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Support Us: Direct Service Volunteers for Child and Family Programs
Volunteers are needed to provide a variety of services to children participating in our child and family programs. However, great care is given in providing volunteers with the necessary training for them to share responsibilities with staff for the supervision of children.
There are two levels of volunteers in our child and family programs who provide direct service to children: Volunteers who may not supervise children and volunteers who may supervise children. All new volunteers begin their work with us in the first category and move to the second level as they complete their training and are approved for service by child and family program directors in consultation with the Volunteer Ministries Coordinator.
Child & Family Volunteer Assistant
Volunteers serve Child and Family Programs by providing a variety of services. Since the staff of most Child and Family Programs includes one social worker or professional licensed counselor with no administrative help, volunteers can perform valuable services to support the service to children and families provided by the Child and Family Specialist. Some of the services the Child and Family Volunteer Assistant can provide are:
- Staffing the Office when the Child and Family Specialist is in the field;
- Preparing meals for families;
- Coordinating celebrations;
- Assisting with parenting classes;
- Traveling with the Child and Family Specialist on home visits;
- Doing research for families in need of social services
Because these volunteers may occasionally encounter clients in unsupervised settings, specialized volunteer training will be offered to teach volunteers appropriate interactions with clients. In addition to the general orientation, volunteers are asked to participate in training opportunities in which volunteers are provided with instruction in how to be in relationship with the children and families served by Child and Family Programs.
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Child & Family Volunteer Associate
Child and Family Volunteer Associates are volunteers who assist PCHAS Child and Family Programs and are trained to provide unsupervised service. Job duties will be varied, depending upon the needs of each specific Child and Family Program.
Volunteer Associates may be asked to serve in all the ways Volunteer Assistants are asked to serve. An important additional service is that these volunteers will be asked to provide transportation to children and families. Because of the greater unsupervised contact these volunteers are expected to have with Children and Families, the training expectations are greater. We ask that these volunteers participate in 8 hours of pre-service training. Additionally 8 hours of training are required annually.
Child and Family Program Mentors are volunteers who are matched with one child or adult for a long-term relationship, the purpose of which is to participate with PCHAS in developing that person’s gifts, graces and strengths.
Mentors provide a supportive and trusting relationship with one person and encourage social, emotional and personal growth through a variety of activities. Mentors communicate with the person’s case worker who determine the needs of the person and how best to fulfill those needs.
Child and Family Program Mentors are supervised by the Child and Family Specialist assigned to the program. The Child and Family Specialist supervising the mentor will meet with the mentor, either in person or by telephone, at least once a month for supervision.
In order to qualify to be a Child and Family Mentor, a volunteer will be approved by the Child and Family Specialist with whom he or she is working and will participate in the Basic Volunteer Training Class provided by the Volunteer Ministries Coordinator, as well as complete all volunteer application documents. Eight hours of additional training are also required to continue working as a Child and Family Mentor after the first year. Volunteers will be invited to participate in additional training each year for support, encouragement and inspiration.
