Overview

Position Summary:  The Home Finding Department is responsible for the recruitment, training and certification of all foster homes within Children’s Aid (CA). With approximately 500 homes either in the process of certification or certified, Home Finding is the initial contact for prospective foster parents with the agency’s foster care division within Children’s Aid. The Home Finding Department seeks to ensure a highly quality of care for children in the agency’s care as well as highly quality of customer service for our foster parents. Children’s Aid has four foster care programs within the agency including Family Foster Care, Therapeutic Foster Care, Medical Foster Care and Medical Foster Care for Developmental Disabilities.

The role of the Foster Parent Recruitment Coordinator is to assess applicants who are inquiring about becoming a foster parent with Children’s Aid. The Foster Parent Recruitment Coordinator welcomes potential foster parents at Children’s Aid as well as collaborates with the Marketing and Communications Department. This position is an essential part of the Home Finding Department as well as the Child Welfare Division due to the integral role in creating homes for the city’s most vulnerable who are survivors of abuse and neglect.

Responsibilities: 

  • Respond to referrals from ACS’ Wishline, which prospective applicants call to inquire about becoming foster parents via phone, text, email and mail, track applicants referred by ACS and submit monthly reports.
  • Screen inquiries who demonstrate an interest in becoming a foster parent for all foster care programs with Children’s Aid. 
  • Facilitate foster parent orientations for applicants who meet eligibility criteria.
  • Ensure follow up with eligible applicants to complete foster parent application.
  • Responsible for completing State Central Registry (SCR) and Staff Exclusionary List (SEL) clearances as well as scheduling fingerprint appointments for applicants and household members.
  • Track and update internal inquiry database system weekly, monitor inquiry status, new applicant orientations attendance and discontinued applicants.
  • Follow-up with applicants via telephone, text, email and/or by letter as needed and appropriate to ensure that they are moving through the pipeline smoothly and efficiently.
  • Complete Connections data entry of all new applicants and maintain accurate household composition during the vetting process.  
  • Process initial screening of transfer and re-open requests.
  • Serve as a liaison for Children’s Aid regarding foster parent recruitment at ACS Meetings and ACS Recruitment Events.
  • Conduct orientations as needed at our Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island and Brooklyn sites to meet the agency’s recruitment needs.
  • Coordinate strategic recruitment events for Family, Medical and Treatment Family Foster Care Programs.
  • Facilitate meetings with Foster Parent Leaders and support their efforts with Agency recruitment.
  • Prepare monthly recruitment reports. 
  • Track and Process finder’s fee for foster parents.
  • Create flyers and recruitment materials as needed including ordering recruitment materials as needed.
  • Assist in facilitating certification and on-going foster parent trainings as needed to meet the needs of the department (via MAPP/GPS II and Deciding Together).
  • Provide presentations on the recruitment and certification process.
  • Collaborate with the department on special events as needed.
  • Attend Staff, Program and Division meetings as well as staff trainings as required
  • Knowledge of OCFS/ACS Home Finding regulations and requirements as well as the ability to relay standards to applicants.
  • Ability to partner with the applicants and contract regarding the collection of documents needed for certification in a timely manner.
  • Additional duties as needed.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree required, Social Services preferred.
  • Knowledge of the Child Welfare and Foster Care Regulations desired.
  • Excellent oral and written skills.
  • Excellent customer service, engagement and assessment skills.
  • Experience in conducting presentations and training.
  • Knowledge of OCFS Connections System preferred.
  • Computer literate.
  • Excellent organizational skills.
  • Collaborative approach.
  • Able to meet deadlines.
  • Able to take initiative, think critically and act as an agency of change.
  • Bilingual in English/Spanish preferred.
  • Flexible schedule.
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