A unique employment opportunity is available at Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania, for married couples willing to relocate to the school’s campus and live in employer-provided housing.
The school is hiring Full-time Flex Houseparents, a two-person position in which a legally married couple lives on campus and provides care, supervision, guidance and support to students.
The opportunity stands out among relocation jobs in Pennsylvania because the compensation package includes not only a salary for each spouse, but also free housing, meals while on duty, utilities, comprehensive employee benefits, relocation assistance and paid training.
The advertised salary is $46,917 per person, with approximately $180,000 in total compensation per couple, when the value of housing, meals, utilities and other benefits is included.
For married couples looking for jobs with housing, relocation jobs for couples or careers that provide a substantial benefits package, this could be an opportunity worth considering.
Houseparents Job in Hershey, Pennsylvania
Milton Hershey School (MHS) is a residential school in Hershey, Pennsylvania, serving more than 2,200 students from pre-kindergarten through Grade 12.
The school provides students from disadvantaged backgrounds with a cost-free, career-focused education and residential support.
Founded in 1909 by Milton and Catherine Hershey, the school has more than 12,000 graduates and continues to expand its educational and residential programmes.
The Houseparent role is central to the school’s residential model.
Rather than simply working at the school during normal business hours, Houseparents live in student homes on the campus and help create a structured, supportive and family-like environment for the children in their care.
Relocation to Hershey, PA Is Required
This is an important point for anyone searching for relocation jobs in the USA.
The Houseparent position requires the successful couple to relocate to Hershey, Pennsylvania, because the job involves living in a student home on the Milton Hershey School campus.
This is therefore not a conventional residential care job where employees commute to work each day.
The couple becomes part of the residential community and lives where the students live.
For couples currently living outside Pennsylvania, the employer provides relocation assistance, which can help reduce some of the financial burden associated with moving for the position.
The provision of employer-sponsored housing also makes this opportunity particularly notable among jobs that provide housing in Pennsylvania.
Salary and Total Compensation
Each spouse receives a salary of:
$46,917 per person
Together, the two spouses can earn:
$93,834 in combined base salary
However, the school states that the overall compensation package is worth approximately:
$180,000 per couple
This figure includes the value of benefits such as:
- Free on-campus housing
- Meals while on duty
- Utilities
- Health benefits
- Other employee benefits
This makes the opportunity substantially different from a job where the advertised salary is the only form of compensation.
For a married couple, having housing and utilities provided can significantly reduce household living expenses, particularly compared with relocating to an area where rent and housing costs must be paid entirely from salary.
What Does a Houseparent Do?
Houseparents are responsible for helping students develop academically, socially and emotionally while maintaining a safe and structured household environment.
A Houseparent couple typically supervises a group of approximately 8–13 students living in the student home.
Responsibilities include:
- Providing daily supervision and mentorship.
- Creating and maintaining household routines.
- Managing student schedules.
- Supporting students’ personal development.
- Administering medications and monitoring student wellness.
- Driving students to activities and appointments.
- Planning recreational and developmental activities.
- Actively participating in activities with students.
- Leading daily devotions.
- Accompanying students to Sunday Chapel services.
- Managing household budgets.
- Completing household reports and administrative responsibilities.
- Serving as positive role models for students.
The role requires both spouses to work together and maintain a stable, supportive environment for the students assigned to their care.
How the Houseparent Work Schedule Works
Newly hired Flex Houseparents initially support different student homes across the school.
Their initial schedule consists of:
Nine consecutive days on duty followed by three days off.
During weekdays, Houseparents have periods of unscheduled time while students are attending school.
After gaining experience in the role, Flex Houseparents can transition into a Placed Houseparent position.
Placed Houseparents live and work with the same group of students in their own student home.
This creates a more permanent residential environment and allows Houseparents to build stronger relationships with the students they support.
Benefits for Houseparents
The compensation package is one of the biggest attractions of this relocation job in Pennsylvania.
Benefits include:
Free Housing
Houseparents live in a student home provided by Milton Hershey School.
This can represent a significant financial benefit for couples relocating to Pennsylvania because they do not have to pay conventional rent for their employer-provided accommodation.
Meals While on Duty
Meals are provided while Houseparents are on duty.
Utilities
The compensation package includes utilities associated with the provided housing.
Health Insurance
Employees have access to comprehensive:
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
The benefits package also includes health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts.
Life and Disability Insurance
The school provides life insurance and disability benefit options as part of the employee benefits package.
Retirement Benefits
Employees can also access retirement savings benefits.
Relocation Assistance
For candidates moving to Pennsylvania for the position, relocation assistance is provided.
This is particularly important for applicants currently living outside the Hershey area.
Paid Training
The employer also provides paid training, allowing successful applicants to receive training while preparing for their responsibilities.
Paid Time Off
Paid time off is provided at designated periods throughout the year.
Who Can Apply?
This is a specialised position with several important eligibility requirements.
Applicants must meet the following conditions.
The Position Is for Married Couples
This is a two-person role specifically for legally married couples.
Both spouses must complete their own individual employment applications.
Couples who are not legally married do not meet this particular requirement.
Age Requirement
Both spouses must be at least 27 years old.
Experience With Young People
Applicants should have experience working or volunteering with children or young people.
This could include previous employment, volunteer work, youth programmes or other relevant experience.
Education
A high school diploma or GED is required.
Driving Requirements
Both applicants need a valid U.S. driver’s licence and must be capable of becoming certified to drive the student-home vans.
Physical Requirements
Houseparents must be capable of lifting up to 50 pounds.
Professional Conduct
The school expects Houseparents to demonstrate strong:
- Integrity
- Professionalism
- Responsibility
- Communication
- Leadership
- Interpersonal skills
Because Houseparents live directly with students, they are expected to serve as role models and maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
Religious and Campus Requirements
The Houseparent position includes a religious component.
Houseparents must be comfortable leading students in daily devotions and accompanying them to Judeo-Christian Sunday Chapel services.
The school states that proselytising is prohibited.
Applicants should therefore understand this requirement before applying.
The campus is also smoke-free and weapon-free, and alcohol is not permitted while employees are on duty.
Children and Pets
There are additional rules for couples who have children or pets.
No more than three dependent children may reside in the student home.
Pet ownership is also restricted. Only fish and one dog from an approved breed are permitted under the stated requirements.
These conditions are particularly important for families considering relocation to Pennsylvania for the position.
Why This Is an Attractive Relocation Job
The biggest advantage of this opportunity is the combination of employment, housing and relocation assistance.
A couple relocating to Pennsylvania normally has to consider the cost of:
- Rent or a mortgage
- Utilities
- Food
- Moving expenses
- Transportation
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Other household expenses
With this Houseparent position, several of those expenses are incorporated into the compensation package.
The school provides housing, utilities and meals while on duty, while also offering medical, dental, vision, retirement and insurance benefits.
That makes this one of the more unusual jobs with free housing for married couples.
Jobs With Housing for Couples
People searching online for jobs for married couples with housing will find relatively few opportunities where both spouses are employed as part of the same residential position.
The Milton Hershey School Houseparent role is specifically structured around a married couple working together.
Both spouses receive a salary, while the couple lives on campus and shares responsibility for a group of students.
This arrangement could appeal to couples who want to relocate together rather than having one spouse move first and search for separate employment after arriving.
Relocation to Hershey, Pennsylvania
Candidates who live outside Pennsylvania should carefully consider the relocation requirement before applying.
The position is tied to the Milton Hershey School campus, meaning the successful couple will need to move to Hershey, Pennsylvania and live on campus.
The school provides relocation assistance, which can help with the transition.
Because housing is included, applicants may also avoid one of the largest expenses normally associated with relocating for a new job: finding and paying for accommodation.
Couples should nevertheless consider their individual circumstances, particularly if they have children, pets or other family commitments that could be affected by the school’s residential requirements.
Who Is This Job Best Suited For?
This opportunity could be particularly suitable for married couples searching for:
- Relocation jobs in Pennsylvania
- Jobs for married couples
- Jobs with housing
- Jobs with free accommodation
- Jobs with housing and meals
- Residential school jobs
- Boarding school jobs
- Houseparent jobs
- Youth care jobs
- Education support jobs
- Pennsylvania jobs with relocation assistance
- Jobs that provide housing
- High-paying jobs with housing
- Full-time jobs in Pennsylvania
It may also appeal to couples who have previous experience in education, childcare, youth mentoring, residential care, social services, counselling, coaching or community programmes.
Important Requirements Before Applying
Potential applicants should carefully review the requirements before starting the application.
The most important conditions include:
- Both applicants must be legally married.
- Both spouses must be at least 27 years old.
- Both spouses must submit individual applications.
- A high school diploma or GED is required.
- Experience working or volunteering with young people is required.
- Both spouses need a valid U.S. driver’s licence.
- Applicants must be able to lift up to 50 pounds.
- No more than three dependent children may live in the student home.
- Campus rules include restrictions concerning smoking, weapons and alcohol while on duty.
- Applicants must be comfortable participating in daily devotions and Sunday Chapel.
- Applicants must be prepared to relocate to Hershey, Pennsylvania and live on campus.
How to Apply
Married couples interested in this Houseparent job at Milton Hershey School should review the employer’s latest vacancy information and complete an individual employment application for each spouse.
Because this is a residential position, couples should pay particular attention to the relocation and on-campus living requirements before applying.
The combination of two salaries, employer-provided housing, meals while on duty, utilities, relocation assistance, paid training and comprehensive benefits makes this a particularly unusual opportunity for couples seeking a new career and willing to relocate.
Job Summary
Position: Full-time Flex Houseparents
Employer: Milton Hershey School
Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania
Job type: Full-time
Salary: $46,917 per spouse
Combined base salary: Approximately $93,834 per couple
Total compensation: Approximately $180,000 per couple, including housing, meals, utilities and other benefits
Housing: Employer-provided on-campus housing
Meals: Provided while on duty
Relocation assistance: Yes
Paid training: Yes
Primary applicants: Legally married couples
Minimum age: 27 for both spouses
Relocation: Required
Note: Job requirements, compensation and benefits can change. Applicants should confirm the latest information directly with Milton Hershey School before applying.
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