Careers

Support neurodivergent children and their families.

Care Specialists provide specialized childcare for neurodivergent children and teens. Navigators research options and provide practical administrative support for families. Both roles include paid training and ongoing team support.

The Novinway team after Care Specialist training

Employment terms at a glance

Pay

Care Specialist pay

$21–25 an hour. Training is paid at your regular hourly rate.

W-2

W-2 employment

Care Specialists and Navigators work for Novinway, with variable hours.

Prepared

Before you begin

Paid training and preparation for your role.

Supported

Ongoing supervision

Coaching and assistance with safety, scheduling and role questions.

Current openings

Roles and requirements.

Review the responsibilities, requirements and employment terms for each role. Each position has its own online application.

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.

Apply to be a Care Specialist

Working at Novinway

Ongoing support and collaboration.

Care Specialists work with the same children over time. Navigators become familiar with each family’s history, priorities and ongoing needs.

A shared team channel and regular check-ins provide opportunities to ask questions, discuss challenges and coordinate support between assignments.

Your feedback on instructions, workload and safety helps us improve the work. As Novinway grows, there are opportunities to grow with us in leadership, training, operations and recruiting.

Care Specialists in a group session during in-person training

Hiring process

How to apply.

01

Apply

Tell us about your background, interests and availability.

02

Talk with us

Discuss the responsibilities, schedule and expectations, and ask questions about the role.

03

Complete screening

Complete background, reference and employment checks before independent work. We verify three references directly.

04

Train, then prepare

Complete paid training for your role, then prepare for your first family or project.

Equal opportunity

Equal opportunity and accommodations.

Novinway provides equal employment opportunity and reasonable accommodation. If you need an accommodation during the hiring process, email hello@novinway.com to discuss your needs. Accommodation requests do not affect hiring decisions.

Get started

Apply to join Novinway.

Review the open positions and apply for the role that fits your experience and interests.

View open roles