Care Specialist
Specialized childcare for neurodivergent children and teens
Get to know a child’s interests, routines and ways of communicating. Spend time together through play, conversation and everyday activities while their family has dependable time for work, appointments or a break.
- Pay
- $21–25 an hour
- Employment
- Part-time, variable-hour W-2
- Where
- Family homes and community settings in Washington DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia
- Training
- Paid, in-person training before your first Care assignment
Responsibilities and requirements
What you’ll do
- Provide attentive supervision and companionship during agreed care hours.
- Follow the child’s interests through play, recreation, conversation or shared activities.
- Notice how the child communicates and respond with patience and respect.
- Support familiar routines, transitions, sensory preferences and ordinary meals or snacks.
- Use calm communication, choices, modeling, redirection and de-escalation within your training.
- Share factual care, scheduling and safety information with the family and Novinway.
- Pause and ask for help if a task or safety issue goes beyond what you have been trained and assigned to do.
Who should apply
Students, recent graduates and working professionals from any field are welcome. Experience with children matters more than a particular major. Psychology, special education, adapted physical education, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, behavior support and related backgrounds can be helpful, but they are not required.
This role can fit around classes or another job. We match Care Specialists with a small number of families based on availability, geography, comfort and fit. Hours vary and are not guaranteed.
What we require
- Genuine interest in working with neurodivergent children and teens.
- Reliability, warmth, patience and honest communication.
- Respect for each child’s age, privacy, communication and sensory needs, and how they show willingness or discomfort.
- Three professional or academic references and successful completion of required background and employment checks.
- Non-smoker.
- Reliable transportation to assigned families. A car is helpful but not required; public transit, including Metro, can be reliable transportation.
- First Aid and CPR certification before independent work. We will help you complete it if needed.
How Novinway prepares you
- Paid, in-person training designed by a BCBA.
- Child-specific preparation covering communication, interests, routines, preferences, safety and family instructions.
- A Novinway supervisor physically present for the first visit before independent care begins.
- Ongoing coaching and help with safety, scheduling and role questions.
Ready to apply?
Complete the online application. You do not need to send a separate email or cover letter.
