Child Care Worker - Gaudenzia

Do You have the heart to serve others and making a lifelong impact? Picture Yourself At Gaudenzia as a Childcare Worker at our Vantage House Pregnant & Parenting Women's Program located 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 You Are

You are a Child Care Work who is passionate about helping individuals suffering from substance use disorders and/or mental health illnesses.  Your responsibility will be to see that all the needs of the children in the facility are being met while the mother is involved in the various stages of treatment. These needs will include emotional and physical, and the approach is to be geared specifically to the individual child. The Child Care Worker assists the mother in gaining a greater understanding of the child, of childcare and development, and the relationship of mother and child. Duties may include, but are not limited to: being responsible for developing and implementing activities for those children who are too young to attend public school. You  will be required to teach the child basic skills, how to care for him/herself, keep necessary records, participate in group counseling activities, work with community agencies and provide necessary support for mother and child in reference to parenting and education about child development. Work is performed in accordance with established regulations, policies and procedures, but the person is expected to exercise considerable initiative and independent judgment in achieving objectives. You will be required to pass all clearance checks as required by Act 33 of the Child Protection Services Law.

What you'll do at Gaudenzia:

1. Implement the care, and activities of children in residence and manage all activities of the childcare component
2. Implement Drug & Alcohol early intervention/prevention activities for the children
3. Continue specialized training as designated by the Supervisor
4. Provide individual and group counseling for the children/mothers; monitor emotional/psychological status of children and arrange/recommend referrals to ancillary clinical services when indicated
5. Assist in conducting mother-child and family therapeutic sessions in conjunction with other clinical staff
6. Maintain clinical records and correspondence concerning the children and ensure compliance with all confidentiality procedures of the Child Care component
7. Maintain contact with outside agencies and consulting/information resources as necessary for the continuing development and improvement of the Child Care component
8. Provide training and guidance to adult residents in childcare and parenting skills; observe parent/child interactions in daily settings and advise on recommended adjustments
9. Participate in regular consultations with other clinical staff concerning mother/child relationships, and the problems and needs of the children
10. Monitor educational progress of the children and maintain contact with school; arrange tutoring when necessary; maintain dialogue with mothers concerning educational needs and progress of children
11. Maintain valid driver’s license.
12. Other duties as assigned by Program Director or Recovery Support Supervisor.

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 1^st year of employment
  • Vacation Accruals at 80 hours minimally during your 1^st 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.

Minimum Requirements

Education/Training: High School Diploma or GED

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Knowledge of child care, prevention activities and early childhood development.
2. Knowledge of the basic principles, practices, and procedures involved in an alcohol and drug program.
3. Knowledge of the drug and alcohol abusing subculture.
4. Knowledge of the physical and emotional characteristics and manifestations of alcohol and drug dependency.
5. Knowledge of individual and group behavior and the effective ways of working with them.
6. Ability to work effectively with people and aid them in adjusting to specific problems.
7. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationship with clients, and other members of staff, outside agencies and institutions, and the general public.

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.

1. We hold client care as our top priority.
2. We assume good intentions.
3. We are present, we connect, and we communicate with transparency, dignity, and respect.
4. We make data-driven decisions with courage, challenge the status quo, and find innovative ways to grow Gaudenzia and each other.
5. We support each other publicly and privately in all circumstances.
6. We provide and accept constructive, honest, respectful, and timely feedback with an open mind and without personalization.
7. We operate with integrity, focus on outcomes, and have a bias for action.
8. 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!