Job Title: Customary Care Worker

Department: Enodmaagejig Social Services

Pay Rate: $30.77 per hour

Status: Full-time, Permanent

Closing Date: November 9, 2025

Position:

Under the direction of the Child &  Youth Services Team Leader for Social Services, the Customary Care Worker ensures the effective delivery of Anishinaabe-centered First Nation Community Care/Customary Care Program of the Child & Youth Services Unit for Enodmaagejig Social Services of Walpole Island First Nation.  The Customary Care Worker will adhere to guidelines set by the Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit & Metis Children, Youth & Families, 2019 (federal), and the Children, Youth & Families Services Act, 2017 (provincial) until such time that Walpole Island First Nation has its own Child Wellbeing Law. The Customary Care Worker will also provide recruitment, training, and assessment for prospective customary care and community care homes, as well as provide support, prevention, and limited intervention services for customary care and community care homes. This position will also abide by the Walpole Island First Nation’s philosophy, policies, and regulations.

Responsibilities:

• Ensure all services provided to WIFN children and families have appropriate quality services available by the needs of the family through proper referrals and regular monitoring for follow-up.
• Ensure case notes are accurate and inputted in a timely and effective manner and managed in compliance with legislative requirements.
• Liaison with other community services involved both on and off reserve.
• Follow the case review process for Walpole Island First Nation position on community-based plans, then ensure appropriate communication to the Child & Youth Services Team Leader of any recommendations.
• Incorporate cultural knowledge into programming as appropriate and perform other duties as directed.
• Effectively work and communicate with other Child & Youth Services staff, families, agencies, and other First Nations as required.
• Maintain effective and confidential database systems and submit statistics as required.
• Acts as a liaison between CAS, Family Support Workers, parents, and community care/customary caregivers to ensure appropriate provision of service.
• Provides community care/customary caregivers with child welfare information to ensure they have appropriate knowledge available for decision-making.
• Provides support to caregiver families as appropriate under the program mandate.
• Assist with the facilitation of customary care agreements between parents and caregivers within the community.
• Conduct crisis intervention, as needed, with community caregivers experiencing childcare/behaviour difficulties with children in the care they are providing care for.
• Provide training to prospective customary care/community care parents, per PRIDE standards.
• Assess potential customary care/ community care homes, per SAFE guidelines.
• Work collaboratively with other community programs and community caregivers to assist with developing plans of service.
• Provides consultation/awareness of the service unit programming to clients, parents, youth, volunteers, and the community at large.
• Provides community education and awareness on relevant issues.
• Follow WIFN regulations related to the transportation of community caregivers and children in their care; obtain and maintain necessary Ministry of Transportation licensing for the use of program vehicles.
• Participates in regular staff meetings as well as personal and professional development activities.
• Maintains current knowledge of changes to legislation, protocol, agreements, and procedures that can directly or indirectly impact clients or the program.
• Recruit community caregiver homes in the community and facilitate orientation, training, and certification of them.
• Organizes support group meetings/classes for caregiver homes.
• Provides referrals for caregivers and children to appropriate services that will assist with continued placement of the children/and or repatriation of the children.
• Participate regularly in home visitation as per caseload requirements.
• Participates as a member of a team to provide parenting classes and other group facilitations.
• Ensure confidentiality of staff, clients, and commnity is maintained.