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House Parent

Do you have a heart for teens, hurting families, and farm life? Well, we have the job for you.

The successful candidate will be a married couple with a calling to work in local missions with vulnerable youth and their families in a family-style, Christian, farm-based recovery program situated on 148 acres just 25 minutes southeast of Mandurah.

After a trial period and training the right candidates may choose to be part of the team launching in-home residential care on their own property or residence supported by local churches and selected team members. Home care would involve the care of 2- 4 teens at a time allocated according to the level of need and 'home parent' capacity.

Our service includes

Residential care for teens 10-17 years, Equine Therapy, Car Restoration & Farm-based Therapies, and our H4Y Therapy & Animal Farm. Our clients are diverse with complex and diverse needs and travel from as far as 2 hours for our hands-on programs. Clients in our residential program travel from interstate and overseas for the H4Y mental health recovery live-in program. We currently home both ' long term' residents as well as teens who enroll into our shorter intensive 10-week program, allowing staff to have a well-deserved break in between this 'seasonal' program.

We are looking for the right couple to join a dedicated, sacrificial, and skilled team who feel called to the mission field of Homestead For Youth where life on a farm with young people can be challenging, changing, busy, loud, and yet very rewarding. Strategically Homestead is looking to expand the site of H4Y and so this may be a great opportunity for successful candidates to determine if a more long-term role as House Parents in their own home or on another site may be an area they are called into.

In caring for the young people in our residential programme, our House Parents daily duties operate alongside youth support staff and involve:

  • Maintaining a high standard of cleanliness, tidiness, and comfort in the home environment and farm spaces;
  • Observing safety standards and protocols;
  • Sharing responsibility for a dinner routine with nutritious meals;
  • Providing transportation for youth to appointments as required;
  • Assisting with supervision and leading suitable program approved activities;
  • Monitor the youth’s supply of clothing, footwear, school materials, and other belongings
  • Medication and appointment support;
  • Administration of key areas directly pertaining to the care of the youth;
  • Facilitating basic Mental Health & Christian Recovery teachings at night;
  • Supporting Parent visits
  • As part of a team, follow our processes and behavior management policies to all work together for the best possible recovery outcome;
  • Endorse and practice Danny Silk- Loving Kids On Purpose Strategies;
  • Church and youth engagement and running Christian devotions with the youth;
  • Facilitate and assist with the team and individual teen projects;
  • Positively endorse Homestead and the work of the teens and the team in the community;
  • Crisis response as required;
  • Working with the team, deliberating with counseling staff, and upskilling in areas of complex psychological, emotional and spiritual needs;
  • Basic outside and garden maintenance. Farm experience would be a plus.
  • Modeling emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, perseverance, and humility.

Skills and Experience

  • An openness to learn new methods;
  • Ability to participate in team meetings, staff meetings, training, and supervision, as required
  • Successful completion of relevant history checks and screening processes
  • A full Australian Driver’s Licence;
  • National police clearance certificate;
  • Current Working with Children’s Check (WWCC);
  • Confidence in managing teens and adults and required boundaries;
  • Ability to work as a strong leader as well as under leadership with pre-existing policies and procedures developed for youth work;
  • Ability to be consistently reliable, perseverance, consistent, a person of your word and follow through on agreements;
  • Potential for farm and house maintenance if the skill is available.
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