•Rockford, IL

10h•Hybrid

About The Position

Foster Parent – Hope House is a full-time, hybrid live-in role located in Rockford, IL. This position offers the opportunity to provide a stable, family-style home for up to four youth, ages 13-17, with high-acuity needs. The role involves being a consistent adult who helps teens build trust, develop life skills, navigate challenges, and prepare for a safe and successful future. One Hope United provides the home, and the Foster Parent helps make it a home. This role is unique because it includes housing provided by One Hope United (fully furnished, with food, household items, and approved youth activities covered), offers a meaningful impact by helping teens experience consistency, encouragement, structure, and genuine connection, provides extensive training in a trauma-informed approach (TBRI) with ongoing clinical consultation and team support, ensures the Foster Parent is never alone by working alongside therapists, social workers, youth care workers, relief caregivers, licensing staff, teachers, mentors, and leadership, offers room to grow by helping youth work toward educational, behavioral, emotional, and independent-living goals, and provides built-in support with structured respite time and a committed team.

Requirements

3+ years of experience working with at-risk youth.
Bachelor's degree in a related field
A calm, confident presence, particularly during stressful or emotionally challenging situations.
Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
The ability to build respectful, positive relationships with youth and adults from diverse backgrounds.
A willingness to learn and use trauma-informed approaches to care.
Valid driver’s license and good driving record.
Ability to pass a required background check.
Willingness to comply with all applicable state licensing requirements and consent to being listed on the home license.
A genuine commitment to creating a safe and supportive home for young people.

Responsibilities

Provide consistent care, supervision, structure, and encouragement for up to four youth ages 13-17.
Serve as a positive and dependable adult role model.
Maintain a therapeutic home environment using strengths-based, trauma-informed practices.
Help youth develop daily living skills, maintain routines, attend school, and participate in healthy recreational activities.
Build positive relationships with youth, biological parents, social workers, counselors, psychologists, teachers, mentors, and other members of the treatment team.
Help youth establish and work toward goals related to education, behavior, emotional well-being, and independence.
Transport youth to school, appointments, activities, and approved outings using an agency vehicle.
Create opportunities for fun and positive experiences, including approved trips to sporting events, amusement parks, museums, festivals, and other activities.
Maintain accurate documentation and communicate important information to the treatment team.
Collaborate with the treatment team to provide high-quality care and achieve positive outcomes for youth.