Childcare Specialist

Do You have the heart to serve others and making a lifelong impact? Picture Yourself At Gaudenzia as a Childcare Specialist at our Vantage Pregnant & Parenting Women's Program in Lancaster, PA!

We need hope-bringers and changemakers — because the work we all do matters. If you’re passionate about making an impact with your time and being someone’s light in the darkness, we want you on our team.

Come Join Us to Do Mission-Based, Meaningful Work

Who We Are

Gaudenzia is one of the largest nonprofit providers of treatment to people with substance use and co-occurring disorders in the nation. We operate in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

Our caring, compassionate team is on a mission to save thousands of lives each year and bring hope to people devastated by substance use disorder. Together, we help individuals, families, and communities heal and thrive in the face of one of the most devastating public health crises of our time.

As our organization grows and evolves to meet the needs of our clients and communities, we’re seeking passionate, empathic individuals to help us make an impact. With your help, we can turn the tide on substance use disorder.

Who we’re looking for

This individual’s responsibility will be to supervise, nurture, and care for children residing within the program while their mothers are engaged in various stages of treatment. The Certified Childcare Specialist will attend to the basic needs for children of all ages and encourage their positive growth and development.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, facilitating age-appropriate activities for the children within the program; supervising and monitoring children’s safety during structured and unstructured play; maintaining records of children’s routine, progress, and interests; monitoring children’s emotional, behavioral, and developmental progress and coordinating with ancillary support services, as needed; participating in group counseling activities; and providing positive support to parents and their children in reference to parenting skills and education about child development.

Work is performed in accordance with established regulations, policies and procedures; however, the certified childcare specialist is expected to exercise considerable initiative and independent judgment in achieving objectives. This individual is required to pass all clearance checks as required by Act 33 of the Child Protection Services Law.

Your responsibilities in this role may include

• Treat all clients and staff with dignity and respect.
• Assist in ongoing age-appropriate curriculum development and implementation for prevention program.
• Develop and facilitate developmentally appropriate activities for children of residents within the program.
• Supervise and monitor child safety during structured and unstructured activities.
• Instruct and role model basic skills and concepts, including sharing, taking turns, cooperation, and emotional regulation.
• Monitor emotional, behavioral, developmental, and academic progress of the children and communicate with mothers concerning needs and progress; make referrals for tutoring or ancillary support services, as needed.
• Engage and complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) assessments with the mothers and children.
• Maintain clinical records and correspondence concerning the children and ensure compliance with all confidentiality procedures.
• Maintain contact with outside agencies and consult information resources as necessary for the continuing development and improvement of the childcare programming component.
• Provide positive support and and guidance to adult residents regarding child development and positive parenting; observe parent/child interactions and provide support, as needed and when appropriate.
• Arrange and plan monthly pro-social therapeutic trips and activities for the children and mothers.
• Assist in conducting mother-child and family therapeutic sessions in conjunction with clinical staff.
• Participate in regular consultations with clinical staff concerning mother/child relationships, and the needs of the children.
• Maintain clinical records and correspondence concerning the children and ensure compliance with all confidentiality procedures of the Child Care component.
• Other related duties and trainings as assigned by the Program Director, or designee.
  
  
  

Benefits & Perks

Gaudenzia is a diverse, inclusive workplace where purpose-driven people thrive. We think our team members are real heroes, and we believe those who devote their lives to making the world a better place deserve competitive salaries, generous health benefits, and unbeatable work-life balance in return.

Benefits & Perks at Gaudenzia include

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance (At No Cost)
• Short-Term Disability Insurance (At No Cost)
• Life Insurance (At No Cost)
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance (At No Cost)
• Vision Insurance
• Various Supplemental Benefits (Aflac, Legal, Identity Theft & FSA)
• You generate two banks of time off Personal and Vacation
• Paid Time Off (PTO) Accruals at 80 hours minimally during your 1st year of employment
• Vacation Accruals at 80 hours minimally during your 1st year of employment
• 10 Paid Holidays Per Calendar Year
• Paid Bereavement Leave
• Education Assistance Benefit (Tuition Reimbursement)
• Full reimbursement for the cost of professional license/certification renewals
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with an Employer Match Up to 5%
• Employee Assistance Program
  
  

Gaudenzia is an equal opportunity employer. We do not practice or permit discrimination based on race, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, religion, creed, disability, or veteran’s status.

Qualifications for this role

Education/ Training High School Diploma or GED and Certification in Childhood Development

Experience Minimum of 1 year of experience.

• Specialized knowledge of early childhood development, including children’s social, emotional, and physical development and milestones.
• Knowledge of positive parenting practices and ability to model these practices.
• Knowledge of substance use and mental health disorder treatment programs.
• Ability to calmly and effectively multitask.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse populations of children, adults, and families and aid them in adjusting to their specific needs.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, other members of staff, outside agencies, institutions and the general public.
• Ability to initiate and maintain contacts with social service agencies, vocational programs, educational programs, etc.
• Ability to successfully work with others from various cultures and backgrounds.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with children and adults.
• Skilled at using computers, including familiarity and faculty with Microsoft Office programs like Word and Excel.
  
  
  

What Matters to Us? Our Mission & Our Operating Principles

Our Mission

Gaudenzia aspires to connect individuals and families to addiction and mental health treatment so they can attain long-term recovery and achieve a fulfilling life embraced by a broad community of mutual support.

Our Operating Principles

We, as members of the Gaudenzia Team, are committed to these principles. They guide the way we perform Gaudenzia business, every day.

• We hold client care as our top priority.
• We assume good intentions.
• We are present, we connect, and we communicate with transparency, dignity, and respect.
• We make data-driven decisions with courage, challenge the status quo, and find innovative ways to grow Gaudenzia and each other.
• We support each other publicly and privately in all circumstances.
• We provide and accept constructive, honest, respectful, and timely feedback with an open mind and without personalization.
• We operate with integrity, focus on outcomes, and have a bias for action.
• We follow through on agreements and honor commitments prioritized with a sense of urgency — someone’s life may depend on it.
  
  
  

Gaudenzia is proud to be an employer of choice — and a treatment provider of choice — in the substance use and co-occurring disorders treatment field. We work hard to foster an inclusive, supportive environment where our employees and clients always feel safe and welcome. Come work with us!