Houseparents

About Us:

Liberty Youth Ranch (LYR) is a Christ-centered nonprofit organization dedicated to providing vulnerable children with a loving, stable home and the opportunity to build a successful future.

Established in Bonita Springs, Florida in 2003, Liberty Youth Ranch provides residential care for boys and girls in need of a safe, nurturing, and family-centered environment. The Ranch serves children holistically, addressing their physical, educational, emotional, social, and spiritual needs while helping them develop the skills, relationships, character, and confidence necessary for long-term independence and success.

LYR also operates the Liberty Youth Ranch Upscale Shop, a social enterprise that generates financial support for the ongoing operating costs of the Ranch while providing an additional connection between Liberty Youth Ranch and the surrounding community. At the center of Liberty Youth Ranch is an unwavering faith in Jesus Christ and the belief that every child possesses God-given uniqueness, dignity, and inherent worth.

A Beautiful Bonita Springs Campus

Our semi-rural 156-acre campus in Bonita Springs provides a peaceful respite from the chaos that crisis can create. We are here for the children who need us the most…to help them thrive and succeed. We serve boy and girls from the age of 4 to independent living, caring for the whole child – physical, educational, social, and spiritual needs.

A Home and Family for Vulnerable Children

The Ranch provides a safe, sustaining home and family to children in crisis, providing 365 days and nights of wraparound care. A variety of therapeutic and recreational activities give children the opportunity to work through their circumstances while enjoying childhood to the fullest.

Children are provided a Christ-centered home focused on bridging academic deficits, learning life skills, developing interpersonal skills, and working together as a family. We address academic, emotional, behavioral, and social challenges of the children and families we serve – thereby changing the cycle for today and for generations to come.

LYR is privately funded and has maintained a strong commitment to responsible financial stewardship, balanced budgets, and debt-free operations.

Statement of Faith

We believe the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant, authoritative Word of God. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three (3) Persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the deity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
We believe that, for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
We believe that God’s redemptive purpose will be consummated by the return of Christ to raise the dead, judge all men and establish His glorious kingdom. We believe that those who are apart from Christ shall be eternally separated from God’s presence, but the righteous shall live and reign with Him forever.
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

About the Position:

Location: Bonita Springs, Florida
Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt, Live-In
Reports To: Director of Programs
Work Location: In-Person

Salary Range: $55,000 – $65,000/annually

Benefits: Health, Dental, Vision, 401K, Company Vehicle, and Two Weeks of Established PTO in the Summer Months. 1 Weekend Off a Month.

Position Overview

Liberty Youth Ranch is seeking a mature, committed Christian married couple to serve together as Houseparents within its residential care program.
Houseparents live on the Liberty Youth Ranch campus and make their assigned residence a home for the children entrusted to their care. They provide children with the daily consistency, relationships, structure, guidance, encouragement, accountability, and Christian example that are central to the Liberty Youth Ranch model.
This position is much more than supervising children or managing a residence. Houseparents model healthy family relationships and create an environment in which children know they are valued, cared for, protected, heard, encouraged, and expected to grow.
Houseparents are responsible for the daily life of the home, including caring for children, maintaining appropriate routines, supporting education, preparing meals, coordinating activities, teaching life skills, providing transportation, maintaining appropriate documentation, supervising household responsibilities, participating in children’s care plans, and creating meaningful family experiences.
Houseparents work closely with the Director of Programs, counselors, educational personnel, other Houseparents, relief caregivers, volunteers, and other members of the Liberty Youth Ranch team.
Houseparents are not expected to serve as therapists or clinical professionals. Rather, they are trained caregivers who develop meaningful relationships with children and work in partnership with counseling and program professionals to help each child make progress toward established goals.
The successful Houseparent couple will understand that their marriage, Christian faith, personal example, home environment, relationships, consistency, and everyday interactions with children are central to their ministry.

Minimum Qualifications

Houseparent candidates must meet all age and eligibility requirements established by Liberty Youth Ranch and applicable regulations.
Candidates must be a married husband-and-wife couple committed to serving together in the Houseparent role.
The couple must have been married for at least two years.
Candidates must possess at least a high school diploma or equivalent.
Both Houseparents must demonstrate excellent interpersonal, communication, organizational, and relationship-building skills.
Candidates must demonstrate successful experience working with, parenting, teaching, coaching, mentoring, or serving children.
Both individuals must possess the maturity, patience, resilience, flexibility, judgment, and emotional self-control necessary to work with children who may have experienced significant instability, adversity, trauma, family disruption, abuse, neglect, loss, or other difficult circumstances.
Candidates must be able to work effectively as members of a professional child-care team and receive supervision, training, feedback, and correction appropriately.
Candidates must possess valid driver’s licenses and meet Liberty Youth Ranch’s driving requirements.
Candidates must be willing to live on the Liberty Youth Ranch campus and embrace the unique schedule and lifestyle associated with residential Houseparenting.
Candidates must successfully complete all background checks, screening requirements, references, driving-record reviews, drug screening, and other employment or regulatory requirements established by Liberty Youth Ranch.
Liberty Youth Ranch seeks couples who are prepared to make a meaningful commitment to the children and residential community. Candidates should be willing to commit to serving as Houseparents for at least two years.

Preferred Qualifications

Previous experience with children from difficult or challenging backgrounds is strongly preferred.
Experience in residential childcare, foster care, children’s homes, youth ministry, education, counseling, coaching, children’s ministry, social services, behavioral health, camp ministry, or a related environment is beneficial.
Previous parenting or foster-parenting experience may be particularly valuable.
Postsecondary education in education, ministry, counseling, psychology, social work, child development, human services, or a related discipline is beneficial but not required.
Experience working within a Christian ministry or faith-based organization is preferred.