Children’s Specialist – Pathways Emergency Shelter

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Lynnwood, WA – Housing Services / Full-Time / On-site

Why work with YWCA Seattle King Snohomish?

YWCA SKS is the region’s largest non-profit organization with a 120+ year legacy, focused on the needs of women, with programs serving 7,000 people each year. When you work with YWCA, you make a difference.

We’re women and BIPOC-led, family-centered, and supportive of employees. As a full-time YWCA employee (30+ hours), you’ll enjoy a benefits package including medical insurance, generous vacation, holiday, sick leave plans, and an outstanding retirement plan. Put your passion for racial equity and social justice to work – apply today!

What You'll Do

YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism and empower women. Pathways Emergency Shelter provides short-term, trauma-informed shelter for parents and their children who are experiencing homelessness. The program offers a safe and supportive environment while families work toward housing stability, income, and longer-term supports.

The Children’s Specialist is a child-focused support role that promotes children’s safety, emotional wellbeing, and stability within the shelter environment. This position is designed to reduce barriers for parents accessing shelter services by ensuring children are supported in a safe, developmentally appropriate, and trauma-informed setting while parents complete shelter intake, assessments, and required activities.

The Children’s Specialist works at the intersection of child wellbeing, family stabilization, and service access, ensuring that children’s needs are thoughtfully integrated into shelter operations while parents engage with case managers, advocates, and community systems.

The Children’s Specialist completes basic child intakes and maintains program-related confidential records necessary for participation, safety, and coordination, but does not provide formal case management or carry a caseload.

This position has a social justice component allowing for critical thinking around how the external systems impact the work that we are doing through the lens of racism and intersections with poverty. 

As an equal opportunity employer, we highly encourage people of color to apply.

Note: This position is fully onsite and includes consistent presence at the Pathways Shelter

Expectations of your role:

• Child-Centered Stabilization & Support
• Support children’s emotional safety, regulation, and wellbeing within the shelter environment through trauma-informed engagement Create a predictable, welcoming, and child-supportive environment that helps children adjust to shelter and family transitions
• Build age-appropriate, trusting relationships that support coping, expression, and resilience
• Observe children’s behavior and needs and communicate relevant observations to shelter staff to support coordinated care

• Supported Child Space & Parent Access to Services
• Maintain and host a safe, supervised child-supportive space where children can remain while parents complete shelter intake, assessments, meetings, and required activities
• Provide attentive supervision and engagement during these periods to ensure children’s safety and emotional comfort
• Support parents’ full participation in shelter services by reducing logistical and emotional barriers related to child supervision
• Clearly reinforce that parents remain the primary caregivers and decision-makers for their children

• Programming (Non-Childcare)
• Facilitate age-appropriate, short-term activities that promote emotional regulation, positive interaction, and healthy routines
• Support consistent daily structure for children without operating as a childcare or early learning program
• Ensure materials and activities are culturally responsive, inclusive, and affirming of all identities and family structures

• School & Community Liaison
• Act as a liaison between families and local school districts to support continuity of education for children experiencing homelessness
• Assist parents with school enrollment, re-enrollment, and transfers, including navigation of documentation and timelines
• Coordinate with school district McKinney-Vento liaisons to help families access transportation, meal programs, fee waivers, and other educational supports
• Maintain working relationships with community partners to support access to early learning, childcare, tutoring, and youth resources as appropriate
• Share relevant information with Shelter Advocates and Case Managers to support coordinated family stabilization planning

• Records, Intake & Confidentiality
• Complete basic child intake information required for participation in shelter-based child supports
• Maintain accurate, confidential program records including attendance, incident reports, and activity documentation
• Follow YWCA policies and applicable requirements related to confidentiality, consent, and information sharing

• Collaboration, Safety & Compliance
• Work closely with Shelter Advocates, Case Managers, and program staff to integrate child support into shelter operations
• Participate in team meetings and contribute to a collaborative, trauma-informed shelter culture
• Provide active supervision of children at all times and follow shelter safety, health, and mandatory reporting protocols
• Participate in required trainings, safety meetings, and emergency preparedness activities

• Equity & Values Alignment
• Apply a racial equity and social justice lens to work with children and families
• Demonstrate cultural humility and respect for families from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences
• Contribute to an inclusive and welcoming environment for parents and children experiencing systemic barriers related to race, gender, poverty, and housing instability

Must have's to be successful:

• Bachelor’s degree in child development, social work, education, human services, or a related field and a minimum of two (2) years of experience supporting children and families in shelter, housing, education, or community-based settings
• OR
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in children’s services, preferably serving low-income families or families experiencing homelessness, in lieu of a degree
• Demonstrated experience working with families from racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• Demonstrated understanding of the impact of racism, poverty, and systemic inequities on children and families, particularly those experiencing homelessness or housing instability
• Ability to apply a race and social justice lens to daily work, decision-making, and interactions with families and colleagues
• Experience using trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and strengths-based approaches when supporting children and parents
• Knowledge of child development and best practices for supporting children impacted by stress, transition, and instability
• Strong communication, observation, and coordination skills, with the ability to build trust across differences
• Ability to manage confidential information with care, discretion, and professionalism
• Ability to work independently while collaborating closely with a multidisciplinary team

• Required within designated timeframes after hire:
• CPR/First Aid certification

Hours, Rate, and Benefits

• Hourly Rate: $28.00 - $31.00
• Hours: 40 Hours per week
• Excellent benefits package including medical insurance, retirement plan, plus generous vacation, holiday, and sick leave plans. For more information about our benefits, please visit: YWCA Careers & Benefits Information
• At the time of hire, employees may enroll voluntarily in the Fidelity 403b Plan
• After two years of employment, employees are eligible to participate in the YWCA Retirement Fund

Physical Requirements

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. In performing this position, the employee:
• All positions at YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish are exposed to clients who have experienced or are experiencing trauma in various forms including but not limited to domestic violence, sexual violence, homelessness, unemployment, financial hardship, etc. As a result, staff are at risk of secondary trauma. Employees are encouraged to seek external support and maintain self-care when working indirectly or directly with clients.
• Frequently stands, walks, sits, kneels, bends, and transitions between floor-level and standing positions while engaging with children in a shelter setting
• Frequently uses hands and arms for reaching, grasping, handling materials, and engaging in age-appropriate activities
• Frequently communicates verbally and through active listening with children, parents, staff, and community partners
• Occasionally lifts and carries supplies, materials, or equipment weighing up to 25 pounds; may occasionally assist children requiring physical support within safe and appropriate boundaries
• Occasionally climbs stairs and moves throughout multi-level shelter spaces
• Occasionally works in indoor and outdoor environments associated with shelter operations
• Sustains periods of focused attention in environments with moderate noise, activity, and frequent transitions
• This position requires flexibility in schedule and location to support donor relationships and organizational needs. YWCA is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the role.

*Continuously = Over 80% of the time * Frequently = 20-80% * Occasionally = Under 20%

YWCA encourages applicants with a variety of experiences to apply!

At YWCA, we recognize that lived expertise is a powerful asset. This refers to the insights, knowledge, and skills developed by those who have navigated systems and experienced inequity.

Valuing lived expertise helps build trust with program participants, develop culturally responsive programs, and break down barriers to equity. It enriches our collective understanding and enhances our ability to serve communities that are furthest from opportunity.

Mental Health Considerations

All employees of the YWCA interact with clients who have experienced or are experiencing trauma in various forms, including but not limited to, racial trauma, domestic violence, sexual violence, homelessness, unemployment, and financial hardship. As a result, employees are at risk of secondary trauma. We encourage employees to seek support inside and outside the workplace and maintain self-care routines.

Equal Opportunity Employment

YWCA Seattle King Snohomish is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  To read more about this, view the EEO is the Law Poster and this EEO is the Law Poster Supplement.

For more information

Contact us at

http://careers@ywcaworks.org/