Hello- We are a family of 4, located in the Park Cities (near SMU) and are currently seeking childcare for our 10 year old son, Seth, who lives with Down syndrome and autism and (occasionally) his 9 year old neurotypical sister, Lorelei. I am a speech pathologist and my husband is an architect and we currently have no pets. See attached photo😊
Starting May 1, we will need approximately 40 hours of care per week and are open to having multiple people share the position, if able to commit to semi-consistent schedules. Duties will include the following: assisting Seth with after school routine, including indoor/outdoor play, mealtime, assisting with toileting (he is mostly toilet trained, but relies on an adult to keep him on his schedule and assist with toileting) and bathing, and bedtime routine. Some light meal prep/cleaning required. Position may include transporting Seth to/from school/therapy at some point and some overnight stays.
Seth is on a Medicaid waiver program and we will be hiring caregivers, but caregivers will technically be employed by a home health agency and receive paychecks directly from them. Pay will be $15/hr. We are open to discussing other options if needed.
Seth is a sweet and funny boy who loves animals and sports. He is verbal, but struggles with functional communication. Much of his expressive language is echolalic or scripted. He is a good reader and we frequently use visual/written schedules to assist with his routines. We are in the process of getting a communication device for him; the system he will be using is UNITY. Caring for Seth will be an incredible learning opportunity in many different ways!
Below are the times that we will be needing care:
M-F: 5:00-9:00 (he generally goes to sleep between 7:30-8:00, but sometimes takes him longer to fall asleep)
Sat-Sun: hours on weekends are flexible and may change from weekend to weekend, depending on family activities. Generally, we need 8-10 hours of coverage on both Saturdays and Sundays
Please contact me with any questions! I’m happy to talk about ways we can make scheduling work. We need a good “team” of caregivers for Seth, so we are open to any hours that you may have available!
Sincerely,
Sherry Parma