Special Needs Coordinator

Position Description - Trace Kids Special Needs Coordinator

At Trace, we believe our mission and vision should be fully embraced by everyone—especially those in leadership. Our staff are called to lead by example and help shape the culture of our church. We hold the conviction that we're not paid for performance, but for preparation. This means we work diligently throughout the week to ensure our hearts and minds are fully devoted to worship on Sundays. Trace staff are expected to be self-driven and committed to personal and spiritual growth, so that the ministry we lead never outpaces our ability to sustain it.

The Trace Kids Special Needs Coordinator provides leadership and oversight for the Special Needs Program, ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for children and their families. This role involves recruiting and training Special Needs serve team members, coordinating and scheduling weekend service programming for this area, overseeing the sensory room environment, and coordinating specialized support for kids camps and events. The coordinator acts as a primary point of contact for families of children with special needs and fostering a culture of care and excellence within the Kids Ministry.

• Oversees Special Needs Team
  • Recruits and trains new Special Needs Team Members
  • Identifies and asks team members to step into Service Lead positions
  • Assists in cultivating culture
  • Generates creative ideas to improve Kids Ministry, specifically Special Needs Program
  • Assists with team member appreciation and connection of Special Needs Team
  • Leads trainings as needed
  • Keeps church center group and PCO services teams/templates up to date for Special Needs

• Plans and preps weekend service programming for Special Needs
  • Scheduling Special Needs team members
  • Creating and Overseeing registrations for kids in program
  • Preparing and maintaining sensory room
  • Communicating with families entering Special Needs program

• Assists in Camp planning and execution for Special Needs kids

• Informal team gatherings to build relationships
• Weekly All-Staff meetings
• Weekly Kids Team Meeting
• Active participation in our Cultural Distinctives
• Willingness to serve and support all areas of Trace Kids

• Strong, personal commitment to Jesus Christ and alignment with the church’s mission and values.
• Direct experience working with children with diverse special needs (e.g., Autism, ADHD, Down syndrome).
• Demonstrated knowledge of positive behavior support and de-escalation techniques, such as using "First/Then" language, maintaining a calm demeanor, implementation with timers, and focusing on positive reinforcement.
• Understanding of safety protocols and the ability to train team members on safety, including managing the sensory room, restroom procedures, and safe physical redirection techniques for elopement or self-harm.
• Excellent organizational skills for coordinating team schedules, managing registrations, and planning specialized programming and events.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills to serve as the primary point of contact for families.
• Effective communication skills to train and lead Special Needs team.
• Bachelor’s degree or Experience preferred in Special Education, Child Development, Social Work, or a related field.
• Creative problem-solver with a passion for serving families of children with Special Needs.

Employment Details

• Position Title: Trace Kids Special Needs Coordinator
• Reports To: Trace Kids Director
• Employment Type: Part-time, Hourly
• Working Hours: 15 hours
• Compensation: $20/hour

Work Schedule: Sunday 7:00am-6:30pm, Tuesday 9:00am-1pm