Foster Caregiver

The Foster Caregiver is responsible for the care, safety, and well-being of children and youth within their home. The position requires patience, empathy, perseverance, and a strong desire to help children and youth who come from hard places. The caregiver shall be prepared to meet all basic needs and will provide emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, and educational guidance. The Foster Caregiver must have a desire to learn and grow in their knowledge of the effects of trauma to best meet the needs of any children in their care. The caregiver shall include the youth in all family activities as appropriate and allowed by the youth’s custodian, while also respecting the wishes of the youth (when age appropriate) and the youth’s biological family, if applicable. The caregiver will follow all applicable laws, policies, and procedures as provided to them by Choices Foster Care Solutions and will participate willingly and openly in helping the child reach their legal plan for permanency. The child’s permanency plan may include partnering with and mentoring the child’s biological family when deemed safe and appropriate. The caregiver will communicate frequently with the Choices Foster Care Solutions team regarding any concerns or issues as directed and shall give at least a 30-day notice when unresolvable circumstances arise which would not allow the youth to remain in their home.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Organizational Management

• Work directly with the Licensing Specialist to complete the licensing process by completing background checks, training, medical assessments, and a thorough home study process. Complete all other assessments or checks as required by the Licensing Specialist.
• Comply with the Licensing Specialist and remain up to date on all required training and licensing revisions or reviews.
• Maintain contact with assigned Foster Care Coordinator to inform of any issues, concerns, or changes in the living situation or with the youth placed in the home. Any critical incidents, including safety concerns, must be reported immediately to the assigned Foster Care Coordinator, or the on-call staff.
• Provide for the youth’s safety at home, school, childcare settings and in the community.
• Provide for the youth’s basic needs for food, shelter, and clothing.
• Provide constant, positive guidance to the youth regarding their emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, and educational well-being.
• When possible, the Caregiver will work in positive partnership with the youth’s custodian, biological family, the court, providers such as therapists or mentors, and other essential connections in the youth’s life.
• Participate in team meetings with family and professionals in the child’s life, therapy sessions, court, or any other activities in the youth’s best interest.
• Complete all reports or charts requested by the Foster Care Coordinator regarding the youth, especially a daily chart for the youth’s medications, if applicable.
• Consult with the Foster Care Coordinator and request respite when needed.
• Participate in opportunities for self-care, personal growth, and further education through provided support groups or other appropriate forums.
• Provide transportation or arrange for transportation for the youth’s needs including but not limited to, school (when applicable), extra-curricular activities, medical appointments, counseling, visits with family, court, or any other event.

Qualifications

• Must be a minimum of age 21
• Must have a stable living arrangement:
• May be a married couple.
• May be an unmarried cohabitating couple who have lived together for at least one (1) year.
• May be a single person.
• Note: For married spouses and unmarried cohabitating couples, both individuals must be approved as foster parents. If an applicant is married but separated at the time of initial application, the applicant must have lived apart from his or her spouse continuously for a minimum of a one (1) year period with no intent to reconcile. The applicant must be maintaining a separate household, and the separation must be verified by at least three (3) references.
• Must be a person whose behaviors, circumstances, and physical and mental health contribute to the safety and well-being of children.
• Ability to demonstrate strengths in skill areas as set out by Choices Foster Care Solutions that will permit them to undertake and perform the responsibilities of meeting the needs of children, providing continuity of care, and working with the foster care team.
• Ability to demonstrate skills in the following competencies:
• Protecting, guiding, and nurturing.
• Meeting physical, mental, emotional, and developmental needs and addressing any delays.
• Supporting relationships between children and their families.
• Developing partnerships with birth families, the department and its representatives, and others in the community in order to carry out case plans and establish permanency.
• Helping children placed in the foster family home:
• develop skills to manage loss and skills to form attachments; and
• build on positive self-concept and positive family, cultural, and racial identity.
• Connecting children to lifetime relationships.
• Working as a member of a professional team.
• Effectively manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to follow policies, procedures, regulations, and laws as applicable to the duties of this position.

Job Type: Contract

Pay: $15.00 per hour

Work Location: In person

Salary : $15