House Parents – Group Care – Homes

House Parents – Group Care – Homes

Requirements

• A self-professing Christ-follower, actively pursuing Christ and demonstrating a heart for discipleship.
• High school diploma or equivalent; college training is preferred.
• Experience with children in foster care, trauma care, or related ministry is highly desirable.
• Minimum 21 years of age.
• Capable of receiving and providing constructive feedback, demonstrating strong reconciliatory skills.
• Ability to relate well to children and adults, with a heart for family restoration.
• Demonstrates emotional and physical well-being, capable of providing a stable, loving home.
• Must have an acceptable credit rating, to demonstrate household financial stewardship.
• Holds or can obtain a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record.
• Must have training and knowledge of trauma, attachment, and other related emotional and mental needs of children in the foster care system.

Responsibilities

• Meet Spiritual Needs of Child
• Creates a gospel-centered home where children experience Christ’s love through daily interactions, prayer, and discipleship.
• Participates actively in church, attending all services possible with the family, modeling a commitment to faith and spiritual growth.
• Plans daily devotional periods that align with the goal of spiritual healing and restoration.
• Encourages children to explore their faith, ask questions, and grow in their relationship with Christ.
• Models a practice of committed, unconditional love toward children, especially during behavioral challenges.
• Demonstrates the evidence of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in one’s own lifestyle.
• Provide Leadership
• Establishes a Christ-centered family dynamic that encourages healing and restoration through the gospel.
• Guides children in understanding their God-given identity and purpose within a structured, loving home environment.
• Plans with and for the children to establish ways of living together and managing their daily lives that reflect biblical principles.
• Recognizes and supports the individuality of each child, fostering a sense of belonging within the family.
• Work in conjunction with the child’s care team to ensure the child’s best interests are being met.
• Meet Physical Needs of Child
• Ensures a stable, loving home where children feel safe and cared for, reinforcing the vision of healing and restoration.
• Provides well-balanced meals and ensures children receive appropriate medical and personal care.
• Encourages personal responsibility and self-care as a means of honoring God’s design for their lives.
• Works within the framework of the clothing budget to help ensure all children have adequate clothing appropriate to the season and comparable to peer apparel, involving the child as much as possible.
• Uses good judgment in recognizing sickness, treating minor ailments, and referring sick children to the proper medical resources.
• Meet Educational Needs of Child
• Supports a child’s academic growth by fostering a positive attitude toward education, recognizing that knowledge and wisdom are gifts from God.
• Encourages children to set academic goals and vocational goals to prepare them for future success.
• Creates and maintains an emotionally and trauma-safe environment by utilizing tools such as the 3-5-7 Model and other trauma-informed practices to support healing and trust-building with each child.
• Provides educational intervention when needed, ensuring children receive tutoring, IEP support, and career planning.
• Collaborate with teachers and school personnel by attending all school meetings and helping inform tutoring providers with necessary information.
• Execute the Plan for Care for Child
• Develop a plan with the care team that promotes each child’s emotional, spiritual, and developmental healing.
• Attends care team meetings, court hearings, and special conferences while actively advocating for the child’s best interests.
• Works with Counselor and HSP to develop a comprehensive service and treatment plan that includes behavioral, emotional, and relational goals.
• Meet Emotional Needs of Child
• Foster a home atmosphere that allows for emotional growth, conflict resolution, and personal healing.
• Provides trauma-informed care and facilitates access to counseling for children who have experienced significant hardship.
• Seeks recommendations and guidance from the Clinical Team, as needed, when navigating difficult issues related to trauma.
• Encourages healthy family involvement by working with biological families, mentors, or adoptive parents to create a network of support beyond the child’s stay at WinShape Homes.
• Seeks to understand and address behaviors as an indicator of a need, providing emotional safety for the child to explore emotions and supporting the child’s healing journey.
• Understands and integrates attachment theory concepts into daily interactions.
• Demonstrates patience, empathy, and grace while guiding children through emotional challenges.
• Be present in the child’s daily rhythms and ensure that a parent is present after school to check in and build relationships with each child.
• Involve each child in family routines, including family meals.
• Provide for Disciplinary Needs of Child
• Upholds a Christ-centered approach to discipline, using grace-based correction to foster growth and character development.
• Encourages children to take responsibility for their actions while experiencing grace, forgiveness, and restoration.
• Engage in other disciplinary strategies that do not include corporal punishment.
• Discipline of biological or adopted children will not be prescribed for parents. However, discipline practices children placed in the home can observe should align with practices that match the program’s discipline philosophy.
• Meet Social and Recreational Needs of Child
• Plan activities that reinforce family bonding, joy, and healing, such as outings, celebrations, and church events.
• Encourages children to build healthy relationships with peers and mentors who support their spiritual and emotional development
• Teaches children appropriate methods of building and enhancing interpersonal relationships, equipping them with the skills for a healthy future.
• Explores individualized interests and abilities to encourage involvement in extracurricular activities suited to each child.
• Plans special events, holidays, birthdays, milestone recognitions, and family traditions.
• Household Management Requirements
• Sets the tone of family life, which generates an atmosphere that makes the child feel he belongs and is respected as a family member.
• Models servant leadership, demonstrating biblical stewardship in managing the home.
• Maintains a structured, consistent routine that creates security and promotes healing.
• Teaches children life skills that will prepare them for independence, responsibility, and future success.
• Assumes responsibility for helping children meet appointments and obligations outside the home.
• Assumes responsibility for purchasing and maintaining a prescribed amount of supplies as indicated by need.
• Instructs the children of safety, fire prevention, fire drills, and evacuation plans in accordance with the State of Georgia standards.
• Maintains lawn and shrubbery.
• Maintain vehicles in coordination with WSF Workplace Property Services.
• Establishes a daily routine, including all members of the family, based on age, ability, and size in keeping the home clean and comfortable.
• Ensure that the home is kept clean and organized to always be ready as a hospitable host to unexpected guests.
• Maintains their personal areas in the home in a manner that sets an example for children in the home to follow.
• Be willing to accept outside support in this effort if recommended by Manager, House Parents.
• Reports immediately to WSF Workplace Property Services all building and maintenance needs.
• Responsibility as a WinShape Homes Team Member
• Supports the vision, mission, and values of WinShape Homes by creating a gospel-centered environment where children and families can experience healing and restoration through Christ.
• Upholds the values of People, Results, Excellence, Safety, and Stewardship, (PRESS) ensuring that all decisions align with Christ-centered care principles.
• Integrates and prioritizes the key ingredients of group care, including relational permanency, family engagement, integrated team, staff care, and training (including the 3-5-7 model).
• Works collaboratively with the broader WinShape community to enhance the overall mission of family restoration
• Understands and comply with WinShape Homes Operations Manual.
• Knows and supports the roles of other team members.
• Attends and participates in staff meetings, intakes, progress reports, conferences, in-service training, case reviews, etc., realizing that all residents’ and families’ information must be confidential.
• Professionally handles confidential information.
• Personal Growth, Skill Development and Well-Being
• Attends all meetings and trainings required by the Manager, House Parents, Director, WinShape Group Care, Senior Director, WinShape Homes, WinShape Foundation, and the State of Georgia, Tennessee, or Alabama.
• Performs other duties as assigned by Manager, House Parents, Director, WinShape Group Care, or Senior Director, WinShape Homes.
• Actively pursues spiritual growth and professional development to serve children and families better.
• Participates in training programs that enhance trauma-informed care and gospel-centered parenting.
• Seeks out confidential counseling services, as needed, in pursuit of personal growth and health while serving in this ministry.
• Coordinates with relief parents to ensure full-time house parents receive their state-mandated time away from the home and coordinates any needed additional time off with the team and supervisor.
• Supervision
• Functions under the guidance of the Manager, House Parents and participates in regular evaluations to ensure alignment with the vision of healing and restoration through the gospel.
• Shares ideas and recommendations through the supervisory process to assist the foundation in an assessment of existing and/or projected programs.
• Accepts other responsibilities as assigned by the director/board of directors based on campus work needs, special events, and programs.
• Supervises and directs relief parents in the operation of the home, including supervision and safety of the children.
• Public Relations
• Assists in hosting groups of visitors to the facilities as requested.
• Represents the foundation’s philosophy, purpose, and program of services to groups and individuals as requested by the director.
• Maintains a positive community involvement of our ministry by accommodating schools, churches, etc. whenever possible.
• Represents WinShape Homes’ vision to the community, church, and potential partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• College training is preferred.
• Experience with children in foster care, trauma care, or related ministry is highly desirable.