Mission Statement: The purpose of New Song Mission is to equip children for life.

Ministry Overview: New Song Mission provides transformational growth opportunities for vulnerable children through holistic, compassionate care on a 100-acre children's home campus, by the grace of God. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian ministry, New Song provides safe, loving homes, personalized academic instruction, relational mentoring, biblical discipleship, recreational activities, and experiential learning to help our students grow and mature. We care for our students with love, compassion, and patience, receiving our strength, wisdom, joy, and peace from the Lord, serving God with gratitude and humility for what He has done in our lives.

Houseparenting Overview: Houseparents at New Song are committed Christ followers who are led by the Lord to care for vulnerable boys and girls. The Houseparenting role is a full-time residential position, where married husband and wife couples provide a safe, loving home to vulnerable children and live out their Christian values among them, leading lifestyles that model positive, godly character, and a daily pursuit of Jesus. Houseparent couples must possess certain personal characteristics unique to this position that will help lead them to successfully fulfilling this extremely important calling. Houseparenting at New Song offers several wonderful blessings, including:  

• Ministering to vulnerable, disadvantaged boys and girls and helping them heal, grow, and thrive through transformative, Christ-centered care
• Serving together as a husband and wife in full-time ministry
• Working closely with the teachers at the on-campus New Song Leadership Academy
• Working with like-minded believers who support each other as a closely knit team
• Utilizing one’s unique gifts and abilities for God’s glory and the good of children
• Joining a growing ministry with plans of future expansion
• Having most weekends and school breaks off, and also three weeks during the summer months
• Working with K-8 boys and girls who have relatively mild behavioral issue
• An opportunity to join a ministry that raises up young leaders to influence the world around them in a godly way
• A short, one-year commitment
• Growing in your Christian faith
• Having the training and opportunity to biblically disciple children in the Lord
• Living on a scenic campus setting in a beautiful, spacious home
• Generous compensation that includes a salary, free housing, room, board, and health care contributions

At New Song, children become equipped for life through the holistic care we provide, all of which is based on a foundation of biblical discipleship provided through genuine, caring relationships with the entire staff, by God’s grace. As a ministry team, we work together to provide the education, experiential learning, social/emotional growth opportunities, recreational experiences, and spiritual mentoring that kids need in order to grow and thrive. Houseparents must have a close walk with Jesus in order to successfully carry out their responsibilities and work in unity with their fellow team members.

Ministry Team Members

Houseparents are a part of a broader ministry team, and they must be exceptional team players who have a genuine willingness to serve in areas outside of their normal houseparent roles to assist others on campus when the need arises. This includes helping in the classroom as needed, participating in community activities on campus, and welcoming others such as supporters or those touring the campus into their home with a hospitable, open-door mentality. Houseparents also assist with the ministry’s marketing, communications, and fundraising efforts in various ways.  

Duties and Responsibilities

The primary duties and responsibilities of houseparents are listed below. These duties and responsibilities must be carried out in compliance with New Song’s Policies, Best Practices, and Houseparent Success Indicators, while seeking to achieve Student Success Indicator goals we have for our students’ personal holistic growth and transformation.

New Song houseparents’ primary duties are to:  

1. Provide a safe, loving, nurturing, joyful, and encouraging environment to the children in their home
2. Care for and disciple children in the Lord
3. Develop boys and girls socially and emotionally
4. Support the educational development of our students
5. Provide and participate in recreational activities with students on a daily basis
6. Give children opportunities to practice leadership traits in the home that the ministry is emphasizing
7. Manage the household and keep the home and its yard clean and well kept
8. Perform routine home maintenance tasks
9. Help with campus groundskeeping and the maintenance of vehicles and equipment as needed
10. Support marketing and community relations, and participate in fundraising activities
11. Support the overall campus community
12. Provide daily reports to their supervisor through an online childcare software management system
13. Perform other responsibilities and duties as requested  

Each item referenced in this houseparent job description is included among the roles, responsibilities, and duties of New Song houseparents. Other roles, responsibilities, and duties may be assigned by houseparent supervisors from time to time in order to meet the needs of the ministry. We highly value each of our staff members, including houseparents, and we seek to work together in a healthy ministry atmosphere that blesses each other and glorifies the Lord!

Qualifications

• Minimum Length of Marriage: 2 years
• Number of Children: Three children or less, preferably school-age or older
• Educational Requirements: College diploma or trade school certification is preferred
• Experience: Experience working with children is preferred; having knowledge of the unique challenges emotionally impaired children pose is helpful
• Christian Faith and Development: Has received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and are committed to having Him be the Lord of their lives; is spiritually developing in their walk with the Lord
• Statement of Faith: Is in strong agreement with New Song’s Statement of Faith• Maturity: Has demonstrated maturity in working with others, particularly in stressful or difficult circumstances
• Accountability: Agrees to being accountable to supervisors
• Coachable: Is open to training, mentoring, and coaching
• Household Management: Can manage a household of at-risk children
• Personal Characteristics: Possesses those personal characteristics which are necessary and beneficial to effectively raise emotionally impaired children
• Culture, Guiding Principles, & Core Values: Commitment to New Song’s Culture, Guiding Principles, & Core Values Statement
• Physical Capacity: Has the physical capacity to fulfill each of the duties and responsibilities listed, as well as physical activities such as general lifting, light athletics, and family outings such as hiking and camping. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee is frequently required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 40 pounds.  
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus
• Continuous Learning: Demonstrates the desire and ability to continually learn how to best meet the needs of children and has a willingness to continually improve in all areas
• Valid Driver’s License: Has and maintains a valid driver’s license and be able to operate a ministry vehicle to transport children without restrictions
• Vehicle and Driving Skills: Has a dependable motor vehicle; has demonstrated good driving skills and has a clean driving history
• Background Check: Passes the criminal background check and other possible background checks
• Other Abilities: Has the abilities to fulfill each of the duties and responsibilities listed above
• General Qualifications: Meets the general qualifications for employment as outlined in the personnel policies

Salary

$35,000 per couple plus health care assistance, room and board, with a total estimated value of $55,000