Position Title: Family Finder and Resource/Recruitment Specialist

Department: Professional Foster Parenting

Reports to: Supervisor of Licensing

About the Program

Foster Care (FC): is to provide safety and stability for children until they can safely return to their families. Foster parents play an essential role in helping children and parents maintain their relationship during this period of separation. If a child cannot return home, foster parents may provide a permanent home. When this happens, foster parents eventually assume legal responsibility for the child as their guardian or through adoption. For older youth in care, foster parents help prepare them for their next steps toward living independently.

Position Objective and Summary

Works as a part of a professional family support team to assist youth and their families by providing strong location efforts and recruitment of foster homes for families. This position will utilize a family-centered, trauma-informed, strength-based approach to engage youth and families. This position will provide administrative support and resource development and support to the casework team. This position is non-case carrying.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Extensive research, investigation, and outreach in locating absentee parents/guardians.
Identify and locate potential extended family/fictive kinship relationships.
Assist the family caseworker with facilitating the expansion of resources needed to better service children and their families involved in foster care.
Attend staff meetings as required and participate in scheduled trainings in order to maintain and upgrade skills.
Maintain documentation using the Evolv and SACWIS system.

Casework Support

Assist caseworkers with obtaining vital documents and consents.
Assist caseworkers with foster parent support and training.
Facilitation of the expansion of community resources.
Create a master schedule for the CFTM meetings.
Coordinate invites and/or placeholders for CFTM meetings.
Utilize the Statewide Provider Database (SPYDER) to identify resources for caseworkers and families.

Foster Parent Engagement and Recruitment

Possess the ability to identify and engage familial supports and connections including relatives and fictive kin for the purpose of life-long connections and permanency achievement.
Assist in training potential foster parents and biological parents/relatives as assigned.
Engage in a variety of techniques to meet and communicate with potential foster parents, including attending recruitment events, networking, social media etc.
Coordinate targeted recruitment events for potential families who may meet a youth’s specific needs.

Professionalism and Work Conduct

Behaves with integrity, demonstrates high ethical standard, and displays a positive image of UCAN.
Acts in a professional manner at all times and maintains appropriate boundaries with youth and families.
Demonstrated accountability for results and keeps commitment to others.
Reports to work meetings, training, and other job-related activities prepared and as scheduled.
Demonstrated openness and respect for cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of families and coworkers.
Understands and support UCAN’s standard of Diversity Equity and Inclusion and strives to meet those standards.
Understands implicit bias and how to work within a system that impacts decisions for youth and families.
Perform other related tasks as required or assigned.

Education/Job Experience/Certification

Bachelor’s degree in Human Services or Social Work.
Car and valid Illinois driver’s license and insurance required.

Special Knowledge and Qualifications

Ability to maintain confidentiality of classified information.
Experience working with youth in care and foster families.
Ability to lift up to 25lbs., (carry non-walking children and toy boxes)
Ability to communicate with children, youth and adults in a courteous and professional manner.
Has an understanding of trauma-informed practice.
Has an understanding of Positive Youth Development
Ability to work both independently and a part of a high functioning team.
Experience and ability to use computers for data entry, communication and report writing.
Working knowledge of the child welfare system.

At UCAN, we prioritize the health and well-being of our team, as it is essential to our mission of serving the community. Our competitive benefits package is designed to help you and your family thrive. Below, you'll find a comprehensive list of the benefits we offer.

Benefits You Can Choose From

Medical
Dental
Vision
Voluntary Life Insurance
Voluntary Short-Term Disability
Voluntary Critical Illness Insurance
Voluntary Accident Coverage
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
Retirement Plan (401k) Match
Tuition Reimbursement

Benefits Provided at No Cost to You

Group Life and AD&D Insurance
Group Long-Term Disability
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

UCAN is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages candidates with lived experience and diverse backgrounds to apply.

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