Child and Youth Care Worker
Title: Child and Youth Care Worker
Location: All Blue Door Locations
Schedule: All employees must be able and willing to work within all programs and with flexible schedules to support 24 hours, 7 days a week operations.
Equipment/Machinery/Tools: Computer, telephone, fax machine, copier, calculator, Reliable Vehicle/Valid Driver’s License/Insurance
Blue Door is a not-for-profit registered charitable agency governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. We have been an integral part of our community providing essential emergency shelter services since 1982. Blue Door’s mission is to support people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness to attain and retain affordable housing.
Job Summary
Reporting to Program Manager, the Child and Youth Care Worker provides child-focused supportive services for clients (children, youth, and parents). Services include supportive counselling, parent-child intervention, and liaison with relevant community systems/services.
Responsibilities
- Plan, develop, and implement child-focused activities and programs, including creating regularly scheduled programs targeting different age groups, including younger children during the day and older youth after school.
- Ensure toys and play area are regularly sanitized or disinfected.
- Provide regular and periodic statistical information as requested.
- Assist with navigating the educational and child protection systems as necessary, including accompanying families to interviews and/or meetings.
- Work in conjunction with Housing Worker to arrange child care coverage when parents have scheduled appointments with Housing Workers.
- Purchasing items for programming.
- Applying for daycare and recreational subsidies.
- Create and post monthly activity calendars in coordination with community partners.
- Plan and supervise volunteer and community programs for children and youth on site.
- Providing transportation support to housing appointments as needed.
- Working to provide parental support to foster healthy relationships between families and external supports.
- Participate in case conferences with relevant external partners to ensure adequate support.
- Ensure all required documentation and assessment is complete to support with educational enrollment including but not limited to applying for birth certificate and ensure existing individual education plans are transferred.
- Applying and supporting with reinstatement of child tax benefit while also ensuring annual taxes have been filed to support housing budget.
- Assist with transferring community supports once housed including but not limited to school and day care enrollment.
- Coordinate school lunches with Housing Navigators and Support Staff.
Respect and Professionalism
- Maintain professionalism in the workplace.
- Working cooperatively alongside and supporting all Blue Door team members and departments.
- Adherence to the mission, vision, policies and procedures of the agency.
- Able and willing to promote harm reduction practices in accordance with core standards.
- Attend internal staff meetings and staff training as required.
- Maintain the confidentiality of all client and agency information.
- Utilizes effective conflict resolution skills in accordance with (Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) training.
- Fosters positive and appropriate relationships with clients, colleagues, community partners and volunteers.
- Provides referrals and follow-up as necessary.
- Meets with manager on a regular basis and participates in completion of annual performance evaluation.
Occupational Health and Safety
- All employees are responsible for carrying out work in a way that does not adversely affect their own health and safety and that of others.
- All employees shall learn and understand health and safety policies and procedures and will comply with them.
Qualifications
- Minimum CYW, CYC, SSW or 2-year college diploma in a human services program.
- Experience working with vulnerable populations.
- Demonstrated ability to plan, implement and evaluate supportive services to children in an emergency housing environment.
- Knowledge of varied philosophies of child developmental stages.
- Demonstrated personal organization and time management skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills with clients and colleagues and commitment to team approach.
- Understanding of relevant legislation and government policies (including the Child and Family Services Act).
- Ability to develop rapport and interact effectively with children and youth.
- Understanding and delivery of anti-oppressive practices.
- Ability to deal effectively with conflict and crisis.
- Able to operate within a flexible work schedule.
- CPI, Standard First Aid/CPR and Vulnerable Screening Clearance (Police Check).
- Ability to offer culturally appropriate services.
- Solid written and verbal communication skills.
Blue Door is committed to the development of a staff and leadership team that reflects the incredible diversity of the communities we serve. We promote the principles of intersectional anti-racism and anti-oppression and adhere to the tenets of the Ontario Human Rights Code. We both welcome and encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to access and equity, including Indigenous, Black and racialized people, members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, people with disabilities, and people with lived experience of homelessness. Blue Door is a unionized work environment.
In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and Blue Doors AODA Policy, accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance.
Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.