Fosterful is dedicated to meeting the immediate and long-term needs of foster families in Southwest Washington through practical support and caring connections. We provide trauma-informed, personalized support to foster children and caregivers, creating stability and belonging through meaningful connections and vital resources.

About Fosterful: Fosterful is dedicated to meeting the immediate and long-term needs of foster families in Southwest Washington through practical support and caring connections. Join our fast-growing team transforming support for youth and families in Clark and Cowlitz County!

About the Role: Direct Care Staff provide 24-hour, hands-on care and supervision to children ages 0 through 18 at Fosterful's Group Receiving Care (GRC) Home, a short-term, trauma-informed residential placement operated in partnership with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) under WAC 110-145 and Fosterful's GRC contract. This is an active, physically engaged role: the home is a multi-level residence (basement plus three floors) with no elevator and is not ADA accessible, so Direct Care Staff must be able to move quickly and safely between floors throughout every shift. The role also demands careful, accurate documentation — case notes, incident reports, and shift records are core to keeping every child safe and every placement compliant.

Direct Care Staff are the constant, physical presence that makes Fosterful's promise of safety real for every child who walks through the door of the GRC Home — at 2:00 AM as much as at 2:00 PM. Reporting to the Program Manager, this role carries out the day-to-day work of trauma-informed care: showing up on every floor of a home that requires real physical readiness, and writing the case notes that keep each child's story accurate and each placement compliant.

Success in this role is measured by children who feel safe, seen, and cared for during one of the hardest moments of their lives; by documentation that is accurate, timely, and trustworthy; and by a home that runs safely and smoothly across every shift, every floor, and every emergency drill.

The pay range for this role begins at $22/hour for daytime shifts, and up to $25/hour for overnight and on-call shifts.

Key Responsibilities

1. Trauma-Informed Direct Care & Supervision

• Provide continuous, hands-on supervision and care for all children on shift, maintaining required staffing ratios (one staff to three children during day and evening shifts; a minimum of two awake staff during overnight shifts, 10:00 PM–8:00 AM).
• Implement each child's individualized Child-Specific Plan, Supervision Plan, and Cultural Plan — including diapering/toileting, meal routines, hygiene, and sleep — in a way that honors the child's cultural background, SOGIE identity, and trauma history.
• Deliver the Program Welcome and Tour within 12 hours of a child's admission and the Program Orientation within 24 hours, introducing routines, safety information, and house expectations with warmth and patience appropriate to the child's age and developmental stage.
• Model prosocial behavior and use positive behavior support and de-escalation techniques as the first response to distress; apply physical restraint only if trained and certified in Fosterful's LD-approved Right Response behavior management program, and only as an absolute last resort when a child is at imminent risk of harm.
• Conduct ongoing, developmentally appropriate supervision checks; remain within sight or hearing distance of children under age 6; never leave a child under 6 unattended in the bathtub or shower; remain awake and alert at all times while on supervision duty.

2. Physical Readiness, Safety & Emergency Response

• Navigate the home's stairs — the only means of movement between the basement and three floors — multiple times per shift, including while carrying supplies, laundry, or a child.
• Respond quickly to a child in distress or a safety concern on any floor, moving between levels promptly while maintaining supervision of any other children in your care.
• Be able to lift and carry a child (up to approximately 50 lbs), including carrying an infant or toddler during an evacuation or crisis response, and using the designated infant carrier when directed.
• Actively participate in monthly fire drills and quarterly hostile-individual and natural-disaster drills, including the 3rd-floor fire-ladder evacuation procedure and directly assisting children onto the ladder if the stairwell is blocked by fire or smoke.
• Remain physically mobile, alert, and awake for the full duration of overnight shifts, conducting rounds and responding immediately to any child who wakes, becomes distressed, or needs assistance.
• Follow all safety protocols for supervised activities, including enhanced supervision near water or motorized equipment, and safe use of your personal vehicle when transporting children, in keeping with Employee Handbook guidelines.

3. Documentation, Case Notes & Compliance

• Maintain detailed, accurate, and timely shift records and EHR case notes for every shift: supervision needs, meals, medications given or refused, behavioral observations, and any safety concerns, with particular care given to precision of names, times, and details.
• Complete a General Event Report (GER) by the end of shift for any unusual incident, and ensure DCYF notification timelines (immediate or within 24 hours, depending on the finding) are met.
• Document every instance of diapering/toileting assistance, medication administration (name, dose, time, and administering staff), and required safety checks, in keeping with Fosterful's documentation standards.
• Support timely completion of DCYF-required documentation that depends on direct-care input, including Daily Census details, Transition Summaries, and All About Me forms, so the Program Manager can meet contract reporting deadlines.
• Fulfill mandated reporter obligations, reporting any reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect to DCYF CPS Intake and your supervisor within 24 hours, and documenting the report (including CPS Intake reference number) in the EHR.

4. Customer-Service Mindset & Empathy for Youth

• Treat every child with the same warmth, patience, and dignity Fosterful extends to every family it serves, recognizing that each child arrives during one of the most vulnerable moments of their life.
• Build trust through a consistent, calm, non-judgmental presence; validate a child's feelings without judgment, and never shame, tease, or lecture a child, including in moments of behavioral difficulty or when contraband or rule violations are discovered.
• Communicate respectfully and collaboratively with DCYF representatives, the Program Manager, and fellow Direct Care Staff during shift handoffs, ensuring continuity of care and a unified, welcoming presence for each child.
• Actively honor each child's cultural background, spiritual practices, and SOGIE identity, using each child's preferred names and pronouns and connecting children to culturally affirming resources and activities.

5. Training, Certification & Team Participation

• Complete a minimum of 16 hours of pre-service training before providing services independently, and a minimum of 24 hours of ongoing annual training thereafter.
• Maintain current CPR/First Aid/bloodborne pathogens certification, and complete all immunization and TB screening requirements (including pertussis and annual influenza vaccination, required of all staff because the facility serves children ages 0–2).
• Maintain a current food handler's card, given this role's meal preparation responsibilities.
• Participate in monthly practice supervision, shift meetings, required drills, and any additional training assigned by the Program Manager or Training Specialist.
• Maintain a valid driver's license, a clean driving record, and current auto liability insurance at all times — this role requires driving children, using your personal vehicle. Keep your vehicle in clean, safe working order and provide Fosterful with updated proof of insurance, per the Employee Handbook.

6. Household Management: Housekeeping, Meals & Inventory

• Maintain the home's cleanliness, safety, and welcoming, homelike presentation, completing routine housekeeping tasks (common areas, bathrooms, kitchen, and bedrooms) each shift.
• Prepare and serve nutritious, culturally appropriate meals and snacks in keeping with the posted menu (minimum three meals and two snacks per 24-hour period), and maintain a valid food handler's card.
• Keep designated 24/7 snack locations stocked, and store soiled and clean laundry separately, laundering children's clothing and bedding as needed.
• Assist in maintaining an organized, well-stocked inventory of Essentials for Life items — including clothing, bedding, and backpacks/luggage — restocking as needed and flagging shortages to the Program Manager ahead of the monthly inventory check.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The Green House is a multi-level home (basement plus three floors) with no elevator; stairs are the only way to move between levels. This is an essential, physically active role, not a desk position. Direct Care Staff must be able to:

• Climb and descend stairs repeatedly throughout a shift, including while carrying a child, laundry, supplies, or equipment.
• Lift and carry a child weighing up to approximately 50 lbs, including during an evacuation or crisis response.
• Move quickly (including jogging up or down stairs) to reach a child in a safety situation.
• Stand, walk, kneel, and bend for extended periods — for example, during floor-level play, diapering, or cleaning.
• Physically execute the 3rd-floor fire-ladder evacuation procedure, including assisting a child onto the ladder, if the stairwell is blocked.
• Remain awake, alert, and mobile for the full duration of an assigned overnight shift.
• Safely apply hands-on behavior management techniques, if trained and certified, in rare last-resort situations.
• Safely handle and use standard household cleaning supplies (e.g., disinfectants, laundry products, dish and surface cleaners) as part of routine housekeeping duties, following product labeling and Fosterful's storage and safety guidelines.

Fosterful is committed to reasonable accommodation under the ADA. However, given the facility's physical layout and the safety-critical nature of the work, the ability to use stairs and respond physically to children in distress is an essential function of this role.

Qualifications

Per DCYF's GRC contract Direct Care Staff must meet one of the following pathways, depending on age.

Ages 18 through 20

Must meet one of the following:

• Licensed by the Washington Department of Health; or
• Hold an Associate of Arts degree, equivalent degree, or greater; or
• Be enrolled in an internship or practicum program with a college or university.

AND one of the following:

• One (1) year of full-time paid or unpaid experience working with children 12 years and younger (state-licensed daycare or professional nanny, school or early learning setting, mental health hospital, child-placing agency or residential care program, licensed foster parenting, supervised visitation, or a community service organization working directly with children/families); OR
• Less than one (1) year of qualifying experience, provided you are scheduled to work during awake hours alongside another Direct Care Staff member who meets the full qualifications for ages 21 and older.

Ages 21 and Older

Must meet both of the following:

• High school diploma or equivalent credential; and
• One (1) year of full-time paid or unpaid qualifying experience with children 12 years and younger (settings as listed above).

OR meet at least one of the following:

• Less than one (1) year of qualifying experience; or
• Currently attending classes at a college or university related to early childhood education or child development;

AND be scheduled to work during awake hours alongside another Direct Care Staff member who meets the full qualifications for ages 21+, or a higher-level staff member who has worked at least six (6) months with Fosterful, until you have accumulated six (6) months of direct care experience or meet the full qualifications above.

All Direct Care Staff, Regardless of Age

• Must be able to meet the physical demands described above; the home is not ADA accessible.
• Must pass DCYF criminal history and child welfare background checks prior to any unsupervised access to children.
• Must complete TB screening and provide documentation of current pertussis (Tdap) and annual influenza vaccination (required of all staff due to the facility serving children ages 0–2), absent an approved medical exemption.
• Must obtain First Aid/CPR/bloodborne pathogens certification prior to independent work (or within a Fosterful-approved onboarding window).
• Strong written communication skills and close attention to detail, given the volume and sensitivity of required case documentation.
• Cultural competency, and demonstrated alignment with Fosterful's mission and values, including warmth, patience, and respect for children who have experienced trauma.
• Must obtain a valid food handler's card, given that this role includes meal preparation for children in care.
• Valid driver's license, clean driving record, and current auto liability insurance are required and non-negotiable for this role, as Direct Care Staff drive children to appointments and activities using their personal vehicle. Vehicle must be kept in clean, safe working order, with updated proof of insurance provided to Fosterful, per the Employee Handbook.