Houseparent - New Song Mission

Houseparenting Overview: Houseparents at New Song are committed Christ followers who are led by the Lord to care for vulnerable boys and girls. The Houseparenting role is a full-time residential position, where married couples provide a safe, loving home to vulnerable children and live out their Christian values among them, leading lifestyles that model positive, godly character and a daily pursuit of Jesus. Houseparent couples must possess certain personal characteristics unique to this position that will help lead them to successfully fulfilling this extremely important calling.

Houseparenting at New Song offers several wonderful blessings, including:

• Utilizing one’s unique gifts and abilities for the glory of God and the good of children
• Providing transformative, Christ-centered care with a supportive group of like-minded believers
• Making a life-changing, eternal impact on K-8 grade boys and girls

· Helping children become a positive influence on families and communities

• Serving together as a couple in full-time ministry
• Joining a growing ministry with plans of future expansion
• Having most weekends and school breaks off, and also three weeks during the summer months

· A short one-year commitment

· Growing in your Christian faith

· Receiving training that enhances one's ability to biblically disciple others

· Living on a scenic campus setting in a beautiful, spacious home

· Generous compensation that includes a salary, free room and board, and health care contributions

At New Song, children become equipped for life through compassionate, comprehensive, holistic care. The boys and girls at New Song thrive through biblical discipleship, caring relationships, and academic instruction, leadership training, and other opportunities, by God’s grace. As a ministry team, the staff works together to provide the education, experiential learning, social/emotional growth opportunities, recreational experiences, and spiritual mentoring that kids need in order to grow and thrive. Houseparents must have a close walk with Jesus in order to successfully carry out the responsibilities and work in unity with fellow team members.

Collaboration: Houseparents are a part of a broader ministry team, and as such, houseparents must be exceptional team players who have a genuine willingness to serve in areas outside of the normal houseparent roles to assist others on campus when the need arises. This includes tutoring in the classrooms, participating in community activities on campus, and welcoming others such as supporters or those touring the campus into the home with a hospitable, open-door mentality. Houseparents also assist with the ministry’s marketing, communications, and fundraising efforts in various ways. 

Duties and Responsibilities: Children at New Song thrive best in an encouraging, structured environment that is safe and predictable. They grow through relationships, and so houseparents must be able to connect with the children in a personal way. The primary duties and responsibilities of houseparents are listed below. These duties and responsibilities must be carried out in compliance with New Song’s Policies, Best Practices, and Houseparent Success Indicators, while seeking to achieve Student Success Indicator goals we have for our students’ personal holistic growth and transformation.

New Song houseparents’ primary duties are to: 

 1.Provide a safe, joyful, fun, positive home environment for children

 2.Demonstrate unconditional love for the children in the home and on campus

 3.Compassionately care for and nurture children, showing how much one values them and their feelings

 4.Biblically disciple, correct, and teach children consistent with New Song best practices and training

 5.Help children grow and develop in all aspects of their lives: socially, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, and physically

 6.Support the educational growth of students serving as tutors both in the classroom and in the home

 7.Provide and participate in recreational activities with students on a daily basis

 8.Give children opportunities to practice the leadership traits that the ministry is emphasizing in the classroom

 9.Manage the household and keep the home and its yard clean and well kept

10.Perform routine home maintenance tasks

11.Help with campus groundskeeping and the maintenance of vehicles and equipment as needed 

12.Support marketing and community relations, and participate in fundraising activities

13.Support the overall campus community and contribute to a healthy community culture

14.Provide daily reports to supervisors through an online childcare software management system

15.Perform other responsibilities and duties as requested 

While there is some autonomy in the home, there is a structure as well as best practices and policies that houseparents must welcome and adhere to while performing these duties. We seek to fully support our houseparents and provide them with all of the training and guidance needed for them to be successful.

Qualifications

· Christian Faith and Development: Has received Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior and are committed to having Jesus Christ be the Lord of ones lives; are spiritually developing in one's walk with the Lord

· Resiliency: Having the capacity to be resilient in light of the stress and emotional ups and downs that working with vulnerable kids who have behavioral problems can create

· Emotional Stability: Is able to maintain emotional strength, health, and vitality by abiding in Christ

· Unconditional Love: Loves children unconditionally and demonstrates this love appropriately

· Enthusiasm and Joy: Is an enthusiastic, joyful, and encouraging person

· Discipline and Discipleship: Has the ability to command the respect of children who have behavioral difficulties and the desire and capacity to learn how to disciple them in the Lord

· Student Conflict: Can manage student conflict in appropriate ways and has the ability and desire to learn and grow in child management through training and mentoring

· Educational Requirements: College diploma or trade school certification is preferred

· Experience: Experience working with children is preferred; having knowledge of the unique challenges emotionally impaired children pose is helpful

· Statement of Faith: Is in strong agreement with New Song’s Statement of Faith

· Maturity: Has demonstrated maturity in working with others, particularly in stressful or difficult circumstances

· Accountability: Agrees to being accountable to supervisors

· Coachable: Is open to training, mentoring, and coaching

· Household Management: Can manage a household of at-risk children

· Personal Characteristics: Possesses those personal characteristics which are necessary and beneficial to effectively raise emotionally-impaired children

· Minimum Length of Marriage: 2 years

· Number of Children: Couples may have up to two children of their own in the home

· Culture, Guiding Principles, & Core Values: Commitment to New Song’s Culture, Guiding Principles, & Core Values Statement

· Physical Capacity: Has the physical capacity to fulfill each of the duties and responsibilities listed, as well as physical activities such as general lifting, light athletics, and family outings such as hiking and camping. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 40 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus

· Continuous Learning: Demonstrates the desire and ability to continually learn how to best meet the needs of children and has a willingness to continually improve in all areas

· Valid Driver’s License: Has and maintains a valid driver’s license and be able to operate a ministry vehicle to transport children without restrictions

· Vehicle and Driving Skills: Has a dependable motor vehicle; has demonstrated good driving skills and has a clean driving history

· Background Check: Passes the criminal background check and other possible background checks

· Other Abilities: Has the abilities to fulfill each of the duties and responsibilities listed above

· General Qualifications: Meets the general qualifications for employment as outlined in the personnel policies

Conclusion: Each item referenced in this houseparent job description is included among the roles, responsibilities, and duties of New Song houseparents. Other roles, responsibilities, and duties may be assigned by houseparent supervisors from time to time in order to meet the needs of the ministry. We highly value each of our staff members, including houseparents, and we seek to work together in a healthy ministry atmosphere that blesses each other and glorifies the Lord!