Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York·Wading River, New York
The intern will assist in planning and facilitating structured recreational activities for youth in foster care while supporting engagement and program logistics. They will also observe behavior support strategies and maintain organized program spaces under staff supervision.
The Recreation Intern supports the planning and implementation of structured recreational and enrichment activities for youth involved in foster care.
Under supervision, the intern will gain hands-on experience in youth engagement, group facilitation, trauma-informed programming, and community-based service delivery.
This internship is designed for students pursuing careers in social work, recreation, psychology, human services, or youth development.
Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York is a human services nonprofit supporting the well-being of children, youth, families, and individuals across New York City and Long Island since 1929.
Our staff of more than 500 builds well-being by providing prevention services, foster care, residential treatment care, adoption services, programs and services for individuals with developmental disabilities, and medical and mental health services.
Demonstrate foundational group facilitation and youth engagement skills.
Apply trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches in recreational settings.
Develop professional communication skills when working with youth and staff.
Gain exposure to foster care and community-based youth services.
Understand safety and supervision standards in child welfare programming.
Strengthen documentation and organizational skills.
Identify career pathways within foster care, prevention services, and youth development roles.
Required Qualifications and Experience
Currently enrolled in a degree program in Social Work, Psychology, Recreation, Human Services, Education, or related field.
Interest in working with youth involved in foster care or prevention services.
Energetic, dependable, and emotionally mature.
Ability to work occasional evenings or weekends for special events.
Valid NYS driver’s license preferred but not required for internship placement.
This internship is based in Brooklyn, NY and may include supervised travel throughout New York City’s five boroughs.
This internship is unpaid and credit-bearing, in accordance with each participating school’s academic requirements.
The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent in this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of a person in this position.
This position is a structured educational internship. Interns are not assigned independent caseloads, are not counted toward staff-to-youth ratios, and do not provide independent clinical, supervisory, or crisis intervention services. All activities are conducted under the supervision of designated staff in accordance with agency policy and regulatory requirements.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Statement
With more than 250 years of combined experience, Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York and St. John’s Residence for Boys have a long-standing history of serving children, youth, adults and families of color. Our mission, vision and values are grounded in elevating the shared humanity of every staff member, community partner and those with whom we engage. We recognize that our DEIB work is continuously evolving as we strive for equity and inclusion for individuals of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, ages, abilities, religions and lived experiences.
Some job requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Some requirements may be designed to protect the safety and health of the employee, their fellow employees and the individuals being served and may therefore exclude some individuals.
Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected group status.
Market context
In New York, recreational intern roles tied to youth, foster care, and prevention services often draw interest from candidates in social work, psychology, recreation, human services, and education programs. These internships can be competitive because employers look for dependable applicants who bring energy, a youth-centered mindset, and relevant academic preparation. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits on this platform to save time, then tailor your application to show experience working with young people and your availability.