Youth & Child Care Specialist

Overview

At The New York Foundling, we trust in the power and potential of people, and we deliberately invest in proven practices. From bold beginnings in 1869, our New York-based nonprofit has supported hundreds of thousands of our neighbors on their own paths to stability, strength, and independence.  We help children and families navigate through and beyond foster care. We help families struggling with conflict and poverty grow strong. We help individuals with developmental disabilities live their best lives, and we help our neighbors access quality health and mental health services—core to building lifelong resilience and wellbeing. Together, our interrelated programs provide a whole-person, whole-family, and whole-life approach that unlocks solutions for a lifetime.

The Youth and Child Care Specialist oversees pregnant and parenting residents, ensuring a supportive and nurturing living environment. They encourage the development of essential independent living skills among the teens in our care.

Responsibilities

The Youth and Child Care Specialist oversees pregnant and parenting residents, ensuring a supportive and nurturing living environment. They encourage the development of essential independent living skills among the teens in our care.

Core Responsibilities:

Assist youth in foster care with activities of daily living skills (ex. personal hygiene, food preparation, house keeping, child care, laundry and shopping etc.) to model and encourage independent living skills.

Assist the pregnant and parenting residents in developing effective parenting skills and positive behavior by modeling to ensure sustainable independence.

Attend personal care appointments to provide support and educate how to navigate community resources.

Read communication log at the beginning of each shift; accurately document in the communication log what transpires through your shift. Ensure continuity of care and compliance with oversight regulations. 

Ensure that proper documentation is submitted in a timely manner, including but not limited to daily shift logs, program notes on residents, medication reports, and incident reports to ensure program compliance and maintain  high standards of care.

Participate in recreational activities with the pregnant and parenting residents and their children to engage them and their child in programing while building a rapport. 

Adhere to regulation requirements such as 30 min room checks and conducting fire drills to ensure the safety and well-being of the youth and children in the program.

Participate in obligatory evidence based model trainings such as EQ2 and Power Source Parenting to enhance program services provided to the youth in foster care.

The New York Foundling is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse employee population, the Foundling will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; Associates or Bachelor’s degree preferred.   
• 1–2 year’s experience working with pregnant and parenting teens 
• 1-2 year’s experience taking care of infants and toddlers
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Good organizational skills and inter-personal relational skills
• Good organizational skills and inter-personal relational skills
• Ability to support and nurture children and youth in a structured environment
• Clean and valid NY/NJ/PA Driver’s License preferred
• Demonstrated strong commitment to safety.

Education Required

High School / G.E.D.