Foster Parent - Rockford

Foster Parent – Hope House

Location: Rockford, IL | Full-Time, Hybrid Live-In Role

A home is more than a place. For a teen who has experienced instability, it can be the beginning of something different.

What if your next job could provide more than a paycheck? What if it gave you the opportunity to help a young person feel safe, supported, and hopeful about their future—while providing you with a fully furnished home and covered household expenses?

At One Hope United’s Hope House, you can turn that opportunity into a career.

We are seeking mission-driven Hybrid Live-In Foster Parents (House Parents) to provide a stable, family-style home for up to four youth, ages 13–17, with high-acuity needs. You’ll be more than a caregiver. You’ll be a consistent adult who helps teens build trust, develop life skills, navigate challenges, and prepare for a safe and successful future.

We provide the home. You help make it a home.

What Makes This Role Different

• Housing Provided: Live in a beautiful, fully furnished home provided by One Hope United, with food, household items, and approved youth activities covered.
• Meaningful Impact: Help teens experience consistency, encouragement, structure, and genuine connection.
• Training & Support: Receive extensive training in our trauma-informed Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) approach, along with ongoing clinical consultation and team support.
• You’re Never Doing It Alone: Work alongside therapists, social workers, youth care workers, relief caregivers, licensing staff, teachers, mentors, and leadership.
• Room to Grow: Help youth work toward educational, behavioral, emotional, and independent-living goals.
• Built-In Support: Benefit from structured respite time and a team committed to supporting you in this unique role.
  
  

What You’ll Do

As a Hybrid Live-In Foster Parent, you’ll create a safe, structured, and nurturing family-style environment where youth can learn, heal, and grow.

You Will

• 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. We’ll train you.
• 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.
  
  

Who Thrives in This Role?

This role is a great fit for someone who can bring patience, consistency, compassion, and confidence to challenging situations.

You’ll Need

• 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.
  
  

We Invest in You!

• Tuition assistance up to $2500 per fiscal year
• Up to 4 weeks paid Vacation Days, up to 6 paid Personal Days, 1 paid Mental Health Day, and up to 5 paid Sick days annually
• Medical, dental, vision, 403 (b) retirement, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, dependent care, commuter and transit
• Agency-paid Life ADD insurance up to $50K based on salary and short-term disability
• Agency-paid long-term after 1 year of employment
• Voluntary Supplemental Life & ADD, Critical Illness, Accident and Hospital for Employee, Spouse, and Child(ren)
• Voluntary Legal Plans
• Voluntary Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program with 6 free counseling sessions
• Career ladders, professional development, and promotion opportunities
• Free LCSW and LCPC Supervision hours available in some locations
  
  

A Different Kind of Employer: One Hope United is strong and ready to grow. Are you ready to grow with us?

• 800 talented professionals strong, serving 10,000 children and families in Illinois and Florida
• Fiscally stable, $70 Million agency-- strong since 1895
• Energetic leadership and a rich community of support
  
  

One Hope United does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. One Hope United is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug-Free Workplace. OHU participates in E-Verify.

Ready to Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to create a life-changing home setting—for them and for you. If you’ve been seeking meaningful work where you’re fully supported and genuinely making a difference every single day, we’d love to hear from you.